The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-09-04
HERR ALTGELD
Will Map Out New Issues for
1900.
They Are All Distinctly Social
istic in Character.
WON'T USE THE WORD.
Altgeld Refrains From Using
the Term socialism
To Avoid the ArOusing of Preju-
dices.

Chicago, Sept. 4-Ex-Governor John
+. Altgeld is to deliver an address be-
1ore the wOrkingmen of Philadelphia on
LABOR day that is expected to attract
national attention. He is to touch upon
postal savings banks, and will favor
tnelr establishment, but the reference
to that subject is to be only incidental
to a broader programme of reform
which he is to unfold.
Mr.. Altgeld is to treat of the tele-
graph, the express companies and the
railroads. and will favor government
ownership of all, we'll as the munich
pal ownership of the local business in
dustrieS like street railways and gas
plants, ordinarily known as natural mon
opolies.
This will be new departure for ex-
Governor Altgeld, and indicates
change of policy on his part. Although
he has sometimes been called a social
ist, it is only by ignoring the common
and exact use of words that the term
could be applied to him. Mr.. AItgeld
has been radical, indeed, but his philos
ophy hitherto has been of the indiVid
ualStic rather than the SocialiStic or
der. There is in his public utterances
up to this time no expression in favor of
government ownership of the means of
production and distribution, which is
the essence of socialism. The Chicago
platform, which bore the impress of
Altgeld more than that of any other
one man, was silent on the question of
government ownership. AS Altgeld
was the chief factor in determining the
issue for the campaign of 1896, so it is
suggested he may formulate in his La
Dor day speech at Philadelphia the issue
on which future political campaigns in
this country may be fought. Altgeld
dictated that silver should be the issue
in 1886. His forthcoming speech at Phil
adelphia will be taken to mean that, in
his opinion at least, future political bat
ties are to be fought along socialistic
lines.
the word socialism in talking of the
subject. He insists that the reforms he
will advocate are matter of business
necessity; either the government must
take hold of the industries and run
them or the corporations will own the
government. When the suggestion was
made that the speech in question would
be at variance with the Chicago plat
form Mr.. Altgeld replied that no one
would be responsible for the address
but himself. He presumed it would
arouse criticism from all quarters and
from all parties. Nevertheless he be-
Heved it pointed the only way to RENE
dy existing evils, especially the evils of
bribery and corruption.
This will be the first time in the his
tory of American politics for a compre-
hensive programme of reform along So
cialistic lines to be advanced by a po-
HticaI leader of Altgeld's prominence
in one of the two dominant parties of
the country.
When question on the subject of pos
tai savings banks Ex-Governor Altgeld
said he was strongly in favor OF their
establishment. He took exception, how
ever, to the method provided IN Inc
Records bill for the investment of
funds. Instead of investing the ac-
cumulated money in bonds, he would
turn the money all into the federal
treasury and use it for the payment of
government expenses, just like any 9TH
er revenues. The mere government OBJ
legation to the deposition, Mr.. Altgeld,
said, was as good as the governments
bond.
Mr. AltgeId said the banks would be
against the proposition to establish pos
tai savings banks and would do all they
could to defeat il. When told that
many leading bankers in interviews had
given their hearty commendatiOn to the
project he replied: "They may be for
it openly, but secretly they will fight
it,
ter general, in an interview recently
published, said the free silver Demo-
Gratis would be against postal savings
banks. because if the people had money
in such institutions they would not vote
to place in power a party that would
make repayment of deposits in 40-cent
dollars. Ex-Governor Altgeld's atten-
ton was called to this statement of Mr..
Heath, and he said there would be no
such opposition manifested on the part
of Democrats. Mr.. AItgeld was also
told that occasionally laboring man
gave expression to the fear that postal
savings banks might hurt the cause of
free silver among the workingmen. He
replied that there was no foundation
did not share it. All that Democrats
would have a care about, he said, was
that funds should not be allowed to ac-
cumulate in the treasury to such an ex-
tent as to impair the circulation of the
country.