Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1888-12-15
Pres DENTS MESSAGE.

To THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES
duties you have assumed as the represents
tives of a free and generous people, your
meeting is marked by an Interesting and I'm
prcssive incident. With the expiration OF
che present session OF congress the first
century OF our constitutional existence as q
nation will be completed.
Our survival for one hundred years Is not
sufficient TO assure us that we no longer have
dangers to fear In the maintenance with all
its promised blessings OF a government
foundcd upon the freedom OF the people. The
time rather admonishes us TO sobriety and to
inquire whether In the past we have always
closely kept In the course OF saIery and
clear, which leads to happiness and prosper
ny. The citizens Of our republic in It's early
days rIgidly united upon full compliance with
the letter OF this bond, and saw stretching
out before him a clear field for Individual
endeavor His tribute TO the support OF his
government was measured by the costs OF II.
When the ex pertinent OF our government was
undertaken the chart adopted for our guidance
Was a constitutional departure from the lines
laid down In failure. II Is only by a strict sd-
herence To the direction then indicated and
by restraint within the limitations they fixed
thai we can furnish proof to the world Of the
ntness OF American people for self-govern-
ment, the equal and exact justice OF which
We boast as the underlying principles OF our
institutions should not be confined to the re-
lations OF our citizens to each other. The
government itself Is under bond TO the Amer
scan people that In the exercise OF It's func-
sions and powers 1t will deal with the BODY
OF our citizens In a manner scrupulously hon
est and fair and absolutely just. 1t has agreed
that American citizenship shall be the oaly
credcntlal necessary to justify the claim OF
equality before the law and that no condition
In life shall give rise to ais.
elimination In the treatment OF
che people by this government.
Inthose days the frugality OF the people was
etlmped upon their government, and was en-
forced by free, thoughtful and intelligent suf-
BRAGG OF citizens. Monopoiies and aggrega-
lions Of capital were either avoided or sternly
regulated and sustained. The pomp and
glitter OF governments less free offered no
temptation and presented no delusion to the
plain people who, side by side, in friendly
competition wrought for the cnnoolement and
dignity Of man, for the solution OF the
probl m ~ free government, and for the
achievement Of the grand destiny awaiting the
land which God had given them. A century
has passei. Our cities are the abiding places
OF wealth and luxury Our manufactures
yield fortunes never dr. AIMED Il by the fathers
OF our republic. Our business men are
Kaadly striving In the race for riches and i'm
raense aggregation Of capital outrun imagin-
alton Ia The maGultude OF their undertakings.
We view with pride and satisfaction this
bright picture OF our cOuntry's gtowtb aud
prosperity, while only 81 closer scrutiny deYel-
ops g s0mbre shading. Upon more careful
inspection we find the wealth and luxury OF
our cities mingled with poverty and wretch
Sdnsss and unremuncrehFc toll. A crowded
and constantly increasing population suggests
the impOverishmeut OF rural sections and dis
content with agricultural pursuits. The
farmers son, not satisfied with his fathers
Rimple and laborious life, joins the eager
chase for easily acquired wealth. We dis
cover that the fortunes realized by our manu-
Gacturers are no longer solely the reward or
sturdy industry and enlightened competition,
but that they result from the discriminating
favor OF the government and are largely built
upen undue e~xactioR from the masses OF our
people. The gulf between employers aud
employed is constantly widening and classes
are rapidly forming, one comprising the very
yich and powerful, while In another are found
eho toiling poor.
As we view the achievement Of aggregated
capital we discover the existence OF trusts,
combinations and monopolies, while the citi-
zen Is struggling far In the rear or t"ampled
TO death beneath an iron rod. CCrr.rations
which should be the carefully reetra. ~ d crea-
lures of the law and the servants OF the peo-
pie are fast becoming the peoples masters.
Still congratulating ourselves upon the
wealth and prosperity OF our country and
complacently contemplating every incident Of
change inseperable from these conditions, It
ts our duty as patriotic citizens to inquire at
the present stage Of our progress how the
bond OF the government made with the pco-
d. has been kept and performed. Instead Of
Knitting the tribute drawn from our citizens
" the necessities Of It's economical administra-
zion, the government persists In eXa1tlng
from the substance OF the people millions,
which unapplied and useless lie dormant Ia
the treasury. The fragrant injustice OF this
breach Of faith and obligation add TO the cX-
sortion the danger attending the diver
sion OF the currency OF the country
from the legitimate channels OF business.
Under the same a by which these results
are produced the government permits many
millions more to be added TO the cost of the
living OF our people and 10 be taken from our
consumers which unreasonably swell the pro-
dts Of the small but powerful minority. The
people must still be taxed for the support OF
the government under the operation OF tariff
laws, but to the extent that the mass OF our
citizens are Unfortunately burdened beyond
useful public purpose AMI for the benefit OF a
favored law. TIL government, under prctext
OF an exercise Of It's taXing power, enters
gratuitously into partnership with these favor
ftes TO their advantage and to the injury OF a
vast majority OF our people. This is not
equality before the law. The existing situa-
ton is Injurious 20 the health Of our entire
body polite. 1t stiles in those all patriotic
love OF country aud substitutes I'm its place
selfish greed and grasping ~avarice. De-
votion To American citizenship for its own
sake and for what IL should accomplish as
O motive TO our nations advancement, and
the happiness OF ali our people is displaced
by the assumption hat the government, In
etead of being the embodiment OF equality, is
but sn fundamentally through which es-
pecial and individual advantages are to be
gained.
The arrogance OF this assumption Is IN
concealed. II appears in the sordid disre-
gard OF all but personal interest in the re-
Susal 10 abate for the benefit of Others. One
fota of selfish advantage, and In combination
60 perpetuate such advantages through efforts
60 control legislation and improperly control
che suffrage of the people.
The grievance Of those not included within
che circle of these benetciaries, when fully
realized, will surely arouse irritation and dis
Our farmers, long suffering aud
patient, struggling In the race OF life with
the hardest and most unrcmitting toll, will
pot fail to see, In spite Of Misrepresentation
and misleading f~allsciee, that they are Obliged
20 accept uch prices for their products as are
Nxed IN foreign markets, whore they compel
with farmers OF the world; that their lands
are declining In value while their debts in.
crease, and that without cOmpensatlng favor
they are 4 reed by the government TO pay for