The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1902-04-10
HE WAS A GREAT MAN.
uoLn r. AItgcld, philosopher, Jurist,
Patriot and Eumnnitarinn.


Uohn r. AItgcld, Philosopher, JurIst,
Patriot and Eumnpitarinn.
The death of John p Altgeld, for
mer governor of Illinois, removes from
public view one of the conspicuous fig
ures Of American politics. An able and
successful lawyer, an original "ld phil
osophic thinker, citizen Of splendid
intellectual and moral courage and
withal one of the most rclenllessly hat
Sd and most highly admired men i'll the
United States has passed away.
Ii spite of severe judgments recorded
by unfriendly critics it Is only fair to
state that John p. Altgeld was a great
man--great both in character and in
achievement. Born in foreign coun-
try and brought in childhood to Amer
icn. his life illustrates what rectitude
and genius, supplemented by the spur
of poverty, may accomplish in TINS
country of ours.
Now that his body is wrapped in the
cerements of the grave it may be wise
to reflect upon how much OF real no
bility is compressed into his hfty-hve
years of life. A country boy, trained to
the plow in Ohio; at the age of seven
teen a volunteer in the Union army and
fighting for the flag of his country; for
seven years II teacher in the puphc
schools in Missouri; at the age OF tWen-
ty-five an attorney practicing his pro-
fession in st. Louis and winning
prompt and high recognition; at twen-
ty.eight moving to Chicago, where he
Immediately builds up large pracuce;
at thirty-seven defeated Democratic
candidate for congress; at thirty-nlne
an elected Judge Of the Cook county
superior court and at forty-three Its
chief Justice; at forty-tiye the governor
of the state in which he had settled
fifteen years before, and thereafter Il
prominent though not always success
full national leader of the Democratic
party.
This is the record of a man who,
whatever may be his shortcomings,
surely is not to be despised.
With three acts, it is charged, his
politica, career is clouded. He par
doned the Chicago anarchists, he re-
sisted the national arm when Presi-
dent Cleveland sent federal troops tc
Chicago during the railway strike IL
that city, and he condemned the tc
4 decision of the supreme court in the
income tax case.
The first of these acts won for hir-
certain popular odlum that was no
justified by the facts, the second illus
trated that as governor OF Illinois M
had the courage to enforce the idei
that individual states have rights
which the national government is OBJ
ligated not to violate, and the thirC
demonstrated that he. had the courage
to respect in government not merel!
what is thought to be respectable, bu
only what is respectable.
Few men in American public uf'
have been more misunderstood thai
was John p. Altgeld A student from
childhood, he was popularity regarded
as an unthinking agltator. A politlca
philosopher, he was maligned as al
ambitious upstart. A jurist of pro
found learning and a judge of incor
ruptible integrity, he was character
lied as an intriguing politician.
paIrlOt WlC0 dDlulHS ldltu III anu III
tense sympathy with the people, h
was pilloried as declared foe of tn
social order. A man who had by In
dustry, honesty and ability amassed
fortune, he was traduced as an anarct
ist who sought to destroy propert
rights and overthrow the Who'll
scheme of American government.
A man who believed that things wer
sadly out of Joint, John p. Altgeld ha
y the intellectual insight to perceive tn
B causes of discomfort and the courag
0 to prescribe remedies supposed in Gel
q = tain circles to be radical. Whether @
e not his views were wise time alon
b. may determine. History teaches tha
the radical of yesterday is often tn
p conservative of today. Who know
, but that fifty years from now the pt
3 litical philosophy of John p. Altgel
0 may not be popularity regarded wit
> feelings not of aversion, but of syn
, pathy?-New orleans Times-Democra