Hutchinson gazette., 1899-09-21
STRUGGLE FOR FREEDOM.
EXTRACTS FROM ALTGELD'S
LABOR DAY SPEECH.
Dawn of Another Great Epoch in the
Worlds Progress Towards Equal Rights
for all-Prlyllogcd Glasses In OpposI-
tion as Thoy Always Have Been.

A digest of Ex-Governor Altgeld's
labor day speech in New York;
A little over two centuries ago the
world began its great struggle for re-
ligious liberty, for freedom of thought,
for the right to worship God according
to the dictates of the individual con-
science. The established interests Of
the time, the government, the church
and the powerful influences in society
were opposed to this, and the earth
was made red with the blood of men
and women and even of children-all
slaughtered by the established interests
in order to prevent the growth of u
higher idea; in order, il possible, to ar
rest human progress, But their efforts
were vain.
A little over one century ago the
world began its struggle for political
freedom, and again the governments Of
the earth, the church, the commercial
interests of the world, and the power
ful influences in society were opposed
to the new government, and again the
earth was Redeemed with the blood Of
men and of women, guilty of no offense
except that of aspiring to freedom.
But in spite Of all opposition the cause
of liberty triumphed, humanity made
another stride forward and took anoth-
er step upward.
Now, another century has elapsed
and the world is facing the morning of
new epoch, Today the world is MAX
ing its fight for financial and indus
trial freedom, and again we see the
government, the commercial interests
and the powerful influences of society
In opposition and striving to defeat the
new movement But the hand of 0m-
impotence has never been stayed. Evo-
luton has never been arrested, and
human progress hasnever been stopped
by the forces of organized selfishness.
This movement for industrial freedom
is the new and next unfolding of the
great flower ofman's progress and the
!. new century upon which we are enter
ing will see it blossom and gladden. the
souls Of men with its beauty and its
fragrance.
The pending issues:
There is the great financial question,
the effort on the part Of the toilers and
producers Of America to restore one of
the great money metals Of the world to
the function and position which it had
held for ages. Bystealth and by fraud
one Of the money metals of the world
was demonetized by governmental ac-
ton; not by commerce, not by the in
dustries and enterprises Of the world,
but by the strong arm Of the govern
ment, welded by chance and the greed
of the world. AS the result of this act
the worlds volume of actual money
was gradually reduced to nearly one
half; and, and the worlds volume of
money tends to determine the selling
price Of property, 1t follows that the
property Of the world, and particularly
farms and farm products, fell in the
selling price by nearly one-half, while
the debts and fixed charges remained
the same.
At the present the farmer has to pay
trust prices-that is, prices arbitrarily
made high by monopolies--for every
thing that he buys; but he has to sell
his products not only in the open mar
ket Of the world, but he has to sell
I, them on u single gold standard value,
which is only about onc-half as high as
bimetallic standard of value would
he. This great wrong having been
done to all property owners and to all