The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-02-27

"The State of Our Country" His Sub
ject at the Light Guard Armory.

ject at the Light Guard ArmOry.
Detroit. Feb. 26.-"The State of Our
Country" and the tendency of the times
were discussed tonight in the Ligh;
Guard Armory, by John p Altgeld, ex-
Governor of Illinois, before an audience of
upward of $500 people. Mr. Altgeld. spoke
with characteristics force. He said, in
part:
I'm 1896 the Republican leaders mort
gagged the country to the trusts. Those
mortgages are being foreclosed. The great
est of these mortgages is the currency
bill, which is to still further narrow the
volume of money. Nearly half a billion
silver dollars still in circulation are to be
redeemed in gold. The remaining green
backs are to be taken in. All the bonds
of the government are now payable in
coin, but are hereafter to be paid only
in gold. You remember that President
Cleveland sold one small batch of sixty
odd millions of bonds for about $1400o0o0
less than they would have brought if they
had been payable in gold, yet the holders
of this small batch are to be given a pres
ent of over fourteen millions of dollars;
government bonds will get several hun
dred millions for nothing. The Secretary
or the treasury is given power by this
bill to issue bonds whenever Wall street
may demand it. He is given power to
mortgage the property and the industry
OF all the men and women of America.
The government is to part with the func-
non of issuing parer money. This is to be
turned oyer to private corporations. Our
people are complaining of trusts, but this
bill WILL create a trust big enough to
swallow all Others The burden of the la
borer is made heavier while the loaf that
he eats is made shorter
The Standa Oil Company has just de-
clared dividend at the rate of $>0000.0O0
per year. The Carnegie Steel Company
made $21,000,000 profits in one year. Other
trusts are making similar profits There
is marvellous prosperity for the men who
deVour the substance Of others, but a
darkening sky fer all who toll with their
hands. We are following the dead paths
OF Europe. Instead of protecting the leak,
the government is simply a club in the
hands of highwaymen. Already it is an
nounced that the Republican managers
will raise $25, 000C coo from the trusts to car
ry the next election. Reflect on this Does
any sane man believe that. after getting
the money from the trusts to re-elect
themselves TO Office they will do anything
to hurt the trusts?
Turning from the economic and indus
trial conditions to the arena of govern
ment, we find Washington and Lincoln de-
throned, while the staggering strut of
Imperialism is insulting the affairs of lib
erty. The Monroe Doctrine is being
strangled. The Declaration of Independ-
enec is sneered at. The constitution is de-
clared to be antiquated, and the great doc
trine of human rights is offensive to the
government at Washington. Having
grown great nv the doctrines that oil man
are crea ed equal and the governments de-
rive their just powers from the consent
of the governed, we are now turning our
backs on a glorious past and are follow
ing old world despotisms in an attempt
to govern by brute force
by following the advice of Washington
we have become the greatest world power
on earth. Instead of remaining a mighty
moral force, we are to change our char
acter and become a great bully among the
nations. We are to take part in h mis-
cradle wars Waged by despots to plunder
weaker nations A year ago the Presi-
dent asked that our standing armies,
which generally numbered about A,OO0
men, should be increased to 100000 men.
If it takes 100000 men to commence an
imperialistic policy, how long will it be
until we need 10000 men? For forty years
England has shaped our policies and con-
trolled our government. AT her instance,
adopted a gold standard so as to make
the Englishman's dollar dear and Ameri-
can products and American manhood
cheap. AT her instance we are establish
Ing corrupt colonial system. Her states
men publicly declare from the rostrun
that there is an unders landing between
them and the government at Washington
which is of a higher order than written
alliances"