The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1897-11-18
COY. ALTGELD'S
GREAT SPEECH,
A Mastery Discussion of Govern
ment by Injunction, and The
Coming Issues-The
ESSENCE TRUE DEMOCRACY

thirty Years If Coiorless PoIitie, nua n
Gensration Of straddiiny s,a,ssneu-
How the Corporations Have Become
Masters-Individuais do no. Bribs L. lis
lstors and Cong Ia the Gres.
and Powerful Monopolies-we Must Re-
move tho Bride givers or Bribery and
Corruption Will Continue and sap tn 9
Foundation Of our Governmen:-why
Natural Monopoliss should Never bs
Placed In the Hands of Private syndi-
cAses-lt Is Public Ownerahip, or the
Ownership of the Government by Eonop.
elies-No Lcsger a Question of Economy
or Policy, 4. Is Question afrx.stance-
Masterly Review Of the Evils That
are Cufsing The Country, aud Sapping the
Foundations oE our Governrnen.-Ths
Kennedy a Heroic one, Hence the Greater
Necessity of Applying 1t.
The great speech delivered by
Governor Altgeld in Philadelphia on
Labor Day should be read by every
voter ia America. /. is one of the
most vivid presentations Of the pres
ent conditions, and one of the
most powerful arguments for re-
form by applying the real reme-
dies that we have read. We regret
that so few Democratic papers have
seen fiji to publish the speech. Ex-
Governor Altgeld and William J.
Bryan probably stand nearer to JET
ferson and jackson and the great
fundamental principles of good gov
ernment than any other men in the
| Democratic party. Governor Altgeld
in his speech presents the princ pies
of j, fferson and Jackson applied to
present conditions, and in doing so
presents and defends every essential
trinciple f the Peoples Party.
Tne speech is as follows:
| The most serious problem that con-
fronts the people of America to-day
is that of resrulHg their cities, their
States and their Federal government,
including the Federal judiciary, from
absolute rontr"l of corporate mo-
nopoIy. H ~ +" r. s!ora the voice of
the citiz IL in th., government Of his
country, and how TO put an end to
those procet dirgs in some of the
higher courts which are farce and
mockery on one side, and a criminal
usurpation and oppression On the
other.
Corporations that wCro to he SER
wants, and begged the privilege of
supplying cities with conveniences,
or Of serving the country at large,
have become masters"
We have had thirty years Of col
orless politics, in which both Of the
political parties were simply conve-
niences for organized greed. There
was nothing to arouse the deep, stun
bering patriotism Of the masses, and
a race Of politicians came to the
; front many Of whom had no convic-
8 tions-but st,addled every proposi
, ticn and then waited to be seduced
, They were men who made every
promise to the laborer, and then be
traved him. These men, became ths
: instruments through which the cor
. porations worked. Having learned
| what vast sums can be eXtorted from
the American people, the monopo
: lies used a part Of the wealth the,
: got from this source to corrupt th'
S peoples representatives and thu
4 obtain Unlimited privileges of plum
4 der, until almost every grest city il
t this country is tied and gagged, AM
Q cannot even enter q protest Will
Q beng robbed.
t All of this falls with crushing fore
l. on the laborer, for his hands mus
earn the taxes the landlord pays-h
is forced to depend on the public cor
veniences, and always suffers unde
bad government. 1T.
II An individual rarely has interes
enough, or money enough to, ,brib
city council Or buy Legislature
S But the corporations have both,' az
o as the money all comes off the pub
S lie they offer temptations that al
/ tco strong for average man to resls
7. Inasmuch as no government ca
a endure IN which corrupt greed nt
Y only makes the laws, but decides,W b
l. shall construe them, many Of roI
le best citizens are beginning to d
lie spair Of the Republic. "
It Others urge that we should rem oy
'e the brlbe givers-that is, destroy tn
)r overwhelming temptation by havln
ii the government take all these m
sr nopolies Itself and furnish the Str
IS ice which they now furnish, and th1
e. not only save our institutions, b.
S. have the great profits, which now
Dr. into the pockets Of private corpor:
tions, turned into the public trea
ury.
But the corruptionists, the mono
OF Clists, and all men who are fattenil
ct on the existing rottenress and iuju
rn tice, cry angrily: "Wby, that wou
be be Socialism, and we are opposed
ge it, Some of these men know Il
he meaning of socialism, and some I
be not, but they control all those M
,ls who cling to the skirts Of wealth.
of Socialism has been defined as
n system of government in which-t
he competitive system is entirely alb
M ished, and the principle of assoeiat
Sc, effort is applied to everything.
.e- According to the standard autht
a tiles, socialism is an ideal state four
ed on justice and in which the be
ng efts OF modern invention and of n
sci nopoly shall be shared by all the p,
al pie instead of being controlled by I
Id few and used by these few to ma
for themselves the absolute masters
lys the many. The word "Socialis1
he is used as term of derision only
me the ignorant or the servile.
OF However, the world is not r
for the application of Socialis
There are as yet hundreds of thir
lne that cannot bs done successfully
= ue the State, and that must be left
for the individual.
,ed But this fact certainly does not