The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1897-09-07
ALTCELO'S PLAIN TALK
He Discusses the Many Evils of
Corporate Monopoly.
NOT RIPE FOR SOCIALISM
He Urges the Establishment of Postal
Savings Banks and the Govern
ment Ownership OF Telegraph
and Telephone Lines.

Philadelphia. sept. G-l:x-Goyernor
John 4. Altgcld of Illinois addressed an
audience Of about l.rs people at Wash
inglon park. on The Delaware river. th,s
afternoon. Hts subject was Municipal
and Government Ownership and .oNrin-
m.nt by Injunction. Tile event wh.rh
brought the ex-governor here was the
Labor day celebration by the United La
bor league of this city. President kenfi
occupied the chair and mo the npcning
address. lie then introduced Alig,ld
Governor Altgeld said IN part Aside
from the financial question the most
serious problem that confronts the
people of America to-day Is that of
r.scuing their ciliss. their states aud
the federal government. Including the
federal judiciary. from al'solut" CON
trol of corporate monopoly. Corpora
tions that Were To he servants aud
begged the privilege Of supplying cit
les with conveniences. or Of sewing
the country at large. have become mas
ters.
According Ia the standard luthnri-
| ties. socialism Is an ideal state founded
on Justice and I'm which the pri,elits uf
modern invention aud Of monopoly
shall be- shared by all the ,+gIle in
stead uf being controlled by the lew
and used by these few la MAKE them
selves the absolute masters az tie
many. The word socialism Is ascd as
a term OF derision only by the ignorant
OF the servile However the Norll 's
not ripe for the application oI social
ism. There are AZ Yet hundreds ur
things that cannot he done succrssiu,-
/ ~ by the state. and that must he left
I To the Individual.
I'm Great Britain and in many of tie
T cont mental countries the governments
MAINTAIN postal savings banks ~ which
the poor can deposit their savings from
time To time and get low rate "f in
ter.st ON them. In England 'his pcs
tai savings department, run In U"nl.rc-
tion with the l,ostufiice performs va
rl.ty of service thai Is of the greatest
benefit 10 the people In our country
the poor people are left at The mercy
: of private individuals and private "on.-
pani,s. The history II bo,n. la na rklrs
as well as In insurance has been iaini-
cd with failures. bankruptcy and even
frauds, and owing Ia The high charg, :
our poor people are deprived of the
benefit Of life insurance.
"Ntarly every government IN the
world except ours owns and pperdi,s
it's own telegraph and telephone liii.s
Ia the great advantage of ns f,or'r.
:
porations. If the govcrEmen, M"ra Il
take the telegraph al iar prize ana
make II par, of the postal system, aud
issue per cent. bonds for il ard we're
! To maintain the present chaos ;. the
net earnings, after paying in,ctcsi an
the bonds, would pay for TIE entire
system In about five years.
Considering the great poverty To
which the coal miners were reduced.
the fact that there was no hope for
themselves or their children. that they
were slowly passing into slavery, that
was wors. than chatisl slavery, for the
new masters refused to feed. or clothc.
or bury them, as the old masters of
negro slavery did. considering these
things, the conduct of the miners In
maintaining the law In keeping the
peace. has been of "A character To arouse
the admiration OF mankind, No assem-
bly, of millionaires or of corporation
agents ever submitted To such suffering
or ever displayed such high patriotism
or nobility Of character. The fact that
the labor of this weaker class had cic-
aIed the wealth which was thus used
To crush them. did not help them. aud
N De Armiit. Mr.. Carnegie and their
rich associates exult over such success.
tney should fcel as proud as a man
who has whipped his wife.
'Fifty-fou Of the governments Of the
earth own and operate their steam rail
roads. In the United States the roads
are owned and operated exclusively hy
corporations. For years was opposed
To railroad ownership by the govern
ment. felt that private enterprise
could manage Them better than the
public. and further, that the addition
OF such an army of men 10 The patron
age OF the government would be- giving
dangerous power to any federal ad-
ministraiion. This last objection has
been partially removed by the applica-
tion uf the CiN!l sJryice law. and II &.
now settled that a system of railr pad
management could h" established
which would not Interfere ia politics
certalnly not 81 much AZ the present
systems interfere In politics.
Shall III" corporations of this land
be permitted not only to dryour oui
subsianre hut also Ia destroy uur III.
critics? My friends, let us save our In
stitutions. government 10y injunction
must be crushed uut. n thr govern.
mcnt takes some Of the great corpora
tions then there Will not he 81 MANI
corporation mon appointed to th,
bench. Bui the constitution has point
ed out a way ~ end these usurpalion,
without having the government taxi
the corporations. and that way H. b,
Impeachment. Every one of ihes,
Judges. whethcr Of high or low degree
who has been trampliug on The cpnstI
tuition and usurping power not giVei
To him. IL subject Ia Impeachment Tn
American p"upl" can remOv, every on
Of them and rnnsign them tp that in
fanny which Is now cmbalming tn
memory "f Joffries.