Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1911-11-22
Coz. litqeld's \ ast Speech.


On March II, 1902, at Joliet, Ill,
ex-governor John P. Altgeld made
his last speech and at its conclusion
fell unconscious and remained 50 un-
til his death the next day. In the
peroration Of that speech he said:
But, some one says, is there any
use in our making an etfortsi Are
not all the bankers Of this country,
all the trusts and great corporations
of this country, all Of the powerful
forces Of this country, is not the
fashion of this country, are not the
drawing rooms and the clubs Of this
country now controlled by concen-
trated and corrupt wealth? Are they
not growing stronger every year, and
do they not vilify and attempt to
crush everybody that does not sub
nit?
"Can anything be accomplished in
the way of curling this great force
and protecting the American people9
my friends, let me cite you par
allel: George William Curtis and
other writer's Of the day have des-
cribed the slave power back in the
tifties. They tell us that slavery sat
in the white house and made laws in
the capitol; that courts Of Justice
We're its ministers; that senators and
legislators were it's lackeys; that it
controlled the professor in his lee
ture room, the editor in his sanctum,
the preacher in his pulpit; that it
swaggered in the drawing room
that it ruled at the clubs; that it
dominated with an iron hand all the
affairs of society; that every year
enlarged it's power, every move in
creased its dominion; that the men
and the women who dared to even
question the divinity of that institu-
ton were ostracized, were persecut-
ed, were vilifed- aye, were hanged.
"But the great clock in the cham
Der OF the omnipotent never stands
still. 1t licked away the years as it
had once licked away the centuries.
Finally it struck the hour, and the
world heard the tread of million
armed men, and slavery vanished
| from America forever.
| "Note the parallel: Today the syn
dictate rules at the white house and
makes laws at the capitol; courts OF
justice are its Minister'S; senators
and legislators are its ]ackeys. II
controls the preacher in his pulpit
the professor in his lecture room, the
editor in his sanctum; it swaggers il
the drawing room; it rules at the
clubs; it dominates, with a rod OF
iron, the affairs Of society. Ever,
year enlarges its power; and the mer
and women who protest against thu
crimes that are being committed by
organized greed in this country, wh<
talk of protecting the American
people-are ostracized, are vilifed
are bounded and imprisoned.
1T seems madness even to cues.
ton the divinity Of the American
syndicate. But, my friends, tn,
great clock is still ticking-still tick.
ing. Soon it will again strike tn,
hour, and the world will not see on,
million but ten million free men ris,
up, armed not with muskets, but will
freemen's ballots, and the sway O:
the syndicate will vanish from Am
erica forever.
II am not discouraged. Thing.
will right themselves. The pendulum
swings one way and then another
But the steady pull Of gravitation il
toward the center of the earth. An,
structure must be plumb to endur,
OF the building will fall.
$50 it is with the nations-wron,
may seem to triumph; but the gray
itation of eternal justice is towar,
the throne of God. Any political in
stitution which is to endure must b,
plumb with that line Of justice.''