V 



24 American Ideals 



eral Government, Chicago would have seen a repe- 

 tition of what occurred during the Paris Commune, 

 while Illinois would have been torn by a fierce social 

 war; and for all the horrible waste of life that this 

 would have entailed Governor Altgeld would have 

 been primarily responsible. It was a most fortu- 

 nate thing that the action at Washington was so quick 

 and so emphatic. Senator Davis of Minnesota set the 

 key of patriotism at the time when men were still 

 puzzled and hesitated. The President and Attorney- 

 General Olney acted with equal wisdom and cour- 

 age, and the danger was averted. The completeness 

 of the victory of the Federal authorities, represent- 

 ing the cause of law and order, has been perhaps 

 one reason why it was so soon forgotten ; and now 

 not a few shortsighted people need to be reminded 

 that when we were on the brink of an almost ter- 

 rific explosion the Governor of Illinois did his best 

 to work to this country a measure of harm as great 

 as any ever planned by Benedict Arnold, and that we 

 were saved by the resolute action of the Federal 

 judiciary and of the regular army. Moreover, Gov- 

 ernor Altgeld, though pre-eminent, did not stand 

 alone in his unenviable prominence. Governor Waite 

 of Colorado stood with him. Most of the Populist 

 Governors of the Western States, and the Republi- 

 can Governor of California and the Democratic Gov- 

 ernor of North Dakota, shared the shame with him ; 

 and it makes no difference whether in catering to 

 riotous mobs they paid heed to their own timidity 

 and weakness, or to that spirit of blatant dema- 



