The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1904-09-30
ROOSEVELT STANDS PAT
Though the Beef Trust Still
Plumbers the People.
LIT WE'LL ENOUGH ALONE PLAN


Injunction Proceedings Against the
Packers Combine UseIess-Points
10 Collusion Between Federal Of
nciaIs and Deef BarOns.
knowing that handsome contribu-
ton to the Republican campaign fund
has in the past secured immunity from
prosecution for the worst OF the great
criminal trusts. the packers combine
evidently does not fear being further
molcsted now Chairman Cortelyou is
Lolding out the contribution box. In
spite Of all the legal efforts of the adj
mlnistration. the beef trust is still
at its old game OF squeezing the
farmers and plundering the consumers,
for a SPECIAL from Sioux City to the St.
Louis Post-Dispatch says
With tue opening of the season for
marketing grass fed cattle from the
ranges. most dealers at Missouri river
points are confident there Will be a
drop in the high prices Of meats There
is Is iii tie difference at present from the
retail prices OF one and two years ago.
tie packers being able to hold their
rates for meat about as high as ever
despite that they are not paying nearly
80 much FOR the cattle Whatever diff
terence there is is in the direction of an
advance as compared to last year.
Whether the arrival of the grass
cattle Will lower prices in eastern cities
is considered doubtful, for the packers
have more complete control of retailing
facilities there than in the western
cities But in the Missouri river cities
there are many independent retail.
ers who, when prices warrant it, XIII
their own cattle and thus are able
to underseil those who handle the
packers meats and charge the schedule
Of prices fixed by the packers. Meat
dealers say that the reduced consump-
ton of meats owing TO the high prices,
is certain to force lower retail rates
soon and that this effect would have
been fell before this time but for tile
war III the east, which has added an
immense market for American food.
stuffs Of an kinds ana especially for
meats from the western packing
points
That is q sad statement after all the
efforts the administration has made to
reduce this only bad trust" to state
Of innocuols desEetude. Here it is
charging about the same high prices
for beef as tive, years ago AMI paying
the farmers less for cattle ana still
debating what the retail butchers shall
charge after all that President Reese
welt and the courts have done to curb it.
But for some occult reason President
Roosevelt and the federal law officers
have evidently overlooked one impor-
tant section of the antitrust law, known.
as the criminal clause, which provides
for the Imprisonment Of those who dis
obey the law That section has been
so often published that nearly every
one is familiar with it, ANA itcan only
be through COLLISION with the trust
that the federal authorities have. never
enforced is. The attorney generals Of
flee has ample evidence to convict the
packers combine under that criminal
section of the antitrust law, for the
same evidence that was produced to
the court which granted the injunction
would be ample to convince jury of
their criminal acts.
But President Roosevelt stands pat
and has evidently told his attorney
general to let we'll enough alone"