The Minneapolis journal., 1906-07-08
. 4 !
Journal Special Service.

Journal Special Service. 2E.. ,...-
Washington, July 7:--Most perfectly
organized and powerfully equipped of
all the trusts of the world today is the
tobacco trust. It's history, relations
and methods are now being lnvesti-
partment Of commerce and labor, with
q view to haling it into court and max
ing. it pay some penalty for it's fragrant
and outrageous violations of law and Of
human rights.
This Investigation, when completed,
as it will be in the near future, prom
ises to make disclosures Of a nature
and yet revealed in the depred dations
OF Standard Oil, the railroads, the coal
combine or the steel and copper con-
splracies. n: So
It will show how one man, in fifteen
years, under the cover of law and act
ing thru the corporate. license of one
state, has by merciless, if not con-
scienceless commercial methods, made
himself absolute master of the tobacco
in ndustry, forced thousands of independ-
ent business men to pay. him tribute or
go to the wall, and driven into a vassal-
age almost approaching peonage S,oo0,.
600 people. ill., 93H f# &@E !
Power in Europe as Well.
i ~ WALL SLOW NOW StiilS iHd1 tttu} VIZ
use of unlimited money and with the
help Of political power and influence
| has used the congress. of the United
States in making him absolute dictator
of the tobacco industry of this country
and Europe, has made European govern
ments serve in doing his will and has
made once independent and prosperous
bounty, while bringing about co1rli-
tions Of poverty in the tobacco sections
which have driven American women
and children to labor as the beasts of
the field in the struggle for miserable
existence .S4G: :, ssa, S;: ISa
the tobaGeo h trust an and the mGaas by
licensed under the laws 'of1 New, y ersey
cuts Down Production. y @*8
! United States was estimated at $685..
033,7l9 pounds valued at $53,51S,06S
Three quarters of a million acres Of to-
bacco were planted and 100000 people
are estimated to depend for living
country. Seven years ago over 1900,
900 acres were planted.
The falling off Of 250,o00 acres is one
result Of the operations of the tobacco
trust. Not only in the United States
but in Hawaii and Cuba, is the price Of
consumer, fixed by the trust. Its power
in Great Britain is little. less than, q
dictatorship. Half the other countries
Of Europe pay it tribute by indirectly
Joining in it's operations, by accepting
its dictation in the purchase of tobacco
Tariff a Weapon. :"I.
|
iff law forbids the planter to sell his
leaf except to it's agents. With the
aid Of it's closely allied confederates
Standard Oil and the Sugar trust, il
has throttled in the senate this year the
measure to give planters in the Philip
pines entrance to the American market
1t is. not even certain that the pla1
} for forcing the little Isle Of Pines, will
lean citizens believing themselves tt
be on American soil, into subjection tt
the Cuban government, may not be in
directly laid at it's door.
Despite the monopoly of Standard Oh
there are independent oil refneries Of
large size in the country, the steel trus
creation of Carnegie and Schwab hal
not entirely wiped out Independent
Duke has been more thoro and more
, relentless in his methods.
All Must Pay Tribute.
Today, thru the Vaccinations of hin
); and his creatures, it is impossible for ,
7 man to engage IN the tobacco busines
} in this. country, from the. growing o
the plant in the ground to the sellin,
!. Of the finished product, without pay
: ing tribute to him. =.
Begun in 1890 with a capital of $25
: 00o,000, the American Tobacco com
J pany Of New Jersey, the father an
mother of the trust today, controls al
lied companies representing total car
italization Of $500,0OO,0O0. Accordin
to their own statement to the New Yor
, Stock exchange, they have made 10
per cent on their investment ever
ninety days since they began the bus
ness Of plundering the American pee
: pie, running the independent tobacc
manufacturer and dealer and beggarin
g and degrading the once prosperous an
: happy tobacco planters Of the country
| a.~ b. 5- 3 -r E. "a.