The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1897-07-16
A Sensible Speech by Ex.Gov. AItgeId

PtVpiS "it cN-iiiiih- = w i~SCohi"N 90
a patriot of patriots, addressed a
large audience at Brooklyn, N. Y.
on July 9Th, under the auspices of
the democratic league of Kings
county. A number of such speech
es as this, all over the state of New
York, but particularly in the large
cities, would inspire a hope that
the people of that State might be
reused to vote against the infamous
greed and selfishness of few of its
money grabbers. and those in finan-
cial slavery to them.
Henry George presided and in
troduced Mr.. Altgeld, who was
greeted with hearty applause, which
broke out repeatedly as he proceed
ed with his address. He spoke in
part as follows:
"To-day the most wonderful ma
tion on earth is in distress. Its
children are suffering and its foun-
dation stones are slipping away.
A whole generation has paid at the
war debt and has reduced it by one
half. Yet such has been the gov
ernmental policy that today it will
require twice as much of our pro
ducts to pay the remainder as
would have been neces ary to pay
it all when it was created. Being
a producing and debtor nation, il
was a crime to legislale exclusively
in favor of the creditor classes OF
Europe, and thus destroy the pur-
chasing over of our people.
Every great abuse is intertwined
with the money question, and you
cannot ignore it, for it fixes the linn
itatiohs on enterprise and material
prosperity. There must ultimately
come a system of finance or ex-
change that will have a philo-
sophie basis and will not restrict
human effort. But until this does
come, we demand the restoration
of the bimetallic system as it for
merly existed in our country, be-
cause it was the best thus far given
the world.
Effects follow causes in the eco
nomic and commercial world as
they do in the physical world. The
paralysis of our country has been
produced by certain causes. So
long as they exist they must con-
tinue to produce the same effects.
We were promised prosperity; it
has not come, and it requires no
prophet to see that under existing
no permanent prosperity
can come. The forces of destruc-
ion are still at work gathering the
substance of the nation into the
he hands of the few. The country
IS paralyzed. The patient is told
hat if he would only have conf
ience and go to work he would be
we'll. But in spite Of this he is un-
lble to rise.
Suppose he did. Suppose that a
temporary stimulant could excite a
activity? 1t would be
along old lines; it would be in har-
nony with those forces that para
yzed us. The patient would soon
collapse a second time, and then
he case would be hopeless. A
'purt of activity under Mckinley
means the more certain
ieath of free institutions; it means
hat the poison of corruption shall
% on until every organ of the body
s destroyed.
The universal corruption that is
oday destroying our country comes
rom the concentration of capital,
md the alarming aspect is, that it
$ practiced by men who talk pa
riotism and who stand high in the
of the public. 1t is idle
ak about purifying the govern
nent so long as men of influenced
md position offer vast sums to cor
upt it. Cut off the hand that offers
bribe and you will end corruption.
We must devise some way Of re-
moving overwhelming temptations
N the one hand and of distributingl,
0 all men the benefits and advan-
ages flowing from the process of
AS power never
limits itself, we must find method
( curbing it.
If asked whether the government
,ill take the railroads or establish
eferendum, say you do not know,
ut that every step which may be-
ome necessary to save free govern
nent and restore happiness in this
and;will be taken; say that If ne
essary todo so the government will II
lot only take the railroads, but
very monopoly and concentration
4 property which interferes with
ither the rights or the welfare Of
he people.
For thirty years our party has
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