The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-11-05
ALTGELD'S WILD SHREK.
SAYS FAREWELL IN a STATEMENT
FILLED WITH RAILING.

l. "
ne Talks or the " verr,in'' In the oid Deu,-
ocratte Party, Denounees tho Cold Dsu,-
eorats, and Cniis Attention to the Z" Fiu.
'tocrstn" who Have on-He's Glad 20 &c
CHICAGO, Nov. 4.-Gov. Altgeld gave the fol-
lowing statement to the press this afternoon;
f" To the Democrats NJ Illinois,:
Although defeated, l desire to thank you for
the loyal support you have given me, and con-
gratulate you on tho heroic fight you have Just
made. Consider that only ak months ago our
great party lay prostrate; IL had been betrayed
into the hands of stock jobbers and monopolists
by President Cleveland; 1t had been robbed of
everything Democratic except a name; II stood
fer no great principle and its flesh was being
torn by political birds of prey; It was loaded
with political deadheads. men who never did
anything for tho party except to ride 1t,
and 1t was infested with political Vermin
OF the smooth and rough and dusty variety, yet
under these sore conditions the party broke the
cords with which the liliputians had tied IL; It
rose with new energy. IL cut loose from the DOM
ination of trusts and syndicates, II repudiated
the man who betrayed II, It threw off the load
OF deadheads, it drove out the political vermin,
and with a new inspiration It again proclaimed
Democratic principles and espoused the cause
Of the toilinG humanity.
Although It WAS Obliged to reform while
under the fire of tho enemy. It has made the
most historic political fight ever seen in this
country; 1t was confronted by all the Doodle
that could be scraped together on two CONT
nents; 1t was confronted by all tho banks, all
tho trusts, all the syndicates. all the corpora
tions. all the great papers. 1t was confronted
by everything that money could buy. that
Doodle could debauch. or that fear Of starvation
could coerce.
1T was confronted by the disgust which the
majority of the American people felt toward
the national Administration. for which they
held us responsible. 1t was confronted with
the unbounded charge of being partly RESPONSE
BILE for the hard times. 1t was confronted by n
combination of forces such as had never been
united before and will probably never be united
again. and, worse still, tho time was too short to
educate the public.
while We are defeated. our party is moro
vigorous and in better condition generally than
1t has been for . third of q century. specially
call your attention TO the utter nsign!hcance,
as shown by the returns, of those men who.
after having helped to ruin our party, were
either driven out or left it in this campaign.
Two years ago these men were with us, and
always insisted on occupying front seats and
wanted to lead. Then we were not con-
fronted with any powerful opponent, and we
lost the State by upward of 10000
majority. This year three men opposed us and
we had no sinews OF war; We had ali the
power OF. corrupt wealth against us; we
the time was too short to make a proper cam
pSign; yet we have reduced the adverse majority
are + s& AZ l sstr Were here n they So SeIo 1pe'n'Fa' 'n0'' h'en
While we are def eais we have dug the
s sams.i 81 ta of s edneaa,5 gold x ft11 fa1sG:r q bn 4 more ore
palsied form OF that curse which has bNghted
property and the happiness of mankind.
health, welcome the retirement which is now
assured me, and which | have long Wished for.
b1t lat me Ray in nAFttnr THAT - I'M ,har;sl
republican institution. then your country viii
need your services. Two years ago several
have triumphed this year. and in every one
there followed a saturnalia Of corruption and
spread over the whole country, and It will de-
volye upon the Democratic party to ultimately
The shadow OF the men and the influences
that will control the coming administrator 10
the newly elected President is weak; that he all
lowed the manufacturer to frame his tarin
ministration viii be controlled by the men Mss-
, hene o EooE 80 At ps soms OF t IN ne' Mr.. ha INNS \ el Mr.
Carnegie. Mr.. Depew. Mr.. Pullman. Mr.. Hunt
Railroad fame. and q number OF other. Of the
same character. Many OF them have long been
helped to spread a moral leprosy over this coun-
try. and will use the Government as a con-
There will come bond issues and all manner
of Government Jobs, and although we have no
CliclIlS u II llHc t.ut Vi us. All euOTt Will % o
made to give this country a standing army be-
cause plutocracy demands this. An effort will
be made to advance the doctrine that local
selr-government does not go hand in hand with
Federal supremacy. but that tho President shah ,
have the same power to use the army that the |
Car OF Russia has to use his army, and efforts
will be made to perpetuAte government by in
junction and destroy trial by jury because
plutocraey demands these thines. An effort
will be made to still further tighten the grip of
the money power on the threats of the people,
and to gradually convert this republic into .
plutocratic oliRarchy. and IL will devolye on
the Democratic party to save free institutions.
II believe that at the next general election
the people will reverse the verdict of yesterday.
The return OF prosperity will not come as prom
Used. No doubt there will be q squirt of activity
built on false hopes, but as the forces which
have produced the present distress will 60
right on, AS the dea. dollar must in tho
end destroy enterprise. no permanent relief
can be expected Of this Administration.
Remember. it was Jefferson who led the way in
freeing us from British domination in 1919. It
was again Jefferson who saved free institutions
in 1900. 1t was jackson who freed the people
from the clutches OF the corrupt money
power in 1892. 1t was the great common
people of America and not the rich who
saved our institutions in 1861. and II will de-
volve on the great common people of this
country to save free government in 1900.
John p. ALTGELD."