The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-09-07
Altgeld Denounees Government by
Injunctions.
GOVERNMENT OWNERSHIP OF
RAILROADS AND TELEGRAPHS.

of about one thousand at Washington
park, on Delaware river this afternoon.
His subject was municipal and govern
ment ownership and government by in
junction.
The event which brought. the ex-Gover-
nor here was the Labor day celebration by
the United Labor League of this city.
President Ernest Kroft occupied the chair
and made the opening address. He then
introduced Mr.. Altgeld, who said in
part:
"The most serious problem that con-
fronts the people of America today next
to the curruency is that Of rescuing their
cities, their states and the Federal govern
ment, including the Federal Judiciary,
from absolute control of corporate
monopoly. We have had thirty years of
colorless politics, in which both of the
political parties were simply conveniences
for organized greed.
"Inasmuch as no government can
endure in which corrupt greed not only
makes the laws, but decides who shall
construe them, many of our best citizens
are beginning to despair of the Republic.
These who urge that the government
should take the great monopolies and
furnish the service they now furnish are
met with the cry that that would be
socialism The word socialism is used
as a term Of derision only by the ignorant
or the servile.
"However, the world is not ripe for the
application OF socialism. There are as yet
hundreds Of things that can not be done
successfully by the state and that must
be left to the individual
He cited cases in England where re-
forms were effected by municipal owner
ship, and continues:
1.-THE cities and governments of Europe
gested. They did not attempt to establish
a socialistic state. The governing forces
| there are opposed to socialism and they
crush it wherever possible, but they ap-
pear to have been driven to the con-
clusion that all those things that are the
| subject of monopoly can be managed by
government, and that this is the only
way that government can protect the
people against robbery.
s'While these things are taking place in
Europe the private corporations In
America are bribing legislatures and city
councils, reducing wages, charging higher
rates and collecting dividends on millions
as there was competition our people pre-
ferred to let 1t regulate everything, but
competition is being entirely wiped out by
pools and trusts and our people will be
devoured by vultures unless the govern
ment comes to their rescue"
He then proceeds to advocate postal saw
ings banks, government telegraph service,
and government ownership Of railroads.
Speaking of the latter he says:
''For years I was opposed to railroad
ownership by government. felt that
private enterprise could manage them
better than the public, and, further, that
the addition of such an army Of men to
the patronage of the government would
be giving dangerous power to any
jeotion has been partially removed by the
application of the civil service law, and
1t is now settled that system of rail-
road management could be established
which would not interfere in politics.,
certainly not so much as the present sys-
TENS interfere in politics. During the
last campaign millions of dollars were
collected from the railroads with which,
to debauch the public and the employees
of almost every railroad In this country
We're forced not only to march, but in
many cases to vote against their will.
But in, recent years the question Of rail-
road ownership III this country has
changed and now presents entirely new
problems.
In conclusion the speaker paid his re-
spects to government by Injunction
After describing the injunction process,
he says:
Recently a judge in West Virginia
issued an injunction forbidding the exer-
else of free speech and actually forbidding
matter how peaceable they might be.
"Glancing at this proceeding we find
that 1t entirely supercedes government by
law and according to the forms of law as
guaranteed by the constitution, and it
substitutes government according to the
whims, caprice or prejudice of an In
divdual and is therefore, clear usurpation
of power and crime.
"When the law fOrbids or commands
something no injunction is necessary;
when, therefore an injunction forbids or
commands something, that Is not for
hidden or commanded by law, 1T is leg1s-
lation pure and simple, and therefore an
usurpation OF power and violation of the
constitution and a high crime within
the meaning of that Instrument. Eve n
in conservative England they recognize
the fact there that the days when compe-
tition regulated wages are passed. Recog-
nizing all these things, the governing
forces of England permit the faborer to
Use all peaceable means to induce other
laborers to join in the strike. He is
simply forbidden to use violence or to
break the peace
'eThe government of England Is mon
archial. Here we boast of Republican
government and free institutions. Shall
we allow the individual of this country
to be robbed of even such rights and
protectionssas monarchy would give
himP Shall the corporations of this land
be permitted not only to devour our sub
stance, but also to destroy our liberties2
My friends, let us save our institutions;
government by injunction must be
crushed out Every one of these judges,
whether of high or low degree, who has
been tramping on the constitution and
usurping power not given him, is subject
to impeachment. But this cannot be done
so long as Congress is made up largely of
men who are mere corporation conven-
fences. 1t will be necessary to send men
to Congress who will be true to the
people.
Providence has ordained that nothing
shall go on forever. A turn in the road
is already in sight, and If the American
people are but true to their nobler in
stincts they will soon be restored to their
inheritance, while Justice and liberty
equal rights and equal privileges will
cover our land with halo of glory and
give our people new century Of prosperi-
ty and happiness"