The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1891-06-05
is to be nut. in the twentieth century,

S to he put, in the twentieth century,
American institutions. ii that
we're all, l would feel easier. But these
of immigrants afe most OF
them lnborcrs. If they are farmers and
can find their way tn the far west and
settle on the moccupicd lands, the prob
lem looks easy. But what shall we do
when the land is all taken, when the
like a rellucnt wave, flows back
over the east and makes the pressure
painful. Already the condition Of the
laboring man IN some OF our states is
alarming. We are told that in Massa-
chussttts "the average working mar is
unable to support the average working
mans family" In 1858 the average
expenses OF working mems families i'll
that state, were S754, while the earn
ings of workmen who are heads OF fam
lies averaged $55S! This mca a de-
felt OF S196. How is this made up?
his wife and children have to work.
What does that mean? Q(Destruction
Of home life; (2)overworling OF women
and children and a deterioration OF the
coming generation; (3) illiteracy OF
children kept out OF school; az ignor-
ante and vice following i%lIiteracy; and
(5) crime, following ignorance and vice.
Besides this system breeds up a class OF
hereditary workmen'. Statistics show
that the population OF manufacturing
districts are inferior to the population
OF agricultural districts.
As Emerson says, "the robust Saxon
churl degcnerates in the mills to the
Leicester s%tockinger, to the imbecile
Manchester spinner far on the way to be
spiders and needles. The incessant rep
ition OF the same handwors, dwarfs the
man, robs him OF his strength, wit, and
versatility, to make a pin-polisher, a
buckle-maker, or any other speciality"
WEALTH
Now o a we do not feel this pres
ure in the west. Well we will Under
the present system OF things, in Il state
of society where discomfort is being
everywhere felt and expressed, it will re-
quire great moral agencies to prevent
} serious trouble in the future. The
, trouble will never be that we have not
: wealth enough, this land could support
today we are told one billion human
beings. They burn corn in Nebraska
because 1T is cheaper there than coal
: The trouble will be that, owing to tho
greed and injustice OF man, wealth can
: not be distributed. Under the present
$ system OF things, wealth can combine tc
F., such an extent as to well nigh enslave
) the country. 1t is Il worse system thar
Southern slavery, because it makes the
master practically irresponsible. VIM
II. Vanderbilt when he died owned
S one two hundred eighteenth OF the wealth
e OF the nation and returned more prop
S erty than Il OF the states Of the union
Under a system which permits money tc
become Il power, the men who live OF
Fifth Avenue between Madison Square
and Central Park in a financial struggle
S could overwhelm the nation. Such {
prospect is not pleasant when We con
slider the selfislness that vast wealth
y generally brings.
| have not time to enter tonight upol
this interesting national problem nor te
d study that black cloud Of Anarchisn
/ that is now rising on the horizon, I die
e not set out to discuss the future. but tx
Il consider the lessons OF the past. Look
ing backward, | gather courage to lool
y forward. The Christian student cam SCI
in the history OF our country the pres
cnce Of an o~yer-ruling hand. He can Sc
: in eacll struggle through which we hay
'g passed IL principal at bottom which w
,e alone were able to WORK out. He ca
see that as we worked out with ouriav
" orable surroundings the problems c
IT. humanity, how other nations hav
Sc enjoyed the benefits OF our experienced
Now, he sees his country, having estal
llshed in the Revolutionary war tn
right Of the citizens to freedom undo
le law andin the wal OF 1872 the rights {
le commerce, and in the Civil war til
W rights OF the laborer to his own Labor
N at length called to prove to the worl
Of the right OF the laborerto a fair share {
re the profits Of his labor. How tina
,k problem is to be worked out | do nc
10 know. But from the lessons Of the pas
er we should learn to hope and trust. Ib
ri lleve that the greatest ally in this stru
49, gle before us, which is to be q moral 8
Us well as an economic STRUGGLE is Chris
IS ianity. No other force has such powt
to create a feeling OF brotherhood
is man and OF faith in God, two element
which we must have to solve the ecol
omic and moral questions Of the futur,
ty