Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1905-12-15
TYRANNY OF KING COAL
Railroads Form Controlling Mon0p-
DIV of the Nations Fuel.
Federal Contt0, May be the only Solution
of the Problem now Confronting
The People.


Of the Problem now Confronting
The People.
From Washington Post, Dec. 7
There have been many kings of the
earth. OF the Great Kings and Rulers
of ancient times, We lind Solomon ana
David; we find the PharaOhs OF Egypt;
we find Alexander and Cesar, and
later we find other potentates VINO
have ruled the world with more or less
wisdom, OF with more or less tyranny.
But today, real kings, such as the an
clients feared or wOrshiped, are things
of the past. Autocrats rule no more
save in but few countries, and in those
their thrones are crumbllng to decay.
In their stead have risen other kings.
We have heard it heralded from the
housetops of a portion of our own
country that Cotton is King" From
another portion has gone out the man
dste Corn is King" From another
Iron is King" So have other por-
tiOns of our country declared as king
some staple or some product which Is
peculiar to that section. Such declar,
ations by a section, OF such imperial
sway or supreme rulershlp, have not
placed any such product or thing upon
a throne where it could entirely dom
nate human affairs.
Whilst there has been no declaration
on the subject, the thoughtful man OF
today recognizes that there is a kIN0
in this country, and that his elevation
to the throne, is but question Oh d
few years. They see rising in the dis
al, L,lo nly onH nn0l.
nous. which in time means serfd0m
for the nation. Those who have the
slightest prophetic vision, behold this
potentate lifting his head and grow
| ing in horrid defOrmity each day, ana
victim after victim being drawn into
his tolls and disappearing Into his IN
satiable NAV, as ships are swept into
| the maelstrOm.
| This new king is COAL.
Pause for one moment and think how
the world, and especially the clvlllzeo
| part of it, bows subsequently to this ty'
rant, and you will be appalled,. Withdraw
| it for moment in mId-Wlnter, anu
half our people would starve or freeze.
Every railroad is moved by 1t. Most
| of the factories could not turn wheel,
and every city would be cast into Ut,
ter darkness but for it. Scarcely a 1000
product but has its preparation Tor
human use by means of it. The naVles
of the world would float listlessly at
sea, but for this agent, the machinery
of this Nation would cease to revolve,
and wreex and ruin. famine and pestl
llence. would fill the land with horror.
madness and death. The picture 10
its detail of horrors we shall not at
tempt; we only desire to thus mildly
allude to the conseq uences that WoulO
follow certain conditions. Such con
dition as our failure to have soMF
coal will never arise, but the condl'
tions of having it doled out to US, moi
so much as we need it, but in such
quantities and at such prices as shall
!, suit the sweet will of soulless BODY
Of tyrants, is beginning to confront III
! with such certainty as to cause tn'
thoughtful to blanch with fear at the
consequences.
What are the conditions confronting
the United States2 They are these.
We have carrying and distributing
coal to the Nation practically but fou
railways. Thew are the Pennsylvania
1 the Baltimore & Ohio. the Chesapeak
e & Ohio, and the Norfolk & Western
The almost omniclent eye OF the man
I. agsmsnt of the Pennsylvania Rallroa
J long since saw that Coal is King, 81
e when railraad securities had been de
s pressed until they were mere tras
among the assets of our people, and To
/. time was at hand, this willy corpors
; tion reached out and drew within II
folds the B. u o., the G. " y. and tn
r, N, & W. railways, thus at once cor
l. trolling practically all the coal carrier
J. in the United States. This was th
d first step. Behind each OF these CO..
porations now is coal company con
i. posed of the same men practically wn
control the railways, and these al
= fast monopollzing the coal trade. Ac
bv act, they squeeze out the indlvldu
coal operator. At meeting OF tt
- coal operators on the n. Il W. in Phi
: adelphia last year, there were abol
40. This year there were but s. III
e. others had gone the way Of all flesf
80 that step by step, the operator h'
g been pushed to the wall, bankrupt
nj and sunk out of sight. At the san
" time. syndicates composed OF the raj
II. way magnates, are buying every fo'
er of coal land along the lines of eae
and every one of these railways, ar
H. when they have acquired 1.-THE front
p those who own lands behind them w
is be ignored and their lands left
of "rOt' as it were, on their hands. WI
bv no purchaser, only to be absorbed
Il the monster who has shut them out
d. market, whenever it shall suit Il
is pleasure of the monster to absorb thel
no Owning both the railways and t.
III coal, it is easy to imagine the res
rst Not only will the Nation soon bow
individuals to this KING, but "Unt
&C. SAM himself will soon be found
i'd his Bonded knees supplicating at tt
nd throne of Grace. Only little VIII
ed ago we beheld liking Carnegie" hol
ate ing up the Nation and making 1t p
ur- $500 Der ton for armor plate, when
in actual cost of the product is now sa
las to have been not over $3.50 per to
Der So NAV we soon see King Coal seat
a upon his throne with Uncle Sam"
ok humble suppliant before him, and t
to people as beggars, holding out thu
,le emaciated hands, asking mercy.
Jus The tyranny of Nero nor any OIL
monarch of old days, was never
st, brutal as will be that OF this n
I'll King-when his feet have been firm
. planted.
o. In THE EFFORTS OF THE PRE-
. DENT TO ALLEVIATE HUMAN SUFFF
.m- ING, WHY DOES HE NOT LOOK TN
,r's THIS CAVE OF ROBBERS? 1t would
q m the brightest jewel in his coronet
instead of timber preserves for G.
- trolling rain falls, or of irrigation
reclaim desert wastes, he should
mand the purchase of some millions
acres of coal-land as a National
ate serve, to insure the country agai
inn. the pillage and plumber of the tyrs
low King the railways are now enthronl
ON in the Nation. Il. ;. TURK
res,
,me =------------
for OST-I have left a stout cane with bu
God L horn head and heavy silver band,