Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1896-11-12
PLUTOCRACY REIGNS.
Gov. Aitgeld Scores Mckinley and
His Backers.
The Governor of Illinois Expresses His
Views the Result of the Cleo
ton and Its Eject on the
Country.

supper. you have given me. and / con-
graduate you on the heroic fight you have
Consider that only six months ago our
great party lay PROSTATE. 1t had been be-
trayed into the hands of stock jobbers and
monopoIists by President Cleveland; it had
been robbed of everything democratic eX-
cept name: it 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 vermin of both the smooth ana
rough and dusty variety, yet under these
sore conditions the party broke the coros
with which the liliputians had tied it. 1t
rose with new energy; 1t cut loose from the
domination of trusts and synd1cates' IL re-
pudiated the man who betrayed IT. "
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 1t mas
made the most heroic political fight ever
seen in this country: 1t was confronted by
the Doodle that could be scraped together
on two continents It was confronted by
all the banks. all the trusts. all the syndi-
Gates. all the corporations. all the great
papers.
1T was confronted by everything that
money could buy. that Doodle could de,
bauch. or that fear of starvation could
cOerce.
'It confronted by the disgust which
the majority of the American people teit
toward the national administration Ior
which they held us responsible
1T was confronted with the unfounded
charge of being partly responsible for the
hard times. 1t was confronted by comDl-
nation of forces such as had never been
united before and will 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 a third of century.
AZ specially call your attention to the ut
Ter insgnificance, 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 u.s.
and always insisted occupying front
seats and wanted to lead Then we were
not confronted with any powerful oppo-
nent and we lost the state by upward or loO,-
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
grave of the British gold standard. One
campaign OF education will forever
bury the palsied form of that curse wh1cn
has blighted prosperity and the happiness
of mankind.
My fellow-democrats, on account of my
health / welcome the retirement which is
now assured me and which l 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 tri-
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 Will de
mately stop them. The shadow of the mer
and the influences that will control the com
ing administration is already on the land.
Republicans tell that the newly
elected president is weak; that he allowed
the manufacturers to frame his tariff 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. MIR. Payne. Mr.. Thurston. o
Pacific railroad fame. and number o
others of the same character. Many o
them have long been regarded corrup
tionists, men who have helped to spread
moral leprosy over this country. ant
who thi, government convenience,
to make money for corporations.
There will come bond issues and al
manner of government jobs, and although
we have enemy on either side of US
effort will be made to give this countr.
a standing army because plutocracy de
mandS this.
FAN effort will be made to advance tn
doctrine that local self-government doe
not go hand in hand with federal su
premacy, but that the president shall hav
the same power to use the army that tn
car of Russia has to use his army, and eff
forts will be made to perpetuate govern
ment by injunction and destroy trial b.
jury because plutocracy demands thes
things. An effort will be made to still fur
Their tighten the grip of the money powe
on the threats of the people and to grad
ually convert this government into plu
tocratic oligarchy. and it will devolve O
the democratic party to save free institu
TONS
II believe that at the next general cleo
ton the people will reverse the verdict c
Yesterday, the return of prosperity wi
not come q s promised. No doubt there wi
be a squirt of activity built on false hopes
but as the forces which have produced tn
present distress will go right on, as tn
dear dollar must, in the end. destroying er
terprise. no permanent relet can De eS
pected Of this administration.
Remember, it was Jefferson who led tn
way In freeing us OF British domination
17I6. 1t again Jefferson who save
free institutions in $500. 1t was Jackso
who freed the people from the clutche
OF the corrupt money power In 1882
was the great common people or Amerlc
and not the rich VINO saved our institl
lions in 1861, and 1t will devolve on the gres
common people of this country to say
free government In 1900.
JOHN P. ALTG ED"
GLORIOUS IN DEFEAT.