The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1897-07-15
BLACK FLAG OF HUNGER
Floats Over the Richest
Section of Gods Earth.
Ex- -GOxernOr Altgeld's Vigorous Discussion o.
many Political Evils-the People Are
Aroused.

many Political Evils-the People Are
Aroused.
New York, July 5.-Ex- Governor
John P. Altgeld, of Illinois. addressed
about 1900 people in the Academy of
Music, Brooklyn, today. The meeting
was under the auspices of the Demo
cratic League of Kings county. Henry
George presided and introduced Mr..
Altgeld, who was greeted with hearty
applause, which broke out repeatedly
as he progressed with his address. Mr..
Altgeld said in part
"Today the most wonderful nation on
earth is in distress. It's Children are
suffering and it's foundation stones are
slipping away.
ga whole generation has paid at the
war debt, and has reduced it by one
half. Yet such has been the govern
mental policy that today it will require
twice as much of our products to pay
the remainder AZ would have been nee
essary to pay it all when it was created.
Being producing and debtor nation, it
was = crime to legislate exclusively in
favor of the creditor classes Of Europe,
and thus destroy the purchasing power
of our people. Every great abuse is in
tertwined with
THE MONEY QUESTION
And you can not ignore it, for it fixes
the limitations on enterprise and ma
terial prosperity. There must ulti-
mately come system of finance or ex-
change that will have a philosophic
basis and will not restrict human effort.
But until this does come we demand
the retroaction of the bimetallic system
as it formerly existed in our country,
because it was the best thus far given
the world.
effects fellow causes in the economic
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
continue to produce the same effects.
We were promised prosperity; it has
not come, and it requires no prophet to
see that, under existing conditions, no
permanent prosperity can come. The
forces of destruction are still at work
gathering the substance of the nation
the hands of the few. The country is
paralyzed. The patient is told that if
he would only have confidence aud go
to work he would be we'll. But in spite
of this he is unable to rise.
Suppose he did. Suppose that a
temporary stimulant could create q
temporary activity. 1t would be along
old lines; it would be in harmony with
those forces that paralyzed us. The
patient would soon collapse a second
time, and then the case
WOULD BE HOPELESS.
"a squirt of activity under Mckinley
conditions means the more certain
death of free institutions; it means thai
the poison of corruption shall go on
until every organ of the body is de-
stroyed. The universal corruption thai
is today destroying our country comes
from the concentration of capital and
the alarming aspect is that it is prac
ticed by men who talk patriotism and
who stand high in the estimation of the
public. 1t is idle to talk obout purify
ing the government so long as men oi
influence and position offer vast sums
to corrupt it. Cut off the hand tha
offers bribe and you will end corrup
tion.
eve must devise some way of re.
moving overwhelming temptations OF
the one hand and of distributing among
all men the benefits and advantages
flowing from the process of concentra
tion. AS power never limits itself VI
must find method of curbing it.
eff asked whether the government
will take the railroads or establish
referendum, say you do not know, bu
that every step which may become nee
essary to save free government and re
store happiness in this land will b.
taken; say that if necessary to do so tn
government will not only take the rail
roads, but every monopoly and concen
tration of property which interfere
. with either with the rights or the vel
fare of the people.
"For 80 years our party has been
neutral party; the manipulators VIII
wished to use it as q convenience di
not want it to stand for anything. Their
were interests that seemed to
! CONTROL BOTH PARTIES.
This was the easiest way of controlling
national legislation. Had there been
D positive, compact and aggressive mi
4 nority party standing for principle th
r cry of distress would not be heard i
this land today. Had there been sue
a party the Standard Oil Trusts neve
J could have nominated the same ma
three times in succession for the pres
dency. Trading politicians made thi