The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-08-28

Charges Against AItgeId.
1t has been stated that the secret of
Gov. Altgeld's hold upon the people of I'LL
nois was his honesty and absolute incor-
rupubilty. People have excused much of
his socialism by referring to his private
and official life as being unimpeachable.
Yet now comes ex-Congressman Forman,
once a representative in congress of the
old Eighteenth congressional district of
Illinois. and democrat in good stand
ing who says in an open letter that Alt
geld is not only a demagogue, but dis
honest one. In carefully considered Ian
guage he makes at least four charges of
serious offenses against the governor the
most serious Of which is summarized by
the Chicago Times Herald as follows:
That he procured upward of $780, 900 from
Rufus n, Ramsay, treasurer Of the state
of Illinois, giving no security and paying
no interest; that TO cover up his offense
he feloniously broke the seals of the safe
between Ramsay's death and burial, and,
with the help of w II. Hinrichsen and In
surance Commissioner Durfee, eliminated
himself from the apparent list Of debtors
to the dead defaulter."
to use his official patronage as governor
to extort money on the shares of a cor
poration Of which he is the president; that
he permitted the special treasurers Of
state institutions to overdraw the amounts
they were entitled to draw from the state
treasury, and that the overdrafts were
for the accommodation of the governor
and his friends; and that in defiance of
the law that the expenditures of state in
| situations shall be limited to appropria-
tons, the governor has borrowed money
| for such institutions at 7 per cent. inter
est, and that to pay such interest he must
/ be using state money appropriated for
specific purposes.
It has been denied by the son of the
late Treasurer Ramsay that Gov. Alt
geld was indebted to his father at the time
Of his death. The son goes further and
says it would have been impracticable
for Gov Altgeld to open the safe, or to
have had it opened, for the reason that
nobody knew the combination of the lock
except himself On the other hand, &C
cording to the Times-Herald, Mr.. For
man quotes Mr.. Hinrichsen, a member of
the state government and one of Gov Alt
| geld s right-hand men, as saying that he
had TO raise $4,000 to extricate the COVER
nor from the Ramsay trouble.
1t is said that rumors touching upon all
of these points have been in the air for
some time. but, nobody having fathered
them, they did not call for a reply from
the governor. Now, however, the situation
is changed. A prominent man has sumna-
rized and presented them, and it de-
wolves upon the governor to meet the in
| dictment before the public.
The drought seems to be pretty well
broken throughout the south and south
west. But advices are to the effect that
it was broken too late in some sections
of the southwest and the lower Missis-
sippi valley Texas, Mississippi, Arkan-
sas and North Louisiana have suffered
heavy losses to all crops. In many places
even the grass has been killed. and the
consequent suffering of cattle will be ex-
tended over a considerable period of time.
Rains have fallen in North Louisiana,
but the belief is that it will not help any
crop materially. Cotton stalks are dead.
In the southern section Of the state condi-
tons are somewhat better, but it is said
the cotton has already done all that it
can do and the end of the harvest will
come quickly.
Mr. Mark Hanna has found it necessary
to explain his Boston interview. The re-
porters, be thinks, did not quote him cor
rectly. 1t may be that his remarks, when
he saw them in cold type. struck him as
having a meaning quite different from
what he intended them TO have when he
made them. They probably appeared to
be too much in favor Of silver. Isn't it a
fact that Mr.. Hanna wanted a straddle
plank on the silver question? If so, that
fact may explain his Boston interview.
His mind hasn't got on a gold basis yet.
In other words. he hasn't yet succeeded
in getting into harmony with the platform
Of his party.
Mr.. Brantley is making a spirited and
winning campaign IN the Eleventh district.
From present Indications his will be the
banner district OF tho state IN the cleo
lion The opposition will be so badly
beaten that It VIII have hard work 10 get
into running shape boy the time OF the
neat succeeding camu1fru