The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1889-09-20
Farmers OF South Dakota,

'Ortunity has at last come. For gene
ations you and your fathers and bro
hers have been the patient bearers OF
urdens, "hewers of wood and drawers
i water" in the land, while the few
nave luxuriated in idleness. You have
hewed down the forests OF the Atlantic
and Middle states, made fertile the roll
ing prairies that stretch from the lakes
to the Rocky RANGE on the slope OF the
broad Pacific you have builded an en-
pire. While you have toiled under sum-
mer sun and through winters cold, the
sleek politicians, the monopolists, the
sharpers, the tricksters, the railroad
wrecker, and all the other lines OF
slight" business have fattened at your
expense. Your laws have been made by
lawyers, your prices fixed by traders.
You have bought and sold on prices fix
cd by men whose sole interest in you is
the interest that Jack had in his goose,
the golden egg must be laid. You have
been told that a farmer wasn't com.
petent tn go into the legislature and tell
what he and his fellow workers want
and need. Some sharper, who wouldn't
know a mould board from O. cross-cut
saw, is the fellow to legislate for the
farmer, while at the same time he passes
laws that protect gambling in grain,
bucket shop swindles, railroad jobbery
and robbery, and a system Of taxation
which puts five mills on the banker and
five per cent. on the farmer. You have
been wheedled and coaxed, bulldozed
and threatened, when your votes were
needed and kicked out when your birth
right was gained. Now you have the
winning side. You know your power,
see to it that you use it. The bosses
have set up the little God Moody and
are commanding you to vote for men
who will send him to the United States
Senate. They know and admit that he
is a salary grabber, the tool OF monup-
oily, that he reeks with political fraud
and corruption, but they tell you he
will work for the Black Hills. Any
sensible man knows that there Is very
little that any one nan can do to fur
ther the interests of the Hills in any
particular, he car help enact laws Of a
general nature and the people OF the
Hills will share, in the benefits or hard
ships resulting from them along with the
people of the whole country. If there
should he a chance to do anything to
injure the farmers and laborers OF the
countryyou can bet on Moody's activity
were he to get there. II he gets into the
senate he can probably keep the claims
OF the government against the Home
stake from being pushed, he will be o
big gun, his sons and immediate friends
and strikers will be furnished with pap
and you can help foot the bill. AL
ready the Offices are parceled out, but
no farmer has a place. You don't need
them. Moody's motto is: "God bless
the rich. the poor can beg, or work"
The man who lives in a shanty and
works the year around to feed his little
family and get a quarter section Of land
ready to pay taxes on, isn't ft to even
touch the hem Of Moody,s garment, but
he, who v soiled his hands with
work, who robbed the pioneers OF this
country to pay him a prince]y salary,
who had to get off the bench on account
Of his corruption, he is the man to adj
vance honest legislation(D. Stand; by
your guns on election day. II man
threatens to foreclose q %cut-throat
mortgage ifyou don't vote to suit him,
bring his name to The UNION and he
shall be exposed, and more than that
the grand jury shall have his cas- to
deal with. Vote for men who will adj
vance your interests instead OF conspir-
ing to rob you. Throw party to the
winds and strike for self protection. II
you do this you are free.