The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-06-01
MUST FIGHT TRUSTS.
Substance of Mr.. AItgeId's COnten-
ton Before Bimetal1ic League.

ton Before BimetaIIic League.
Ex-Gov Altgeld, of Illinois, said in
part:
1.-The evils that result from the old
standard have not been exaggerated, or
even overstated. Time has sustained the
bimetallists, and that the man makes a
fatal mistake who thinks that the mass
of American people are. willing, to aban-
abandonment Of the ratio practically
amounts to the abandonment of the
cause, that politician makes a fatal mis-
take who thinks that the ratio can be
abandoned without disintegrating and de-
stroying the Democratic praty. For every
score of wealth worshipping gold Demo-
Gratis who would be brought to our stand
ard by such an abandonment of principle,
10000 men of deep convictions would
leave US.
But the money question is not the only
great question that confronts us. CaIam-
tiles go in groups, and the gold standard
has brought with it brood of evils, each
of which threatens the life of the re-
public.
There is the great question of govern
ment by injunction, a system under which
federal judge, elevated to Office by cor
right of free speech, and with a con-
temptuous wave of the hand, brushes
aside the right of trial by jury, that bull
quest of corporate agent.
The temptations offered by corrupt
capital being too great for the ordinary
long as these temptations are offered they
will be effective. By the establishment CT
the initiative and referendum the fruits
of bribery could be taken away and
thus the inducement to bride would be
destroyed
This is an age of concentration, of the
formation of great corporat-ons, of great
trusts and of great monopolies. 1t is
found that by consolidation the cost of
production can be cheapened and if the
public got the benefit of this, it might
hn q hlaCCnQ LxynI1 CHI ri 4l,o1 o,,r
of labor and advance civilization, but in
stead of that the benefit of it, under the
Republican administration, goes to few
private individuals. who, by making
themselves complete master of the mar
ket, and having absolute control of the
output of articles of necessity to the peo-
pie, are able to arbitrarily fix the price
of that article on the one hand and are
able to arbitrarily fix wages on the other
hand. In consequence of this fact these
monopolieS are not only curse to the
country, but are threatening to over
throw our institutions, for they furnish
the corruption funds that are destroying
us.
For quarter of century both poIit-
ical parties have denounced Corporations.
trusts and monopolies. Nearly every
state in the Union has legislated against
them. The federal government has leg
islated against them, yet in spite of this
denunciation. in spite of all this legisla-
ton, state and federal, they have gone
on multiplying. State legislation has been
found to be absolutely futile, because fed
eral judges uniformly declared it to be
unconstitutional. Federal legislation has
likewise been found to be futile. The
trusts are masters of the situation. 1t is
evident that to simply go On denouncing
trusts is an insult to the intelligence Of
the American people. 1t is the cheapest
kind of political demagogy. The expert.
ence of other countries, as well as thor
ough consideration of the question, shows
that 1t is impossible to reduce any Of
these monopolies back to their original
element. They have come to stay, and.
therefore, 1t is the mission and the duty
Of the Democratic party to secure the
eenef1t OF the monopoly for the public.
for the people-that means municipal and
governmental ownership of all monopo-
lies, which 1t is practicable for a govern
ment as yet to control
That politician makes a mistake who
thinks that by a mere denunciation Of
trusts he can fool a great number of
Democrats in 1900. The people want to
know what we propose to do about it.
Look at the situation from any stand
point. and you will find that the so-caIIed
gold standard Democrats are not earnest
ly and heartily with us on any of fha
great questions that now confront our
people BY affinity, TASTE interest. All.
iat1on and natural selection, they are ON
the other side. The idea Of ahandonine
principle and adopting some common cry
with the hope of thus fooIing the oni1n.
try and thus getting offices, even il il