Show L Hi OPERATORS REPLY Y TO CHARGfS OF Gdf NMfNT Say They Were Forced to Raise Prices to Meet Increase In Wages and That Politics Played Important Import-ant Part Philadelphia The Heading company com-pany the Philadelphia ft Heading Railway Rail-way company and the Philadelphia Rending Coal lion company on Saturday Sat-urday filed their answers to the suit of the federal government to irrcnlc up tho alleged monopoly existing 111 tho anthracite coal region of this state The answer of tho three concerns con-cerns of which George F liner Is pre lr1ellt makes a general denial of the sovernmoitts allegations and goes Into the first great strike In the hard coalfields and Its relation to the piesl dsntlal campaign of 1900 r hon Mc Klnley was elected It Is declared that the agreements to advance tho price of coal were Itrrmsht about In 1900 by tho violence and Intimidation of striking mine workers by tho failure of tho United States government govern-ment and the slate ol Pennsylvania to enforce the law and protect tho coal companies and by the Importuni tics of the Into Marcus A Hanna who it is alleged was anxious to end the strike of the miners on account of tho Impending presidential election |