The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1890-12-25

ANAA thASa pOllCSst
While this can no longer be asserted Of
US as q nation. 1t can with perfect truth be
said, the agriculturalclass is animmcnse
giant without bones.n great, patient,
AA1aAAaasaAnresistfng mass Of men with
out disciplined Organization, purposes of
power, or leaders of enthusiasm. But
perhaps In these long years Of physical
toll n mental sleep, this gianthas been
Srowlng bones, and only needs the bur-
uens OF oppression, and the blows OF In
lusttce, TO harden them for warfare.
Time will prove. Though he may be o
poneless giant, he Is no longera sleeping
one. AT last tho farmers are awake,
widely, angrily awake; but they have
neither. the strength that comes from
unity, nor the self-contidcncc that ac-
companies Self-knowlcdge and faith in
thelr " immense resources.
Enough there are less than 1000, 600
manufacturers, and nearly 5000, 900
farmers, yet tho manufacturers exercise
a thousand times more influence and
power In controlling and adjusting their
environment III our complex civilization
than tho farmers, who blindly, stupidity,
submit to every injustice, and all eXtor-
tlons-to q tariff which lcvies an cnor-
nous tax upon all they wear and use;
railway monopolieS that rob them of all
profit on their labor; a debased currency
ioisted upon them by silver kings, insults
from the press and the drama, and the
indifference and contempt Of senators,
statesmen and demagogues.
Strike the farmer! "He is a giant
without bones" Manufacturers and
m%onopolists already have the bones, sin.
ews and nerves of power In this keen
battle;of commercial and political life,
that means "the survival Of none but
the fttest." They control state and ma
tional legislation, lowering and raising
tariffs at will. They bribe senators; sup
port lobbyists-who live and entertain
like princes-buy and regulate railroads;
build and run their w steamships; own
powerful journals that lead and form
public opinion; corner oHr markets:
build themselves palaces; Cypress labor
ers; starve strikers, and make every
farmer from Dakota to Texas, from Cali
tornia TO Mime, pay4them tribute on all
they buy and use. Why should they
not laugh to scorn SO giant without
bones' who has been asleep for @
twenty years? The farmers enemies,
who rob and pray upon him, consolidate,
cooperate and make common cause in
All they do. The farmcrs-isolatcd on
their broad acres, slow, stolid, distrust.
ful OF each othcr-have but now realized
n truth OF the simplest principle Of CO.
operative civilization, sin union there is
strength and that to be feared and re.
spected collectively, tneNSmust trust and
respect each other individually. More
than all, they lack self esteem and sell
confidence. Worse than all, they can
not see that the price for all their pro.
uuce is settled in Europe, and not al
home. in Mark Lane, London,
and not in Chicago and New
York. After paving an enormous
toll to the pirates who own the railways,
the farmers grain must enter a foreign
market, and compete with that from In
dia,t Russia and South America. Tho
farmer must stand in n fierce commercial
b~attie-taking odds against the world
while the manufacturer, sheltered behind
his wall of tariff, free from outside com.
petition, smiles as he thinks: "The
FARMER may sell his wheat, corn and
pork In Europe, whore coats, carpets.
hnery and furniture are cheaper than il
his wlfe's widest dreams, but he ntiSi
buy all these things at home-of mo-
his master" And the s'giant without
bones" meekly pays the American man.
utacturer a.tax of 100 per cent. on his
blanket and %1annels; so per cent. on his
calico and clothing, and go per cent. or
his crockery and furniture, not to men,
ton hundreds OF other articles that he
must buy, but does have to sell. All oil
which he could buy cheaper and bettei
where he sells his corn, If arbitrary laws
that have protected ''infant industries
TILL they have grown to bloated monsters
" not hold him fast In bondage.
One wishes for q thousand voices,
making o million echoes, to cry to the
people: Awake! arous yourselves, OF
in this fair land will be repeated the his.
tory Of every empire and every republic
tnat yet has risen under the sun. eThe
rich are growing richer, the poor grow.
Ing poorer" and the many becoming
the slaves Of the few. Land monopolies,
railway %monopolies, manufacturing mo-
nopoltes, and the political %monopolies
all make slaves Of the many and lords Of
the few, and the farmer is the scourged
and beaten serf of each and all of these
monstrous giants of modern civilization.
Poor fool he is only -Ae giant without
bones. Slurred and scorned by the
press, deceived and led by the politicians
ridtculedsin literature, laughed ut on the
stage, he remains almost at the bottom
our social structure, while he might
RUE ut the Top. He is even unconscious
that he is q giant.
Too long the farmers have let Others
do their thinking and make their laws.
As q class they have passed the perils
and pangs OF poverty and gained thu
content and comfort of competence and
S1ofcnwn fott VI atr hnAfac p,nunc fnoroo cor
activity for their minds. They need tt
reflect ppon their overwhelming i'm.
p~ortance to this country and government
During all the plenteous years from 1875
to 1885, 1t was their surplus products
pouring into hungry Europe that brought
back the receding tide OF prosperity ane
made this the richest nation on earth,
For all these years over 80 per cent. OF
the surplus wealth of this great country
was produced by the farmers. Think o.
It, We horny handed ons of toll! But this
wealth is not yours; 1t belongs to your
masters-capitalists, land barons, rail
road b&rons, silver barons, blanket bar,
0ns, all sorts of rich and p0mpous baronS
and you may be gratefulif you do moi
see your comfort and competence dWin'
die neutrality-suspicious. your PC
come a raceSof tenant farmers.
All over the west. rests the blight o
the terrible mortgage, and wherever
It's shadow falls there the American far
mer IL no longer lord of the soil, but
like the feudatory vassal OF the Irisl
land owner, evicted at q master's will
He ii tenant only Of acres where he ma.
SOW, but may never reap. A new AM
dreadful calamity awaits onr bonelesl
giant. He begins tossee that, not con