The Atlanta constitution., 1896-04-27
ALTGELD's SALTY WORDS.
He Writes An Open Letter on the
Money Question.

Springfield. ILL.,. April Ex-Governor Alt
geld has written an open letter ia reply to
the speech on the money question recently
delivered at Chicago by Secretary Carlisle.
lie begins by quoting from Mr.. CaTlsles
statement in 1875. in which the latter declar-
ed that the decentralization of silver which
the characterized as a conspiracy" would
ultimately entail more misery upon the hu-
man race than all the wars, pestilence and
famine that ever occurred. The absolute
and instantaneous destruction of half the
movable property of the world, including
horses, ships, railroads and all other ap-
plances for carrying on commerce. while
It would be felt more sensibly at the mo-
ment. would not produce anything like the
prolonged distress and disOrganization OF
society that must inevitably result from
the permanent annihilation Of one-half OF
the metallic money of the world"
Governor Altgeld's Words.
Commenting upon this Governor AItgeld
says:
1T will he seen that this language S. clear
and emphatic and has none of the sophistry
and pettifogginE about il that are found IN
his Chicago speech. His awful predictions,
made in 1873. came TO pass. lie not only
saw his own prophesy fulfilled. but hc saw
the misery OF his country become even
greater than he had predicted. Finding
that his views had been correct, ne coutin-
ued to hold them until he entered Mr.
Clevelands cabinet when. i'm some mystic
rous manner. there was change Of heaVt.
but for some reason he seems unwilling 10
talk about Il. Thcre are two other MEM
bers OF the cabinet. Hole Smith OF GeOr-
pa and Herbert of Alabama. who. Ike
Carlisle, have made their voices heard for
nearly lifetime demanding the restoration
Of silver and denouncing the great conspir-
acy that struck it down and. strange TO
say. when these two men entered Clevc-
lands cabinet, they underwent a change OF
heart, and, like Carlisle they avoid talking
about it. Why did not Carlisle throw Hi
tie light on this question
Does Age RipenP
"AIl these men now denounce the people
who are opposed To the single gold standard
as sccundrels and iunatics. Vet they are
only following the doctrines which Carlisle
and company preached. Are we to infer
that Mr Cleveland ana his two cabinet as
sCciates were scoundrcls ana lunau-s until
they got to be o.d men, and that the tnsei
Of a cabinet position not only made them
honest. but gave them brains? Carlisle
should have told us"
Some Direct Questions.
Governor Altgeld then enumeratcs several
questions which lac says Mr.. Carlisle should
have answered. among them boiug 'hi+.
Why IT was that for two hundred yea-s
gold and silver held the market ratio OF
about 1852 to ], while the raUC u&H4 Dg law
was 10 to / in some countries, 15l2 10 in
most countries, and Tor aw h.e. ~ 10 Ia
our country? Why it was that i'm every
country where silver was stricken down. ii
was done by the arbitrary aet of the gov
ernment, and that neither commerce nor
business had anything to 90 With it, As
there cannot be- q general rise ia prices
without an increase in the volume of mon
ey. must not the present parity system and
staEnation continue until the volume Of
money is again restored to what it was be-
fore silv or was stricken DOWN
Charges Against Cleveland
Referring to the recent bond issues Gov
ernor Altgeld charges that the president
enabled friend and former client IN asso-
citation with some fellow spectators 90
make S900O.oO0 to $l0.0o00oU ont of the gov
crumeut in q few weeks I'm n small bond
transaction under the preteXt tnat "the
sharks OF Wall street" had agreed to project
the government against gold raids until the
following November That is the wealth.
Jest the most euterprising, the most pew
trful. tho most industrious and the most
thrifty nation on Tho globe paid tribute 70 q
small band of spectators for "arotee-