The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1905-02-01
ARRA1GNS THE BEEF TRUST.

Charles E. Russell, of Chicago, /
his article ''The Greatest Trust in tn
World" puts Stand ard Oil into secon'
place as the modern Sampson of mon
opOlies. His first article on this sub
ject in Every body's magazine is ia
more convincing, more judicious an.
less hysterical than the "Frenzied Fl
nance" writings of Thomas w. Law
son. MIR. RusseIl's attack upon tn
beef trust is an assault with solit
facts and authentic figures. 1t ap
peals to more people than lawson.
Wall street TRADE. 1t is worth the
persual of every man who pays tribute
to the beef trust. and that means
everybody who eats.
Mr.. Russell writes: The beef trus,
fixes, for its own profit, the prices the
farmer Of the west shall receive for
his cattle and hogs, and the prices the
butcher of the east shall charge for
his meat.
1t fixes the price that the grower of
California shall receive for his fruit,
and the price the laborer of New York
shall pay for his breakfast.
1t lays hands upon the melon grow.
er of Colorado and the cotton grower
OF Georgia, and compels each to share
with it the scauty proceeds OF his toll.
1t can affect the cost of living in
Aberdeen Dr. Geneva as easily as in
Chicago and New York.
1t has in the last three years in
creased, for its own benefit, the expen.
SEES of every household in America.
1t contr OILS or influences the prices of
one-half the food consumed by the ma.
ton. 1t has its share of the proceeds
OF more commodities of daily con-
sumption than all other trusts, COM
binations and monopolies together,
and the prices of these it seeks to aug.
ument for its own profit.
II a make within certain limits,
the price Of wheat, of corn. of oats,
what it pleases: it will shortly be able
to control the price of every loaf of
of bread.
Its ]operatsons have impoverished or
ruined farmers and stockmen, de.
stroyed millions of investments, caused
banks to break and men TO commit
suicide, precipitated strikes and n
nihilated industries.
So great is the terror it inspires in
some quarters that citizens under the
constitutional guarantees OF freedom
10 not dare even in the privacy Of
heir offices Or homes. to speak a word
hat this power would not approve of.
the multimillionalres, railroad
nagnates and captains OF industry
|uail before it.
And the most singular fact, the fact
hat should make all of US stop and
hink, is that the men that are exercis-
ng this i~ucalculable power upon the
ives and destinies of their fellow
are not bad men,: as the
goes they are good men. They
operate one Of the most cruel and op-
'ressive monopolies: they would not
be cruel or unjust in any
If air Of personal conduct. The bust.
less they conduct is merely piracy on
! gigantic scale; they are themselves
generous and upright. Like
other men, they have been driven
along by an economic evolution be.
You'd their knowledge or control.
They are certainly the victims of con.
aitions as are the people on whose
tables the American beef trust
grows fat.
1t defes Wall street and all that
therein Is. 1t terrorizes great rail.
road corporations long used to ter.
rorizing others. 1t takes toll from
big and little, it gouges millions from
railroad companies, and cen pieces
from obscure shippers. Today it is
compelling a lordly railroad to dis.
miss its general manager, tomorrow
it is blacklis,ing and running some
little commission merchant. 1t is re-
morseless, tireless, greedy, insatiatc,
and it plans achievements so much
greater than any so far recorded in
he history OF m that the
imagination tlags in trying to follow
to its future possibilities.