The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-03-09
SAMPLES OF ALTGELDISM
sCATHING DENUNCIATION OF MO-
NoPOLIsTs AT BUFFALO BANQUET.
Calls Them Birds of Prey, Who Use
Government Convenience in
Exploitation of Robbery.

BUFFALO, March s.-John P. Altgeld, OF
Chicago. spoke tonight at the banquet of
the Independent Club. His subject was
shall the People Own the Monopolies9'
lie said in part:
"A mere change of party administration
signifies nothing so long as the same Shiny
hands control the policy Of government.
we nad Two such changes, and their his
tory was written with the dirty fingers of
the exploiters- We need a change of policy
Instead OF being owned the people must be
the owners, Instead OF being lambs 70 be
shOrn they must be masters of the fold
Our industries and our great public utilities
were built with the money and the industry
and the genius OF the American people but
they have passed out of the hands OF the
people who made them and are now con-
trolled by manipulators. controlled by
bankers. by brokers. by spectators These
men do not build railroads. They do not
build factories; they do not build cities;
they do not create anything; they simply
gran what other people have created. As
e rule they are mere birds OF prey, tear
Ing the flesh OF the and the women
who work with their hands eating the
vftals OF the men and the women who do
the work OF the land and who make civil
cation possible this earth. No republic
can endure that remains in the clutches of
these birds Of prey; they use government
as a convenience In the process OF exploit
alton, extO-tion and robbery. 1t is among
the newly made and corrupt rich that we
ind the spirit or snObbery and hunkeyiSm
that apologies for republican institutions.
II IS the monopOlists who demand the re-
etrictiOn OF free speech and of free press
They not only plumber the people. but they
would rob them Of their liberties. Wipe out
private monopoly and you will wipe out the
corrupt Hobbies at the seats of government:
you will restore the people TO power, the
government Will again become an engine OF
justice and a shield for the protection OF
the weak.
'T hear men talk about Jeffersonian
principles; / read accounts Of harmony
greetings In which 1t Is proposed that we
Democrats shall all get together, and
when l look for the reason for getting to-
gether, find Il summed up in the desire
10 get something. They tell US we must
win; i ask why do want to win?
Then / am told that we want to win to
get the offices. And why do we want the
oftces2 The answer is, so that We can
take care of our friends.
Nov there is nothing in this programme
that is worthy of the effort or even of
the attention of an American freeman
and II there IS nothing better or higher In
prospect for our country than what Is
offered by these harmony meetings, then,
my friends. our career is over and there
Is nothing left for US except TO lay
wreath on the grave OF republican insti-
tutions and shed tear over the fall OF
freedom.
II hear men talk about following in the
footsteps Of Jefferson. Why, my friends,
Jefferson was the great radical OF his
Cay. He referred everything back 10 the
people; he wanted everything left in the
hands of the people. When he secured
the overthrow OF prfmogeniture In the
In unmeasured terms as a demagogue and
an enemy OF society; when he overthrow
the power OF the church, and established
freedom of religion, ne was denounced as
emissary OF Satan, a low, vulgar fellow.
and when he advocated and secured the es-
tablishment of free public schools in which
the children OF the poor were to be educated
at the expense of the rich, the whole vo-
cabulary of denunciation was exhausted.
He was called a demagOgue, a socialist, an
agitator and the enemy OF all that was
good In society. Jefferson indeed did say
that that government was best which gov
erned least: that was when he speak
Ing OF those governments that are distinct
from the people; that q constant men
ace to the people; that are convenience
for the powerful In plundering the people.
But that Is a very different proposition
from having the people manage their own
affairs; from having them control and own
their happiness. their health and their
very lives depend Were jefferson alive
to-day, his voice would be heard from
ocean to ocean demanding that the people
themselves must own the monopolies.
I'm 1863 Abraham Lincoln stood on the
battlefield of Gettysburg and with tears
in his eyes prayed that the government
of the people, for the people and by the
the earth, and in less than forty years the
substance Of republican government has
vanished from America and we cannot
store IL until the forces which destroyed
fl wiped out If there were other
reason why the people should own the
monopolies than that il will give them back
their government that reason IS In itself
sufficient Wipe out the private monopolies
and IL will again be possible for the popular
will TO make itself felt in city councils. in
state legislatures, in the national govern
ment and in party conventions. IL will re-
store American character and American
manhood. 1t viii restore the great princi-
pies OF truth. of liberty and of justice. and
man will again look to the stars and labor
9 he aIa ION Of he rln