The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1900-04-20
AItgeld on Jefferson.

When Ex-Governor John Z. Altgeld.
of Illinois, ges up to say any thing, it
is generally worth reading His speech
at tie Jefferson banquet on Monday
night in Albany, n. Y, in hon IF of the
birthday OF the fuunder of Democracy,
was on the teachings of that grand old
party Z OF the G. o. p. J, aud "What
would Jefferson do"' if he were i've
today and could see the great change in
our form of government, still under the
glorious constitution which he helped
to create and which has made this one
of the nightiest AID most prosperous
nations in The world. Following are
some of the strongest parts of his
81 eech, which was qui'e long one:
1T is not for the pleasure, the lace
or the glory of The dead, but for the in
struction, The guidance and The iLspira-
ton OF the Living that we e lebrate the
birth OF one Of the gre test men known
to the annals of freedom.
To-day the men of America who
love liberty and hate oppression, who
love justice and despise H. pocrisy, look
to the shrine of Thomas Jefferson for
new hope and new courage.
1.-The foundations of the Republic are
shaking and the affairs If liberty are
crumbling. Dirty fingers are laid on
the Goddess of Justice and soiled hands
are pillaging the temple of humanity.
The effort TO secure privilege and to
maintain private monopoly in city and
i'll nation is not only robbing US, but
rottlng us down.
although living in republic and
having no need of an army, the cor
poIallons Of America are fostering a
military establishment and the bull
pens of Idaho, where thousands of
American citizens were last summer
imprisoned by military authority for
months wi bout warrant. without in
dictment ard without trial, merely be.
cause the Governor of the State was a
convenience for the corporations. show
what is i'll store for the toilers of
America if this corrupt rule of the syn
dicates is not arres ed.
"FtRding the government such q prof
td6ie asset, these private mOn0poJisfs
hare taken possession of il. Then seek
to control cducuSes, conventions and
elections. They control legislation, they
OUn courts, and they dictate to the
President of the United States.
For over one hundred years cur
country grew great and covered the
land with cities, railroads and shops; it
protected life and property and pun
ished crime. During this time govern
ment by Injunction was not heard of
and the Use of the military as a con-
venience for corporations was not
thought of. But with the advent of
private monopoly, growing out of tariff
laws, growing out of franchises, grow
ing out of special privileges, came a
race of manipulators and corruptiOnists
NOT captains of industry, but ex-
pl0iters of the public-who trample
down the liberty of the citizen at home
and sneer at the idea of establishing
free institutions abroad.
"1he Republican party once had
conscience, nOW only hunger; once ii
toued liberty, no,0 it aVorships the dollar;
once ii stood for humanity, now Only for
plumber. Time changes, men degener.
ate and parties rot. Cant is at pre-
MUM and hypocrisy passes for coin.
The creed of King George has become
The platform of Mckinley and Mark
Hdnnd's doLLdr-sign brooches has be-
come the flag of the Republican pdrty."
"Jefferson's heart made, his brain
shaped and his hand wrote the Decla-
ration of Independence, pronounced by
all the statesmen of the earth as the
greatest charter of human rights ever
given to men. For 125 years it was held
sacred as Holy Writ. and the only dis
cordant sounds heard today come from
a few sharks and their pocket politicians
We get here the great principle that all
men are born equal and that govern
ments deprive their just powers from
the consent of the people. No govern
ment by brute force and no taxation
without representation.
''If Jefferson were dealing with pres
ent issues, Mr.. Altgeld said, he would
oppose militarlsm, stand for bimetal-
lism, encourage independence in the
Philippines. sympathize with the
struggling Beers, build an American
Nicaragua canal, as he opened the
Missi sippi establish direct legislation,
as he attempted to do in Virginia
abolish all special privileges and thus
destroy trusts, advocate an income tax
and support Bryan and the Chicago
platform"