The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1903-01-20

gress introduced bills to abolish the
protection the trust enjoyed under the
Republican tariff bill. Mr. McDermott
OF New Jersey introduced such re-
form measure, and Mr.. Richardson
OF Tennessee offered a resolution
along the same line, instructing the
Ways and Means Committee to inves-
tigate the increase of the price of
meats, determine the cause, and if
practicable offer some measure of leg
islation that would remedy the evil.
These measures were referred TO
the Committee on Ways and Means.
which includes the leaders of the Re
publican party, but no action was
taken There was ample time to con
slider and pass such legislation if the
Republican majority had wished to
consider it. There was a universal
demand from all over the country
from everyone, except the rich, for
some remedy. No one knew better
than these Republican Congressman
that to repeal the tariff duty on cat
tie and beef would bring a large meas
ure of relief. What was the reason
for their non action?
The tariff must no be touched.
To even consider the matter would
disturb business and what the Con
gresham did not say, but was upper
most in their minds, it would cut off
to re-elect them in the fall. Without
an ample campaign fund where would
the faithful TRUSTEES be?
The beef trust knew all this: they
had their paid lobbyists at Washing
ton watching the situation, who.
after consulting the Republican lead
ers of. the Ways and Means Commit
tee, advised the trust that its inter
ests were safe in the keeping of their
faithful Republican friends. What
was the result? Another lift in beef
prices, making the retail prices high
est ever known.
The whole country was aroused. ex-
cept the millionaire and the Repub-
hcan Congressman. demanding that
something be done. The poor had to
give up eating meat, the middle class
had to buy cheaper cuts.
The demand for relief from the ex-
actions of the trust after consider
able clamor at the portals, at last
reached the inside of the White
House. The President acted boldly
and ordered his Acknowledgement to
proceed to prosecute the trust; not
criminally, but through the long and
tortuous path of equity proceedings
in the civil courts.
When the Republican Senators and
Congressman called upon the Presi-
dent to consult him about the patron
age in their states or districts. they
could hardly restrain a smile when
asked what they thought of these civil
proceedings against the trust. They
knew Attorney-General Knox and his
leanings. Some of them had known
him when Attorney for the steel trust.
They knew the judges of the Fed
eral courts had also trust Ieanings.
Can you wonder they smiled If the
President and his Acknowledgement
had proceeded against the trust mag
mates in the criminal courts. the Ar
mours and the Swifts and the balance
of them, would now be facing a good
prospect of serving terms of imprison-
ment after conviction by petit jury.
The President knew all about this;
he knew that the same evidence that
had been gathered by the government
officials would convict in either court.
The evidence was on hand to convict
the trust Of combining to raise the
price of meat and of conspiracy to
cheat the farmers by bidding up the
price of stock and when the full tide
had been turned to a special market
then suddenly lowering it and buying
the stock at their own prices. Yet
he chose the long-drawn-out civil
equity suit instead of the quicker and
more drastic criminal remedy.
President Roosevelt has a reputa-
ton for strenuousness, but when he
bucks the trusts he is as mild as a
sucking dove. Publicity of trust
transactions! What care they for
that?
amending the CONSTITUTIONAL inn
possibility with onefourth of the
states objecting. The present genera
tion will be beyond the want of beef
and either sprouting their wings or be
bowling for ice water before President
Roosevelt's plans will afford relief.
But the tariff must not be meddled
with.
The beef combine claims that the
high price they demand for meat is
due to a scarcity of cattle. The sta
tistics of the receipts of live stock
at Chicago do not bear this out. for
while he receipts of cattle have fallen
on about IL per cent from a year ago.
the retail price of beef has advanced
40 per cent during the same period. |
In the Bulletin of the Department of
Labor for July. there is an article on
beef prices, and the price of good to
extra steers, on June 1. 1901. is given
as $5.75 per 100 pounds. On the same
late, 1902, the price is given as $40;
IN the same dates the price of good
% extra fresh beef (Western sides)
vas in 1901 s7.75 and in 1902 $1,000
,er 100 pounds