The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1902-03-15
NOT AN ANARCHIST
ALTGELD HAD MANY REASONS FOR
PARDONING ANARCHISTS,
His Decision Was Never Questioned
Either in Respect to Law or the
Facts-COurt Decision Was So I'm
just That Gov. Oglesby Interfered
to Save Anarchists Ltves-A. II. U.
Strike.

after his death. That part referring to
the pardoning of the anarchists, and
his position in the strike Of the A. r.
u, over which he was so strongly
criticised and abused, and which the
majority Of the people know so little
about is given below.
John Peter Altgeld died as he lived
for the good Of the common people
and the benefit of humanity.
A man who gave up health, wealth
and opportunity to preserve his ideas
of justice could not have wished a
better end.
Standing through the best years of a
long and honorable career as the I'M
daunted, champion of freedom for all,
his last words were an eloquent plea
for American Intervention in South
Africa, where the: political descendants
of George III. are engaged in the work
of 1776, following in line and precept
the example of Lord Butte and other
haters of liberty.
1t was the more suitable. that he
should have spoken just after second
Saratoga or Yorktown, just after the
capture by plain and hardy people of
the first British General to follow the
illustrious example of Burgoyne and
CORVALLIS.
For there were few compensate tons,
other than those Of clear conscience
and knowledge of duty done, in Cover
nor Altgeld's life-and there was much
suffering, Individual and vicarious. It
is pleasant to think that his last hours
were gladdened by the defeat of ty-
rants.
For many years the man whom the
State of Illinois delighted to honor has
suffered from the most malignant
forms of Misrepresentation and SIAN
der. 1t will be worth while, therefore,
to speak at length Of the actualities
of his life-for the same forces which
pursued him so Indignantly through
his life have never been silent at a
grave.
It was as governor, that Altgeld first
had full opportunity to show that
rarest of qualities in American politi-
cians-fearlessness. He found the state
institutions in the clutch Of thieves and
robbers. He found the legislature the
prey of every influence which could
! make for private gain at the public
expense.
Wherever he discovered a. wrong,
whoever the delinquent might be, he
Strickland struck hard. For the first
time Illinois was blessed with a chief
| magistrate who feared neither the
subtle Vaccinations Of capital nor the
threats of unreasoning labor.
When scandals threatened the good
| name OF the state in connection with
| the practices of the Chicago Board of
! Trade, he left Springfield and called
before him the men who were living
! outside Of the law-and the abuses
| ceased.
When organized labor sought to con-
denim the inmates Of the state peni-
tentiaries to a soul-destroying idleness
he was equally quick to assert the
claims of humanity. He found a sys-
| tenn of organized robbery under the
guise of commissions sapping the eff
cheney of the public institutions of the
state This he put a speedy end to-,
and the benefits he conferred upon the
| public charges Of Illinois have not yet
been. wrested from them.
| It became Governor Altgeld's duty to
inquire into the cases Of many con-
! demned criminals in which a miscar-
| riage of Justice was believed to have
occurred. The most famous of these
was that known as the anarchists
case.
In arriving at his conclusion the en-
ormous body Of his testimony, equal
in weight and bulk to a grand piano,
was sent to the executive mansion at
Springfield and was gone over word by
word. "A decision was reached which
has never been questioned, either in
respect of the law or the facts,
1t is significant that in this, as in
all the public documents drawn by Alt
geld, his enmies never attempted argu-
ment, but expended: y their entire
strength in PERSONAL abuse. =,
| This time-honored refuge Of the law
yer without case, is, in ITSELF. the
most remarkable Of many testimonials
to Altgeld's singular faculty for dis
corning TRUTH.
1t has been forgotten that the decis-
ion Of the Criminal Court Of Cook
County was SO -conspicuously unjust
that Governor. oslesby interfered to
. X . - :>9s..; =. -.