Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1911-07-07

so" ~'"S s"Vs Grange the opinions
OF men. The late John +. Altgeld had,
during bis lifetime, 10 severer critic
than the Philadelphia North Ameri.
can, republican paper. In its Me.
mortal Day issue, the Philadelphia
Nar'h American referred to Governor
Altgeid as "a prophetic patriot The
following Is an extract from the North
Americans editorial:
Enlistment must be not for any
"whole summer but "until the end
OF the war, for it is bound to he long
desperate conflict. IL will be so because
The majority Of the meaning,
honorable msjority OF the people of the
east are now standing by the forces OF
dishonest and destructive privilege in
strength, as mistaken as the brave, ar.
dent, honorable men Of the south did
half a century ago. And this because
they could understand the concrete
leyii OF physical slavery, tut have not
/ ytt attained and Nrstandiug of the more
vile Industrial servituue which coneen.
tiaied wealth now seeks to in pose up.
on every class in every American COM
munity.
Therefore, we speak our Memorial
day message now in the words which
prophetic patriot spoke nine years
ago. They called him demagogue
and an anarchist even so recently. But
TINS was the peroration of the speech
delivered by John P. Altgeld, Mt Joliet,
March IL, 1902 AS he pronounced the
last words of this address the ex.gov-
ernor OF Illions tainted, ard remained
| unconscious until his death on the fol-
lowing day:
But, some one says, is there any
use in our making an effort? Are not
all of the bankers Of this country, all Of
The trusts and great corporations of
this country, all of the powerful forces
| oil this country, is not the fashion OF
| Ibis country, are not the drawing
rooms and the clubs of this country
now controlled by concentrated aud
corrupt wealth? Are they not growing
stronger eve y year, and do they not
Willy aud attempt to crush every body
/ that does not submit2
"Can anything be accom- plisbed in
the way of curling this great force and
projecting the American people?
| My friends, let me cite you par
allei; George William Curtis and other
| writers of his day have described the
slave power back in the fifties. They
tell US that slavery sat in the white
house and made laws in the capitol;
that court of justice were it's ministers
that senators and legislators were its
lackeys; that it controlled the professor
In bis lecture room, the editor in his
sanctum, the preacher in his pulpit;
that it staggered in the drawing room
that it ruiei ut the clubs; that it domi-
mated with an iron hand all the affairs
of society; that every year enlarged its
power every move increased its domi-
Mon; that the men and the women
who dared to even question the divinity
of that Insulation were ostraczed, were
vilified-aye, were hanged.
"But the great clock in the chamber
OF the omnipotent never stands still,
II 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
syndicate rules at the white house and
makes laws at the capitol; courts of
justice are its ministers; senators and
Legislators are its lackeys. Ii controls
the preacher ia his pupit, the professor
in his lecture room, the editor in his
sanctum; 1t swaggers in the drawing
room; it rules at the clubs;it dominates
with "a rod of iron the affairs of society.
Every year enlarges its power; and the
men and women who protest Against
the crimes that are being committed
by organized greed in this county
who talk of protecting the American
people--are ostracized, are vllihed, are
bounded and imprisoned.
SIT seems madness even to question
the divinity OF the American syndicate
But, my friends, the great clock is still
ticking-stlIl ticking. Soon it will
again strike the hour, and the world
VIII see not one million, but ten mil.
lion free men rise up, armed not with
muskets, but with freemen's ballots,
and the sway Ct the syndicate will
vanish from America forever.
~ am not discouraged. Things will
right themselves. The pendulum
swings one way and then another. But
the steady pull Of grayitstion is toward
the center Of the earth. Any structure
must be plumb if it is to endure, or the
building will fall.