Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-06-23

there was an entbu siastic uproar
When Scott had finished Alleged wa,
called for and stepped forward aut
addressed the convention.
Gov. Altgeld said in part: ..Fou.
years ago We swept the country BY
such a majority that fidelity to tn,
democratic principles would have
ensured supremacy Cor . quarter o.
century. But before the inaugura
festivities had ceased at Washington
the head Of the administration
sought strange gods and espoused
alien principles. The interests o1
money were placed above those ol
humanity. Organized greed was fed
with golden, spoons, while the cry ol
the husbandman was unheeded and
the sweat Of the toiler brought him
no bread. As the months rolled BY
every principle that is vital to re.
publican institutions was violated
and every precept Of Jetferson. every
doctrine fundamental to democracy
was trampied into the earth. Since
then defeat has followed dishonor
until We have lost even what we for.
merly had. But the spirit Of democ.
racy is immortal. Today tho demo.
cratic hosts are again mastering on
the plain. The first thing necessary
for rs to do is to stand for some.
thing definite. Stand for those prin-
ciPles upon which the hopes OF hu.
manity depend.
The question Of . protective
tariff has long been an issue in this
country. For the first time we took
An uneqivocal position on it four
years ago and We won. The tariff
has been revised and the probabili.
ties are that neither political party
will make any radical changes in it.
1t is NO longer worth while to dis.
cuss the theories of the tariff. We
must maintain reasonable tariff
which will not be so high as to stop all
importations and will, therefore, sup.
ply the treasury with revenue. But
We must look elsewhere for the cause
of that paralysis which is destroy
ing our. country"
The Silver Issue.
The governor then took up and
dwelt on the decentralization of silve,
in this country and in Europe, dc.
clsring that it doubled the value ol
gold and with it doubled debts, in.
terest. taxes and other fixed charges;
He declared that conditions are grow
ing worse daily and that there car
be no great prosperity in Europe OF
this country .'until the wrong tha,
produced this distress has beer
righted." The governor continued
"As the democratic party represent.
the great toiling and producing
masses it must take the lead in un,
doing this wrong. It will be fierc.
struggle for those unscrupulous mer
who by corruption and trickery fast
ened this system on the world will
resort. nay. are already resorting, tt
the most desperate means to hole
their advantage"
The governor then argued in fav OF
OF free silveS coinage at the ratio o
16 to I. He called the recent St
Louis convention "Mark Hanna's
Trust" and declared that "railroad
attorneys, corporation agents, lobby.
lists and those who have made mil
lions out Of the government and ar,
looking for another harvest BY
governmental aid were not only II
control but filed every place from
chairman to page"
Continuing the governor said: 81
the democratic party will be true tt
its mission; il it will not weaker
itself with compromises, or destro,
its strength by adopting a neutra
course. then the ticket placed il
nomination at st. Louis will be deaf
long before the irosts OF Novembe
come"
IF the democratic party will de
clare for an American policy, il i
will boldly declare that we must b,
true to ourselves and look aftel
American interests first we will
sweep the country"
Not In Condition for Renomlnatiou.
In conclusion he said: ..Some o
my friends have been kind enough
to urge my denomination. Naturall,
1t is comfort to have the approva
and the confidence of patriotic an,
Intelligent men, and I appreciat,
those expressions Of esteem. but an
not In . condition to stand for reelec
tion. My health has been so badly
broken that it is necessary for me t,
get out OF the intense strain that
have been under for several years
Again, at the time of my election
had large property ioterests, but va
greatly in debt. Since then proper
~ has been constantly shrinking il
value and becomes less and less pro