West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1903-02-19
HEARST'S OPEN LETTER
Appeals to President Roosevelt
to End Coal Famine.
LETHAReY OF ATTORNEY GENERAL

Proofs Submitted Months Ago That
60 Law. Yet Nothing Ha. Deen Done.
"words Are Good when Backed Up
by Deeds, and Only sc.v
The following open letter addressed
to Theodore Roosevelt. president OF the
United States. appeared on the editori-
al pages OF the New York American,
the Chicago American and the San
Francisco Examiner on Jan. s and was
read I'm the house OF representatives on
Jan. IL. on motion OF Representative
John Wesley Gaines OF Tennessee:
sIr-on oct 4. moro than three months
ago. had the honor OF addressing a LETT
ter 10 you. informing you that had peu-
toned your attorney general for pcrmis-
sion to furnish him with conclusive proofs
OF the existence ef a coal trust
At the request OF your attorney general
submitihi my proofs to General Burnett,
United States district attorney for tho
southern district OF New York
Those proofs denonstrnte, over the
hands and seals OF the corporations con-
stituting the trust. that combination OF
coal carrying railroads absolutely controls
the ooUDtrys supply of anthracite and
fixes its price to the consumer.
In the Judgment OF lawyers whose pro-
fesslonal competency Is quite as undis-
puted rs that OF your attorney general
those proofs II presented In court would
suffice TO dissolve tho coal trust and sub
ject It's members TO the civil and criminal
penalties provided by law.
Continuously since the submission OF
those proofs the coal trust has robbed the
people, oxtorting famine prices for coal,
n primo necessity OF Industrial and do
meetic lIfc yet no action against this
trust has been taken by your attorney
general for the enforcement of the laws
and the relief OF the public.
30 remarkable has been tho iethargy OF
your attorney general In the face OF
condition OF things which reaches tho
gravity Of widespread public calamity
that In both houses OF congress resolu-
tion has been introduced calling upon him
10 Disclose the evidence submitted by me
through my attorneys in October last.
These proofs aside. sir, neither you nor
any other well informed citizen can doubt
the existence OF the coal trust nor DO ig-
norsnt OF the organized brigandage which
IL has praoticed and ~ practicng.
You have but to consult tho final report
OF the Industrial commission 10 learn that
the eight lines Of railroad comprising tho
trust own nine-tenths OF the anthracite
deposits and mine three-quarters OF the
yearly product. From the Same report
you can ascertain that In order 20 crush
out competition these railroads have
charged cxtortlonata freight rates Com
bltuminous coal, the rate for carrying an
thracite is 50 high that. In the language
Of Industrial Commissioner Phillips, the
excess charge '1s greater every year than
tho interest on our national debt and Is
made possible by the railroad monopoly,
now ouphoniousiy called community of
interosts.'"
The fact that the coal trust exists is
notorious. and its character Is universally
Understood.
a former attorney general OF the United
States. Richard Olney. on Oct. II last, IN
a public address at Boston. said that tho
members OF the trust are the most un-
blushing and persistent OF lawbrcakcrs,"
and he thus specified.
''For years they have defed the law OF
Pennsylvania. which forbids common car
riers engaging In the business OF mining.
"FoF yearses hey have Disseminated be-
on their railroads. In violation Of the In
terstate commerce law.
For years they have unlawfuliy monop-
olized Interstate commerce, IN violation Of
the Sherman antitrust law"
Senator Sp0oncr OF Wisconsin. a mem
Der Of your own party. high IN your con-
fdenco IN last Mondays debate on the
Jones resolution directing the attorney
general 70 transmit TO the senate the cvi-
Fence presented 10 him BY me proving
that a conspiracy IN restraint of inierstate
trade exists. said
II have been OF the opinion that prob
atly tnfre ~ 3ucu conspiracy And he
added that "if there be suoh con-
apiracy u h one that should bo prose-
cuted as one absolutely wicked IN its char
acter and farrcachlnR in is deicterious
effects II one does exist it r.
very merciiegs one. violating tho laws Of
the United Btnics and most harmful IN
every way"
You Mr. President. can have no doubt
Of the existence Of this conspiracy, but n
there should chance 90 remain In your
mind any such doubt suggest that you
remove 70 by personally examining the
evidence which I placed IN possession Of
your attorney general IN October.
Sir these men of the coal trust. cnor-
mousiy rich and politically influential as
thcy may be. are criminals They swell
their great fortunes daily BY deliberate
iawbrcakinR.
And while your attorney general has re-
moined 20 strangely quiesccnt these opu-
lent and politically influential criminals
have adopted an old trust device for the
double purpose of further piundering the
public and laying tha basis for q fraudg-