The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1890-09-19

oeouHuIciS dIlOuS Unem VINO, Dy parClcu-
lar address in devilism, soon rose to
leadership. These captains of satan's
industries were mostly lawyers, and
forthwith proceeded to systemic a col
ossal scheme OF brigandage and assasi-
nation.
:. Surely it was a queer sight under the
u to see q lot OF outlaws and land
pirates take charge OF a community and
in the name Of law and order elect their
most lawless braves district attorneys,
sheriffs and high officials OF the county.
When this was done, OF course robbery
and murder became safe and unpunish-
able, and hence legal to all intents and
purposes. And, oh, what a merry and
prosperous time OF it this brotherhood
OF thugs did have until their reign Of
blood and rapine terminated at the
ropes end! Murder and robbery were
everywhere, while life and property were
nowhere. The honest miners and
ranchers were completely cowed at first,
as some OF us are now, because it was
indeed a dazing spectacle for a man with
an orthodox experience as q citizen to
see all the machinery of government run
by the deadly enemies Of Christian civil
cation. Such was the case in Helena,
Montana, in the ~far-away summer of
1868. But it did not last; for it could
not.
Goods mills grind slowly, but they
grind exceeding SMALL" and at the last
they grind all crime into non-existence.
And SO it came about III Helena in that
far-away summer Of 1868 that good
men and true began whispering to one
another behind closed doors and in the
silence and darkness OF the night. And
they said to one another, "a pirate
captain and u pirate crew are on deck
in this good ship OF ours and are sailing
US all to their father, the devil. We
must supercede their villianous master.
ship or we are lost" And there was
more earnest whispering in silent places
and all good men and true knew one
another by look and touch. And 10,
one black midnight, when the murderers.
district attorneys, sheriffs and con.
stables had drank and reveled them
selves into crapulous slumber, up rose
} the vigilants. Then vas there indeed
scant regard paid to officials who were
panoplied with all the sacredness ofduly
elected legal fun%ctionaries. "Touch me
not, screamed the blear-eyed debauchees
when suddenly awakened from their
sleep. 81 I'm your district attorney
your sheriff, your constable" But fol
these foul miscreants had come "the
night that knows no breaking" Stern,
strong hands seized and bore them
"under the pine trees withered branch"
Around their necks went the dread moose
and their foul souls were soon strangled
out OF their foul bodies, and thus right
eously persisted the monsters who
wrought crime in the name OF law and
justice.
Such events are much to be deplored,
but their possibility lies very near the
surface in our western human nature;
and such fragrant provocatlon which we
are now enduring may bring them out
sooner than the enemies OF justice may
be anticipating.
We hope that the moral uprising OF
the people this fall through the indepcn-
dent party will cure this evil. Let the
people declare that law must be equity;
that law must work toward Justice; that
law must not Cypress the righteous; that
law must not shield horse thieves, and,
10, a new day OF pure governors, pure
members Of the bar and true laws will
dawn upon us as a condition, precedent
/ to this happy time the good men OF TIN
land must be organized and work to
gether for righteous ends.
:. JAMES MCCURDY.
,. P. S.-If this don't find the waste
D basket, you shall hear from me again.