Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1903-01-29
Roosevelt and the Coal Trust.

Roosevelt and the Coal Trust.
From The Commoner.
An interesting letter was recently
written by W. R. Hearst to President
Roosevelt. More than three months
ago Mr.. Hearst addressed aletter to the
President notifying Mr.. Roosevelt that
he. Mr.. Hearst, had asked Attorney
General Knox for permission to furnish
him with conclusive proofs Of the ex-
istence of coal trust. Mr.. Hearst
Gays that he submitted the proofs to
the United States district attorney OF
the southern district of New York and
that these proofs demonstrated ''under
| the hands and seals OF the corporations
constituting the trust that combina-
tion of the coal-carrying railroads ab
solutely controls the country's supply
of anthracite and fixes it's price to the
| consumer"
Mr.. Hearst reminds the President
that the law officer of his administra-
tion has been and is remiss in his duty
in not proceeding against trusts, He
appeals to the President to command
his Attorney General to proceed against
the coal trust both civilly and crimi-
nally or explain to the people of the
United States his reasons for not doing
so If reasons suitable for public avowal
he has. The President is further re-
minded that the people have right
TO expect action against the trusts in
general and the coal trust in particular.
MIR. Hearst reminds the President
that the coal trust continues to exist
and continues to plunder because the
laws are not enforced and he concludes
that the Attorney General is respon-
sible to the President and that If the
President shall uphold him in his re-
fusal to act against the coal trust, the
President will be responsible to the
American people.
Mr.. Roosevelt will find it difficult to
avoid this question much longer. 1t is
significant that when Mr.. Knox de-
livered his famous speech at Pittsburg
he did not undertake to explain to the
people why he did not enforce the
criminal clause of the existing law
and although Democratic newspapers
all over the country called upon Re-
publican organs to explain the ad-
ministration's failure to invkoke the
criminal indictment no Republican
editor has undertaken to provide an
explanation. Mr.. Hearst's letter Is as
follows:
"To Theodore Roosevelt, President
OF the United States-Sir: On October
4th, more than three months ago,
had the honor of addressing letter to
lyou, informing you that l had petit
toned your Attorney General for per-
mission to furnish him with conclusive
proofs of the existence of coal trust.
At the request Of your Attorney Gen.
eral, submitted my proofs to General
Burnett, United States district attor-
ney for the southern district of New
York.
"Those proofs demonstrate, over
the hands and seals of the corporations
constituting the trust, that combina-
ton of coal-carrying railroads abso-
lutely controls the country's supply OF
anthracite and fixes it's price to con-
sumers. In the judgment of lawyers
whose professional competency is
quite as undisputed as that OF your At
torney General, those proofs If pre-
sented in court would suffice to dis
solve the coal trust and subject Its
members to the civil and criminal pen
alties provided by law. Continuously
since the submission Of those proofs
the coal trust has robbed the people,
extorting famine prices for coal, a
prime necessity Of industrial and do
mostic life, yet no action has been
taken against this trust by your At
torney General for the enforcement of
the laws and the relief of the public.
$50 remarkable has been the
lethargy of your Attorney General in
the face of condition OF things which
reaches the gravity Of widespread
public calamity that in both houses of
Congress resolution has been intro
duced calling upon him to disclose the
evidence submitted by me through my
attorneys In October last. These proofs
aside, sir, neither you nor any other
we'll informed citizen can doubt the
existence Of the coal trust, nor be
ignorant Of the organized brigandage
which 1t has practiced and is practic-
ing. You have but to consult the final
report OF the industrial commission to
learn that the eight lines Of railroad
comprising the trust own nine-tenths
, OF the anthracite deposits and mine
three-quarters Of the yearly product.
From the same report you can ascer.
tain that In order n, crush ont com.