The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1903-02-10
HON. E. W. P0U'S SPEECH
ON ANTITRUST COMEDY
The Bill OF the Republicans Terrible in its Impotence.
Can it Fool the People
Longer?

bright idea. 1t Will not fool anybody. Ii
is a makeshift. 1t is merely an effort
to temporize with a great question,
which vii be regarded with contempt BY
the American people.
The anthracite coal strike began or
May Il, 1902. 1t terminated on October
~, 1902, having lasted nearly six months.
The miners demanded at first that wages
should be increased 20 per cent. Ihis
d1maEd was subsequently modified into
q request that wages should be increased
~ per cent, and that a ten CT ccal should
consist CT 2,240 pounds, and that a man
should be appointed by the miners to
witness the weighing Of the coal. In
1890, ] believe, the miners had secured an
advance OF 10 per cen in their wages.
bat THIS slight increase dd not cover the
increased cost OF living. From 1896 until
1902 the cost of living had increased
nearly 80 Per cent. Republican orators
and the Republican press of the country
during those years were constantly re-
mtH1ins the people Of the unprecedented
prosperity which the country was enjoy
ing, and especially the laboring men.
Ee was the especial pet Of that party.
The great Republican heart beat for him
as for ne other human being in the uni
verse.
All! Mr. Chairman, they wanted his
vote. But when the toilcr, who spends
most of his life in the bowels OF the
earth shut of from pure air and sun
shine, demanded an increase of - per
cent III his wages, and ~.-at 2.240 pounds
should be received as a ton Of coal, and
that his representative should see that
he was not cheated III the weighing of
the coal, the trust said. No, :his de-
mand is unreasonable. Republican pros
perity has not yet reached this point.
You must continue to dig, and you must
continue TO dig cut a 1900 ton Of coal
and my representative, not yours, shall
sayy whether the product Of your labor
is correctly Weighed" Seven great rail-
read corporations control nearly 10 per
cent of the total anthracite coal pro
duccd.
Under Republican protection there has
been an enormous increase III the value
OF stocks in these 20 corporations. Repub-
liCln statesmen have been constantly
co2gratuIating the country upon the
enormous increase il railroad earnings;
but when confronted With the PROPOSE
ton to increase the wages CT the miners
10 per cent, these corporations fatty
refuse. As d result, 147 600 miners quit
work. What then? Cold weather came
on and with it great suffering. Anxiety
was written on the faces of the poor in
the cities and towns all over the
country. Even food products were burn
co in order that life might be sustained.
Churches, school houses, ana other pub
lie buildings were thrown open in order
that the roCr might not freeze to death.
Even in Washington it was difficult for
the Government to procure enough coal
to heat its buildings. In Boston and
New York coal went to s. per ton, in
PHILADELPHIA to $24 per ten, to $40 per
tCn in numbers of places. Did anybody
suppose that publicity would relieve this
situation? Does the Republican party
propose to answer this cry of distress
with q stereotyped statement showing
the officers of these seven corporations,
the amount of their cash stock. how much
money they paid in and how much prop
crty conveyed, the name and address
OF each officer. and q true and correct
copy Of their articles of Incorporation?
DO you gentlemen upon the Republican
side think you can satisfy the moral
sentiment of this country by any such
subterfuge?
In the midst Of all this distress what
did you do? Did you then dare TO say
that your publicity law, this iridcacent
idea of your President, was sufficient?
Not at all. But in the mist of it all you
adopted a Democratic idea. applause on
the Democratic side.) You invoked a
great Democratic principle when YOU
were forced to repeal the duty Of 81
cents per ton upon anthracite coal for
cne wear. You got that suggestion from
the Democratic platform of 1900, which
VIII read: Tariff laws should be
l- ,,4tf,n tho ~ ,nlrIptS- of
trusts upon the FREQ list tc procnt
monopoly under the Flea CT protection,
Your President he'd said that there was
70 Guty unGr anthracite coal. He curI
he was mistaken. and with great pro
/ f. ssions Of patriotism, favored with tears
Of pity for the distressed, you came III
here and admitted that in the cXtrem"
cxigency Of the hour the best you could
do was TO put coal temporarily upon
! the free list. Before / conclude shall
rcturn to this subject with some furth-
e. observations.
Now, what is tho second remedy which
our Republican friends offer? 1t is this:
THAT anv person, carrier, lessee, draw
or. officer, rcceicvr, agent, or rcnTesen-
t2tivc of a carrier, subject to the act
to REGULATE commerce, who or which Snai
offer. grant, give. solicit, accept, or re
&C i've any rebate. concession, fdcllltleS
CT. officer, receiver, agent, or rePreSeh-
tian Of any property II interstate o!
fcroirn commerce for any common car
r:er subject to such act whereby any
slch property shall, by any device what
ovor be TRANSPORTED at a less rate thar
that named in TIC tarifs published ar
Glcd by such carrier. or shall receive aCy
u advantage by way of facilities or scr
vices shall he deemed guilty of q mis-