The labor argus. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1906-1915, 1907-09-19

tho existance of the octopus or not,
some good will come out of the
publicity given to the methods and
manners of the great trust in hear.
ing now being conducted in Phila
delphia.
Charges We're filed against the
Reading company, the Phila-
delphla and Reading Coal and
Iron company for the violation of
the antitrust law.
The answers of the three con.
Germs, of which George f. Baer is
president, characterize the govern
ment,s charges as Compartment
and scandalous,' and declare that
the defendants were coerced by tho
late Senator Marcus A. Hanna in
to buying their peace with the
striking miners in 1900 in order to
save the Republican presidential
ticket.
1t is learned on excellent author.
lty that the extraordinary "color.
ing" injected into the legal phrase
iogy of the documents was dictated
by "Divine Right bear himself.
The attorneys who drew up tho
paper protested against character.
l%ing the governments allegation
as "scandalous and impertincnt,"
but President Baer insisted and in
they went.
All the companies make the
same answer TO the governments
charges that they entered into an
unlawful combination to control
the production, transportation and
sale. Of coal. The answer takes up
the strike of 1900 and says that
substantially all the workmen. in
the anthracite regions .'abandoned
their work, under the force and
effect of violence, turbulence and
intimidation, and the employees
and workmen OF this defendant
and Others in the same neighbor-
hood were induced or compelled
by like violence, turbulence and
Intimidation to abandon their en-
ployment.
Shortly afterward it was re-
ported in substance to the officers
of this defendant and other mining
companies, by one Marcus A.
Hanna, chairman of the Republi-
can national committee, in the
then pending political campaign
for the election Of candidates for
president and vice president of the
United States that if settled by an
advance i'll wages of the workmen
i'll an about the mines in the en-
tire anthracite region, the strike
would extend to the states of Ohio,
Indiana and Illinois, and that the
election Of Mr.. Mckinley and Mr..
Roosevelt would be thereby en-.
dangered.'
The answer declares that Mr..
Hanna represented to the officials
of the company that he was autho.
riZed to settle the strike through
President Mitchell of the miners
union if the operators would agree
to give their workingmen a 10 per
cent increase in wages.
1t is set forth that the company
did agree to advance the wages of
its mine and colliery workmen 10
per cent, and that the other prin-
cipal mine owners who had been
in conference with Mr.. Hanna has
agreed to the same concession.
1t is stated that as Il result of this
advance in wages it was found
necessary to increase the price of
coal on all contracts.
The answer ayers that all con-
ferences between the operators and
the contractors which resulted
therefrom "were wholly brought
about, compelled and forced upon
this defendant by the turbulance,
violence and intimidation afore-
said, by the failure of the govern
ment of the United States and that
of the commonwealth of Penn
sylvania to enforce the laws to pro-
tect this defendant and its work
men in the peaceful and lawful
prosecution of their work, and by
the opportunities of the said
Hanna in the supposed exigencies
of the impending presidential cam
paign, whereby this defendant was
obliged, most unwillingly, to buy
its peace and the peace and pro-
lection of its workmen by the said