New-York tribune., 1896-10-18
A WESTERLY VIEW OF ALTGELD
HIS POWERS AS POLITICAL ORGANIZER
HOW HE WINS POPULARITY.

HOW HE WINS POPULARITY.
a Chicago business man. who was asked for some
thing definite regarding the man wao framed the
government by Injunction" clause in the Chicago
platform, said the other day:
Il have known him for good many years, and
want TO tell you one thing: He is smart as llght-
nng and one OF the best organizers the opposition poll
iticians in Chicago have ever known. have seen
him In law cases when he practising attorney,
ard while he conceded TO be al excellent special
peader. yet his personality and appearance were
against him IN the eyes OF almost every court ne
ever stood before. He was underszed, and he had
squat head. Everything seemed 10 have been
punched from the top Of his head down his shoul-
Gers. He was heavy-b proved which gave him the
appearance OF being at outs with the world about
him a.. the time. and this led GOOD many men who
crossed legal fos with him to imagine that hA mas
tered BY strong cunning rather than by acquired
knowledge and by the power of healthy intellectual!
digestion. Yet often;mes they were compelled 70
admit that MS arguments were mastery ana con-
v!ncng and models OF law. When he judge ne
well liked by lawyers generally believe: but In
ali h!s relations OF life ne has always been dominated
by his personal feelings. Atgeld must be exalted.
While he has made d good Governor In many ways.
for instance IN that he has given an economical ad-
rin!s;raon. yet he has always discounted his effect
iveness by wild acts OF one sort and another; and
by a rather significant coincidence these acts have
Jeen committed Just al times when they would 80
farthcst IN uplifting him IN the OF the lowess
Classes OF the popuat!onthe socalistc and anarch-
s.ic classes you please. for that is the way they
designated IN Chicago.
NO. do not believe anybody IN Chicago would go
far as TO say that ne IS al Anarchist himself he
knows very well that the masses have the votes ana
while he has often dsclalred any desire hold Office
you wi. observe that ne manipulated things in man
emnently satisfactory 20 the ambition OF A man
who might wish be Governor Of Illinois for second
term. II was there that MS power for Organization
with certain class Of the population was SHOWN
fully and clearly and /; was also displayed at the
National Convention in an equally garng light. y;
the June State Convention which nominated him for
Governor for TIE second time he startled me oet'eI
element OF Chicago and the State by the power LOT
control that the makeup OF the convention BETRAYED
him 10 possess The nomination was rendered niH'
and he pleaded il-hcalth one ground for declining
and threatened financial stress as another reason
why ne should be attending 10 his private business
He knew his men ana played Caesar with good ORA
matte effect
AS 20 the financial part. have been told that No
is CARVING a pretty heavy burden OF fespohsloAlS'
tor ne has number OF buildings IN Chicago "hio"
cost him lot o. money 20 pat up and ne osc'nls
a heavy borrower. lis Zig Office building. whlch
"a really a Are one was put Up on leased ground
TO tell the truth we have overhuilt trihe IN Chi-
csro during the las. Few years. and the hard times
succeeding the Worlds Fair coming on rentals
fell off H,s interest account must have oeen very
heavy indeed and presume II was payable IN
gold That would be no more than fair. FOR you
ar. perfectly aware that all his leasehold papers
are made payable in gold and gold alone. know
his because have many OF them
Another thing Altgeld did which shows his per-
feet ndaptabili;y TO each and every circumstance
O. politics. Some years ago, IN fact JUST al'ef hiS
.lsction as Govern. y. asked whether he
"a a,v rau,,ous co.. .ictions and he said that lie
rras very fond OF the religion ot nature whatever
.ba. may mean II reminded me of a remark OF
Sam Jones the evangelist. who. In discussing ,he
sam. question said 10 his audience. l nate U'e
ologv and dcspise botany but love ronsIo" a'a'
flowers Sam got the best CT Altseld III Ohe ue'
nirion but the evangelist could not beat the nature
worshinper IN his use OF means 10 an eno- In th'.
&C., csrnaigr Al,reld went MI over thc state and
ooreo-,ed with The Iuthcrars, % whom thefe ar'
, crea. many In Illinois He attended thf'
churches and played his part with me hu'ho'
AS result. ne won them. for you kho" 10 = =
foreigner to all 'ntents and purposes out w w
no, believe ne will ever DO Il again ~ h,,. ba -
rected secure his defeat re rs,-.s%es ,t1 "a
1Se- and Tho trick that has beer arrangea 70 o,ise
II IS Of piece With the record oi ,Ge o bas ar
-. ~ presents and % the crew WIN "hleh Il. "an
ai,ated himself The scheme s,mp.y y 20 'o,sheT shuT
Bryan for Atseld IN Inoi. IneIf ~ ne ~ man Fir
;tnieg fosr. Principle has nothing 10 40 & Witn H. H.
II :. poi,r.s H., s-o e,sgisief WIN the crowd -
which he has beer plains Il S Is al TIE mus; stand
,.U r-fO follow
~. bi-n for he stood by them IN time OF Nceo' -
uS,s his vacflating conduct tnat caused tc uDor @
ia chicago. n n~' wEich NJ or -' VIII
s.c,s,red against with so much app"r.t' @
,-digns,ion ,ha. We think he mad workc1 u a. ".
80 &c ~ reccive the opportunity TO cry oIl .sd5ns'
Csovornrrer.sl Interference. IN 4 tNf4S' it - -,
-. - 80 ,tee,r,cal as my observation oi "il.
...ss.e ns a,d have had extensive opportunities OF
Judging him. - - q. g.. e,iS m como 70
Saw-York, We'll that beats me cIear OUT ~ ~, l',,'
80 to ~xnecf 10 make by that tell you Fo..
au end II mighty hard 10 prove 10 any n ~, 49,
,orro "a chi-ago that he was invited out o. - -
yl II IS much more likely ,hat -, ~ ~ 49,.
80 m here hlnsef 20 see II ne couidn fnase -
,o,.o- ir,rr.eslon than Bryan did. dloh ,.d'
rrvan. Gut have becn told tnat wheh te &c, .ei - H.
iaon ccua-e Garden the snow was t"o I.c' - 80
,be Souars OF course NesteTn ma, - u-n 10 .,
tne .frold Is one OF these picture luo
cboracts-s that out West sc'It - d. sca
SSr,'1h ro,y and again and have fun WIN LOT -
- ~, ~ rartainiv the boot sometimes gets o. sls
49, lee and they have fun with US, az Al ssIn ~
-. ,-t ia he long run We proht ny u Io' J. az
os 20 make tho people moro voFldly Wise an -
h,tcanv uise II you please. ana that i "H1-7
.1.oaid is s.oing To- suffer ia this instance 49,, ,r
H!.1T, ,ii~g that he las been most cr!ticss'G ioi
- 80 ~ ,crdon OF the three Ansrcris's tlel@ocn, 60
SL,.,ab ard \eehe and with judic'al noenlaei -
"a tre thus saith tho Judge principe ip @ h,ti
eJ .,,ar he rad left the bench ,and go 70 @ uus.
80 - crit,cise the acts of his stcc' aors, ~ -,
Ia 20 dc~iarc that the trial was Unfair an. .!lt,
ule. u . -. Z, ,r,s n farce. lie even went 80 i1F as
IN iac' ~, ~ ,rn trrv had been Tacked That ex-
1rossion ,yns Characteristic OF the MAJ, -"
|. ~ dared become political Pone. Ine uec.dld-
,ton vas another bid for the approvaI OF -
80 40 cot T.; but the sources llOih ;"
shout Of applause came "ers eno y. q, b,s