PART II. 

 THE COAL MONOPOLY. 



CHAPTER XIV. 



OPERATIONS OF THE COAL RING. 



Character and Extent of the Coal Deposits of the United States The Su- 

 premacy of Anthracite Enormous Coal Wealth of the Country This 

 should be a Land of Cheap Fuel Coal one of the Costliest Articles of Con- 

 sumption The Cause of this The Anthracite Fields Their Location and 

 Value The Pennsylvania Coal Ring A Crushing Monopoly Efforts of 

 the Corporations to keep up the Price of Coal Condition of the Companies 

 kept secret History and Present Condition of the Reading Railroad A 

 Dangerous Monopoly Immense Wealth and Power of this Corporation 

 Ten per cent, on Watered Stock How Money is extorted from the People 

 by the Coal Ring An Inside View of the Scranton Coal Sales Amount 

 of the Tax paid by the People to the Coal Ring An Imperial Tribute 

 Who are the Sufferers The Poor driven to Despair How a Scarcity of 

 Coal is brought about The People at the Mercy of the Coal Ring Popular 

 vs. Corporate Rights The Remedy for the Great Evil How to bring down 

 the Price of Coal and destroy the Power of the Monopoly The Remedy 

 in the Hands of the People The Future of the Country at the Mercy of the 

 Coal Ring The Duty of Congress Will Congress stand by the People or 

 yield to the Monopoly ? 



WE have seen how the railroad monopolists have 

 inaugurated and are carrying out a systematic warfare 

 upon the people of the United States, the result of 

 which has been to increase the cost of food. We shall 

 now consider the efforts of these monopolists to raise 

 the price of coal, next to food the chief necessity of 

 the people of this country. We shall find the same 

 disregard of the rights of the community, the same 



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