Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-03-15


former governor of Illinois, at Joliet
from an attack of paralysis ends re-
markably interesting. active and pic
turesque career. He was born in Ger
many in 1S47, but was reared on a
farm in Ohio. When sixteen years of
age, he entered the Union army and
carried a musket for six months in the
campaign around Richmond. After
ward he taught school in Ohio. In the
spring of 1869, when twenty-one years
old, he started to seek his fortune in
the west. Travelling across southern
Illinois on foot. with limited amount
of loose change, but with the same
quiet, fhvincible spirit of determina-
ton to get there that had distinguish
ed him since and landed him well up
on the ladder of fortune, he arrived at
the Mississippi river opposite st. Louis
with undiminished energy and 10 cents
in his pocket. After paying out 10
cents of this to the ferry for carrying
over himself and n companion who
| hadn't even that amount of capital to
draw on he spent the other cents for
a sheet Of paper, an envelope and
stamp to let his family know of his
safe arrival, and then, pennileSS, but
determined, he frightened his belt as
substitute for n square meal and start
ed on his career. After working for
awhile in st. Louis he went to south
ern Kansas, which was having a boom.
Here he was taken sick and in that
new country was reduced to severe
emit II i'm
through, he wadking 100 miles in his
bare feet across the open prairie in or
der to get north. He then settled in
northwestern Missouri, where he
taught school and studied law.
| In 1872 he was admitted to the bar.
| His ability and tireless perseverance
had already become so we'll known
that he was Immediately appointed
city attorney of Savannah. Suisse
Quently elected state attorney of An
drews county, the pale DutchmGn,"
as he was dubbed by the people, soon
| became known as one of the foremost
lawyers of that part of the state, noted
as it was for its jurists-and colonies.
Feeling the need of a larger field. he
resigned in 1870 and went to-Chicago,
where he knew nobody, but where
push and a capacity for work were an
! introduction to everybody. He soon
built up n large practice, his connec-
ton with the Storey will case bringing
him into prominence. Inevitably DRIFT
ing into politics, for which he seemed
to have natural bent, he served as
judge of the superior court of Chicago
from 1856 to 1891 and as governor of
Illinois from 1898 to 1897. His pardon
OF Fielder, Schwab and Neebe. known
as the "Haymarket anarchists" excit-
ed wide comment.
The late John 2. Altgeld had in re-
cent years engaged much in the lee
ture field. His latest lecture previous
TO the one delivered at Joliet on the
evening of his death was given ut Bur
falo, his theme being shall the PEG
pie Own the Monopolies:" He said in
part:
THE inventions. the discoveries and
the progress of the sciences during the
last century tended to shorten dis
tances, to bring the different parts Of
the earth together and made it posi-
Bile for man to not only go quickly
from one point to another, but they
made it possible for him to execute his
will simultaneously in various places.
They enlarged the field of personal SUI
pervision and activity. Out OF this
condition has come an era of CONSOLE
dation and concentration. Little things
are giving way to great things, little
shops to great shops, little stores to
great stores. little ships to great ships,
little railroads TO great railroads. little
governments to great governments,
small institutions to great institutions.
The result of this consolidation in it
self should be beneficial. 1t cheapens
the cost of production, and in govern
ments it should cheaper the cost of
operation, while in the railway world
it greatly increases the convenience of
the public.
''It is apparent that these conditions
are permanent. and it is also obvious
that we would not change them if we
could. We do not want to do away
with the big ships and go back to the
little ships, to do away with the big
stores and go back to the little stores,
to do away with the great trunk lines
traversiug a continent and go back to
the little constituent roads that were
consolidated.
These consultations are beneficial
to mankind if properly managed. but
they have completely wiped out COM
petition in certain fields and establish
ed monopolies, and from the very ma
ture of the case these monopolies will
be permanent. 1t is no longer possible |
to have competition in supplying the |
inhabitants of a city with water or gas
or electric light or street railway serv-
ice.
1T is also apparent that in respect |
to the operation of steam railroads |
there is no longer competition in so far |
as the business affects the majority of |
the people. and a number of our great |
industries have passed into the con- |
troll OF combinations. so that they are |