The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1890-05-23
CURRENT COMMENT.
THE TARIFF.

We want to understand the tariff men and
wish they would be clear and specific. For
thirty years the republican party with which
legislation. We supposed all this time that
this policy was a tariff for protection, but now
we have the Mckinley bill which purports to be
"a bill to reduce the revenue and equalize
Now what does this mean? Has thirty years
ended i'll the confession Of unequal taxation
and too heavy a burden upon the people? And
by whose authority is tariff made the shiboleth
Of the republican party? We believe it is a
combolated obfuscation to confute and divert
the attention OF the people while the gang steals
us bllnd.-Ruralist.
Very good Elder. Thousands of thor
oughbred republicans have asked that
same question. There is today, no less
than 100000 american born voters whose
first feelings of patriotism, real love Of
country, were inspired by these grand
principles which brought the republican
party into existence. These men were boys
then. They remember the exciting days
of go. The memory of the wierd, wild
circumference. The faces of Lincoln,
Hamlin, Chase, Summer, Stevens, Wade,
and many more are indelibly stamped
upon their minds. They remember the
grand u%tterances of these grand men, and
they can never forget the grand principles
upon which these utterances were based,
but alas-these voters, born and reared in
an atmosphere impregnated with correct
were willing to die: that this government
might live, are today filled with humilia-
ton and shame, mo-s and dependency,
because they are compelled to realize that
these grand principles were buried with
{ln ,,n, xrL~ ,1.-n,%nl II~~ III. -.--I
est and grandest political organization
that ever existed has degenerated into an
army of spoilsmen, an organized agency
for special interests. an autocratic pluto
cracy, riding rough shod over the rights of
the people and calling themselves republi-
cans. The surrender of Lee at Appomat-
tox, had barely become history, when an
olegarchy of wealth, grasped the republi-
eau party by the throat and turned it
wrong side out, forced its managers to
untagonize the masses, and made the
dream of the immortal Lincoln, "a gov
eminent of the people, for the people and
by the people, a contemplate farce.
Does Quay, Wanamaker, Mckinley or
Harrison in any sense represent republi-
canism? Do any of theil policies parallel
the policies of the founders of the republi-
can party? Not by any means, yet the
recognized leaders of the party calling
itself republican today have to call all true
republicans boilers, ~lnugwumps, etc., etc.
In Dakota as esewhere true tlue, concien-
tious republicans are banished from their |
party. The only meE who have without
reservation or evasion remained true to
real republican principles are without in
huence, either in the primaries or conven-
tions. The majority of pure unadulter-
ated voters are members of labor organi-
These men have not deviated,
they have not drifted away from the prin-
which gave the republican party
life and existence. They have been as
true to these principles as the magnet to
the poll. They believe in the rights of the
people. They believe that special inter-
ests, trusts corporations, banks, etc.,
should be secondary and subordinate to
these rights. They believe the government
should stand between the strong and the
weak and see that justice is done. They
believe that corporations shonld be sub
ject- to government control, while the pres
moutnpieces and managers of the re-
party believe and practice the
opposite. These m~outhpieces and man
are not republicans. They have
stolen the livery of heaven to serve the
levil in" The real republicans are learn
ng this fact, and the day is not far distant
they will arise enmasse and wrest
he scepter of power from the oligarchy
nd restore the government to the temple
# justice. Thus will they establish their
aith in republican principles whether
,uown as boilers, mugwumps, cranks or
not. The present administration has
10 authority to make the tariff the shib-
,oleth of the republican party. All au-
hority resides with the people, This is
epublicanism.-Lcad City Tribune.