Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1896-11-12

Gov. Altgeld has given 10 the puDtfc
the following letter. written on the 4th:
ITO the Democrats OF Illinois: Although
defeated, desire to thank you for the loyal
suppors YOU have given me, and con-
graduate You on the heroic hight you have
Consider that only six months ago cur
great party lay prostrate. II nao been pc
trayed into the hands of stock tobbers and
monopolists by President Cleveland: II had
been robbed of everything democratic ex-
cept a name: IL stood for no great principle
and its flesh was being torn by political
birds of prey.
ut was loaded with political deadheads;
men who never did anything for the party
except to ride 1t, and It was infested with
political verrnin of both the smooth ana
rough and dusty variety, yet under these
sore conditions the party broke the CORDS
with which the lniputians had tied IL II
rose with new energy; Ii cut loose from the
domination of trusts and syndicates; II re-
pudiated the man who betrayed II; II
threw off the load of deadheads: 1t drove
out the political vermin and with new
inspiration it again proclaimed democratic
PRINCIPLES and espoused the cause OF toll
ing humanity.
although it was obliged to thus reform
while under the fire of the enemy it has
made the most heroic political fight ever
seen in this country. 1t was confronted oy
the Doodle that could be scraped together
on two continents. It was confronted by
all the banks. all the trusts. all the syndi-
Gates, ali the corporations, all the great
papers.
money could buy, that Doodle could de-
bauch, or that fear of starvation could
eoerce.
1T was confronted by the disgust which
the majority of the American people felt
toward the national administration for
which they held US responsible.
lit was confronted with the unfounded
charge of being partly responsible for the
a RI I confronted a
nation of forces such as had never been
united before and viii probably never be
united again-and, worse still, the time
was too short to educate the public. .
While we are defeated our party is more
vigorous and in better condition generally
than it has been for third of a century.
II specially call your attention to the ut
ter insignihcance, as shown by the re-
turns, of those men who after having
helped to ruin our party, were either driven
out or left IT in this campaign.
1.-TWO years ago these men were with us,
and always insisted on occupying front
seats and wanted to lead. Then we were
not confronted with any powerful oppo-
nent and we lost the state by upward of $780,
600 majority.
This year these men opposed us, and we
had to meet all the forces have named.
We had no sinews of war. We had all the
power of corrupt wealth against us. We
had to reform under the fire of the enemy.
and the time was too short to make
proper campaign, yet we have reduced the
adverse majority of two years ago by
about one-third. These men are at last
where they belong.
while we are defeated we have dug the
grave of the British gold standard. One
more campaign of education will forever
bury the palsied form of that curse which
has blighted prosperity and the happiness
of mankind.
MY acknowledgements on account of my
health / welcome the retirement which is
now assured me and which 1 have long
wished for, but let me say in parting that
If you cherish republican institutions, then
your country will need your services.
Two years ago several states were car
ried by the same forces that have trt-
umphed this year, and in every one there
followed a saturnalia of corruption and rot
tenness.
Now, these conditions are to be spread
over the whole country, and 1t VIII de-
volve upon the democratic party to ulti.
mately stop them. The shadow or the men
and the influences that will control the COM
ing administration is already on the land.
Republicans tell US that the newly
elected president is weak; that he allowed
the manufacturers to frame his tarin bill,
and that as governor of Ohio he was very
weak. We may assume that the coming
administration will be controlled by the
men who have been so prominent In Sc
curing this election.
Look at some of them: Mr.. Hanna, Mr..
Carnegie, Mr.. Depew, Mr.. Pullman, Mr..
Huntington. Mr.. Payne, Mr.. Thurston, OF
Pacific railroad fame, and number CT
others CT the same character. Many OF
them have long been regarded as corrup-
tionists, as men who have helped to spread
a moral leprosy over this country, and
who use this government as a convenience
to make money for corporations.
There win come bond issues and all
manner of government jobs. and although
we have no enemy on either side OF us,
an effort will be made to give this country
a standing army because plutocracy de-
mands this.
IAN effort will be made to advance the
doctrine that local self-government does
not go hand in hand with federal SUI
premacy, but that the president shall have
the same power to use the army that the
car of Russia has to use his army, and eff
forts will be made to perpetuate govern
ment by injunction and destroy trial by
jury because plutocracy demands these
things An effort will be made to still fur
Their tighten the grip of the money power
on the threats of the people and to grad
ually convert this government into piu-
tocratic oligarchy, and 1t will devolve on
the democratic party to save free institu-
tons.
Il believe that at the next general cleo
ton the people will reverse the verdict of
yesterday, the return of prosperity will
not come as promised. No doubt there win
be a squirt of activity built on false hopes, |
but as the forces which have produced the |
present distress will go right on, as the |
dear dollar must, in the end, destroying en-
terprise, no permanent relief can be ex- |
pected of this administration.
Remember, il was Jefferson who LED the |
way in freeing US of British domination in |
I716 1t was again jefferson who saved I
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 institu-
tions in 1861, and it win devolve on the great
common people of this country to save |
tree government in 1860.
JOHN p. ALTGELD."
0DINIc IA REEEAr