Bisbee daily review., 1904-02-27
FARMERS AND TRUS
The Iowa Grange Demands Re-.
 From the "RObber" Packers.

|
 That the prosecution of the meal
 trust ey the president through his at I torney general was all buncombe and has had no effect upon its exto-tioN
 from the farmers or the consumers
 long been evident. The price of n
 is still far above what it should
 considering the price paid by the
 for live stock. While the but
 have reduced the price of meat
 what from the highest point. the
 Of cattle and hogs has declined iIj
 ly greater proportion. The Iowa at its annual convention discuss{ beef trust and its monopoly of bo wholesale and retail markets an
 coilusion between the trust an
 railroads. President A. B. Judst
 HilIsdaie. addressing the meet:n
 the Iowa grangers, said:
 Instead of supply and demand a
 trolling the market we have tine me
 combine and the packers trust. whiS
 have the credit of fixing the price of hve stock every afternoon for the next day, thereby shutting off all competi- ton. decreasing the ability of the con sumers to buy by keeping up the prices and crippling the ability of the farmer to sell by forcing down the price of farm products.
 What will be the inevitable result of this system of highway robbery i How long will the Iowa farmers sub init to this outrageous system of stand and deliver every time the demand comes from the packers?:
 The Iowa grangers and their brother farmers. those of them who are Re publicans, have only themselves to thank for the exactions of the packers trust The bond between the Republic. an leaders and the trusts is patent to every one who cares to ipyestigote The legislation against the trusts bv the Republican congress was not in. tended to suppress the trusts or stay their exactions.
 The demand by the people of the Unit. ed States that laws be passed to curb me trusts was too strong for even a Republican congress to ignore. Some thlng had to be done. and new but use less legislation was enacted. The Re. publican leaders knew that the old an. thrust law was sufficient if enforced to bring the most powerful combine in time It provides that monopolists can be fined and imprisoned. One trust magnate in jail would soon bring the whole brood to their knees begging for pardon. President Roosevelt instead or enforcing tbe law begged the ques- uon by recommending congress to pass law compelling publicity of trus, transactions as his panacea for trust ills.
 The Republican leaders in congress few leaders control al! lecislation- Jumped at the recommendation of the president and passed the. law giving the new department of commerce and labor the same power to investigate te trusts as the interstate commerce con- mission has to investigate railroads. i mere may be some merit in publicity, l but so far no results have been ac- complished. and the doings of no trust have been exposed to the public gaze. | The attorney general. under the stress of antitrust feeling. commenced pro- ceedings under the civil end Of the old law against the packers trust and pro- cured an injunction from the United States court of Illinois ordering the beef trust from combining to control the market
 The worthlessness of this proceeding is apparent from the complaint of the Iowa grangers. The present attorney general was attorney for the Carnegie Steel corporation and will without doubt be given trust employment when his term of office expires. That may account for his delicate manner of pro- .eeding against the illegal trusts and But first and last the president is to blame in this matte-. He appointed Mir. Knox and can re- move him at pleasure. A hint from President Roosevelt would cause Mir. Knox to resign, and he could appoint n his place another attorney who real y believes in preventing combinations rom raising and lowering prices.