The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1903-01-16
AN APPEAL TO ROOSEVELT
". z. Hearst Urges Action on Evidence Against the Coal Trust.


To Theodore Roosevelt, President Of the
United States:
Sir-On October 4, more than three
months ago, 1 had the honor OF address
ing a letter to you informing you that
I had petitioned your attorney general
for permission to furnish him with con-
elusive proofs of the existence of a coal
trust.
AT the request Of your attorney gen
eral, I 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 a combination Of
coal-carry,ng railroads absolutely con-
trolls the country's supply of anthracite
and fixes its price TO the consumer.
In the Judgment of lawyers whose
professional competency Is quite as un-
eral. those proofs II presented in court
would suffice to dissolve h coal trust
and subject its members to the civil and
criminal penalties 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
domestic life, yet no action a been
taken against this trust by your attor-
ney general for the enforcement Of the
laws and the relief Of the public.
So remarkable has been the lerhary
of -FOUR attorney general in the face OF
& condition of things which reaches the
gravity OF a widespread public calamity
that In both houses of congress q reSo-
3nrfnN has hcpn ~ntrNHrNaS calling IInnn
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 rust,
nor be ignorant Of h organized brig
sndage which Il has practced n is
practicing.
You have but to consult the final 70
port Of the industrial commission to
learn hat the eight lines of railroad
comprising the trust own nine-teaths
of the anthracite deposits and mine
three-Quarters of the yearly product
From the same report you can ascer-
tain that in order TO crush out compe-
tition these railroads have charged x
t~ortionate freight rates Compared with
the charge per ton on kitumtnous coal
the rate for carrying anthracite is 50
high thai. in the language of Industrial
Commissioner Phillips, the excess
charge SIS greater every ear than the
interest on u national debt" and is
made possible by the railroad monop
oily, now euphoniously called 'commu-
nifty OF interests"
The fact that the coal trust exists is
notorious, and its character is univer-
sally understood.
4 former attorney general Of the
United States, Richard Olney, on Octo-
80 d.
said that the members of the trust
are the most unblushing and persist
emit Of law breakers" and he thus speci-
fed:
For years they have defed the law Of
Pennsylvania, which forhids common car
ris5s engaging in the business of mining.
For years they have Disseminated be-
tween customers In the freight charges
on their railroads. IN violation OF the in
tsrstate N law.
For years they have unlawfully monop-
clized Interstate commerce. in violation Of
the Sherman antitrust law.
Senator Spooner of Wisconsin, a
member OF you WI party, high in
confidence. in last Mondays de-
bate on the Jones resolution directing
senate the evidence presented to him
by me proving that q conspiracy in re-
straint OF interstate trade exists, said:
T have been OF the opinion that prob
ably there is C a conspiracy And
he added that IF there be such q con-
spiracy II is one that should be prose-
cuced as one absolutely wicked in it's
character and f~ar-reaehine in it's dele
FERROUS effects Il one does ex-
ist it is q very merciless one,v VIOLATING
the laws Of the United States and most
harmful in every way"
You. Mr.. President, can nave no doubt
d the existence OF this conspiracy. but
If there should chance TO remain in
mind any UGH doubt I suggest
you remove il by personally exam
ming the evidence which I placed in