Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-03-12

process of law and with no violation of
public faith or private right.
Passing to the general features
which the case presents, Mr.. Lloyd
/ said that anthracite coal is naturally
geographical monopoly, being con-
tanned in three contiguous fields which
II laid close together would not cover
, over eight miles by co. During the
past 80 years 30 per cent. of the an
thracite coal of America has passed
from the ownership of many thousand
private citizens into the possession of
the railroads leading to the coal fields
and even these railroads have been I'M
dergoing similar process of consolida-
ton and are now the property of eight
great corporations.
Mr.. Lloyd sketched the process by
which this combinat ton of railway in
terests to the exclusion of the indepen-
dent operator has developed and then
said: "Relief for the people from the
coal monopoly has been sought through
the interstate commerce commission
and has failed. The legal representa-
tives of the people refuse to have re-
course to the antitrust law for rea-
sons indicated in a moment, although
Senator Edmunds, one of it's authors
and as able a constitutional LAWYER as
we have. has lately repeated his opin-
ion that its provisions are ample and
that we need not new law but an en-
forcement of the law we have.
Relief we must have, for relief
means life. liberty and prosperity"
Mr. Lloyd argued that we must con-
troll the price of our freedom if We
would be free. 1.-THE men who think
that they can permanently hold a free
and intelligent people like the Ameri-
cans subject to taxes or prices in the
making of which they have no voice,
no representation, no consent, are the
craziest fools in history" said the
speaker.
1.-The man who came telling the peo-
pie that they had been entrusted by
God in His infinite wisdom as the
keepers of their conscience have been
relegated by the contempt and COM
nonsense of every free people to the
limbo from which the crank never re-
turns. The men who came telling the
people that God in His infinite wisdom
had entrusted them with the govern
ment have been relegated to the same
limbo. The same limbo has it's jaws
wide open for the cranks who come
telling the people that God in His in
finite wisdom has entrusted them with
the care of the property interests of
the country.
This is the crisis that is upon us and
it is a crisis. A new absolution is ris-
ing but over against it by sure law
of nature. human nature, is rising that
master of all absolutism-the people.
Against the absolutism of property
will rise the democracy of PROPERTY.
Mr.. Lloyd went on to say that state
coal mines are no new venture and
that the trend of advance thought is
/ lal toward government ownership.
THE nervousness said he, with
| with our coal mine owners protest that
| no politics must be brought in re-
;. veals their vulnerable heel and their
consciousness of it, politics and the
| use by the people of their irresistible
weapon, public cooperation, have
| made lambs of the coal monopolists on
| the other side of the globe
| Summing up his entire contention
| Mr.. Lloyd said: First seize the mines,
| then debate the question of payment.
| If we nay for them, it will be only be-
cause the people show these men more
mercy than they have shown either the
people CIR. the working men.
| Possession prior to payment"