Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1900-01-26
PREPARING The PUBLIC.
Ex-Gov. Altgeld Indicates What Democ-
racy Wants For Issues In The
Campaign Of 1900.
NOT ONE WORD IN Favor OF SILVER
A Large Audience Hears About Trusts,
Railroads, Imperialism and Militar-
ism-Bryan Not Mentioned.

COuSlUcitLUl0 uuAuDcI VI lIuC". as
sembled at the opera house Tuesday
evening to hear ex-Gov. J. p. Alt
geld, OF Illinois, Democrat OF ma
tional Importance, deliver an ad-
dress on the public questions Of the
day. He came as the representative
OF modern Democracy and there was
wide spread curiosity to know
what he would advance-as the prin-
ciples of his party.
His address must have been sur
prise to the people; not SO much on
account of what he said, as what he
failed to say.
He had not one word to say
about free silver coinage at Is to l,
or about the money question in any
OF its important features. The sub
iect that was recently the great is
sue OF the Altgeld element in poll ties
does not now even receive a word in
a lengthy speech that purported to
cover the field OF questions demand
ing the consideration and attention
of the people.
1t certainly was a shock tn the
free silverites to have brought so
alphabetically to their knowledge
that the demand for free silver coin
age has been abandoned as II poll
tical issue.
The speaker was escorted to the
stage by Mayor Vasaly, County At
torney Lyon, A. H. Bryan, Henry
Rasicot, &. D Boom, E. w. Collins
and others. The mayor introduced
the orator.
Altgeld opened his speech by say
ing that he came to present to thu:
people of the Northwest his views on
certain questions that must soon
come up for their consideration in
political campaigns Tie hop"'' at
this time to induce the voters to con-
slider the matters calmly anh
thoughtfully before partisan Nrcj-
udicc began to excite their minds
and influence their Judgments ne
then said that comnerria' develop
ments during the past fr" Years had
resulted in restricting TIE 'r'rkr ni
nearly all manufactured goods, and
their production anil pric" in the
United States was under the con troll
OF what are known us trusts He
; said that while employment had ill
creased somewhat during the past
few years, wages had advanced
scarcely at all. He made the su--
prising statement that the great
bulk OF workinymen had received no
advance in wages in the past four or
five wears. Trusts had thrown
travelling men out OF work, yet he did
not explain how it was that hotel
business showed more travelling
men on the road than ever before
or the country IN Il whole would he
injured ii that class OF middle-men
were entirely abolished.
The trusts must be controlled and
regulated 10y the government IN
some way, but the speaker again
failed to even suggest what kind OF
laws would be desirable in the mat
ter. He had two partial remedies,
but neither was direct. Ncithe, was
u provision for governing, regulat-
ing or controlling theS, Industrial
combinations. One means that he
advocated of injurinG the trusts WAS
the abolition OF the protective tariff.
He said the free entry OF foreign
made goods would deprive the home
manufacturers Of the power to Oh.
; tain the prices they desired III"
might have gone further aud shown
that free trade had greatly injured
American industries whether trust
controlled or not. His other remedy
was government ownership of rail
roads. as he claimed that would in
sure equal rates to all shippers and
prevent the determinations tina t.
now were claimed to give adv;lnt-
ages to trusts.
All the trusts, he declared, were in
the Republican camp, and none in
the opposition camp. He therefore
thought the only safe way for voters
to do was to vote against Republic
an candidates for office.
He next took up the expansion
question, and while he approved the
extensions of territory that had
taken place in the past, he emphatic
ally objected to retaining control Of
the Philippines. He feared hecolon-
ial policy would result in destroy
ing the liberties OF the American peo-
pie. In discussing the Filipinos he at
one time told how civilized, progress
i've and Industrious they were, and
then told how useless they would be
as purchasers of American goods
because in their poverty and
wretchedness they had no use for
! such goods as America sold.
REGARDING the rights of the United