The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1891-03-20

by independent political action, and all
that is necessary for its success is that
its principles should be held by o major
ity of the voters of the country or local
ity and that they be enabled to nominate
and c~s5ticsntfatE thejf votes. on such men
as are true to those principles
Now as success has been achieved in
this way in several instances, and that
without the aid of any definite plan, but
arising rs it were on the spur of the mo-
ment, 1t does seem reasonable that by
following out d definite, plain system for
stich attidt every year shat success
would be the rule and notttlie exception;
What is the reason that in every great
question Of reform, or every measure
for the public good which may be sug
gested and Thought forward it is so diff
cult to get people to vote toR6ther? 1t
is because they are arrayed against each
other in existing political parties and
bination to sustain the principle as
| #ould BE tfEettive, but insist that their
numbers must be arrayed against each
other on partisan lines.
Surely some better way to reduce
righteous principles into legal enact
ments may lie devised.
Permit me to suggest a plan Tor your
consideration. Let this alliance discuss
and agree tip0R st1ch measures as it shall
deem expedient to form a basis for polit-
ical action for this year and next. Place
this by correspondence before the other
kreit Industrial organizations, and with
their concurrence let d Convention be
called at some central point for the pttfs
pose. Of Comparing ,~visYs~and finally
adopting as a national ltform o con-
else set of principles winch can be ctr
daily supported by all. Then publish
them to the world atia l,ststbe remainder
of the year DO spent in disseminating
these principles and preparing for
TIE GREAT STRUGGLE IN 1892.
The subjects on witch those principles
are founded should be those which are
most vital to the prosperity Of the pco-
PIE. tho honest laborers of the whole
country, and which can be 80 impressed
ON the majority Of the people that they
Cdn be adopted and carried out.
l think they Inlay Ill be included in
the following list: Money reform. land
fcformi transportation reform, ballot re-
form, and the Suppression. of any vice
tolerated by law to the peril OF our ma
tional government.
Time will not permit me to give you
more thah Il glance st each of these sub
iects, but l hope that during Our session
they may be discussed in such a manner
as to load to q definite line of action on
the subject, But if during the discus
sion it Sh0uid appear that practical
unanimity cannot be arrived ut oh tho
+ subject, it for the present should not be
adopted for political action. And in
, presenting my views Briefly on this sub
ject, it is not in any dogmatic spirit, but
rather as a learner to draw ont ideas
: from y5tt, thy brothers, to strengthen or
5 modify my own.
7 Money is a creature OF law. The in
/ trinsic value of the material of which it
| Is manufactured does not add TO its
value. The piece Of paper aX7 inches,
which is issued by the government and
: which is named 81, 200, will purchase
just as much and will pay Just as large
$ a debt as the 100 $40 gold pieces, while
the metal could be bartered for the labor
and material to manufacture $1,000, 900
of the paper inoiiey. So, while the 81, 200
bill will fill a contract for 81, 200 q sl,-
900, 900 worth of gold or diamonds would
not pay it if the creditor choose to re-
e fuse. Nor does the ''promise to pay"
add one iota of value to the bill. Let
the stamp be reversed and just ''onc
thousand dollars be printed on the
|, paper without any qualification and the
gold be stamped 'promisc to pay" and
their relative value as a circulating me-
It dium in this country would not be
IS changed. But if the gold were stamped
"nrscssiiy.a.b9leeu for all debts except taxes.
q The fact is, what the government la
bells as money, it is bound to receive a.
:. money. and what will pay the govern
Is ment will pay any subject of the govern
le ment, Unless otherwise prescribed b,
q law.
But money, when manufactured b,
Us the government, is of no use to the PEG
n PIE except it be put into circulation.
There are two ways in which thi
might be accomplished, either Of whicl
II would be far better than the present sys
a TEN. The one, to estimate how muci
per capita would be necessary to furnish
c a sufficient supply for the business 0
u the people, and then to issue that amour
Il of currency and apply it to the expense
q OF the government. In the meantime re
uniting government tax and duties in
corresponding amount.
;; The other. to issue such an amount a
Will be just enough for the best interest
OF the people and loaning to them OF
OWN hSStAicy SlOu llGSsItSG sue
money as they need in their industries
i limited in mount to any one individual
7 The advocates of tho first plan seen
: to overlook the fact that no adequat,
amount could thus be put in circulation
! without making a complete change il
u our revenue system necessary, to be fol
u lowed in a short time by a recurrence t.
! the old method; or adopting yet anothe,
untried method of supporting tho ex
. penses of the government.
I The method OF loaning to the workin.
people without interest I think the mos
!, feasible and least Objectionable. l
money was thus furnished by the gov
eminent on a term of few years to indi
vlduals, but perpetual to the people, ant
l absolutely without interest, the hoardin.
Of money would be stopped, except it b.
in the case Of a few misers, and all til,
r money in the country would soon be il
I circulation. In fact, the very design O
' money is opposed to accumulation by in.
I terest. 1t is only intended and necdet
, as a medium of exchange, and should M
more be subject to accumulation thai
an order on the baker for bread or or
Y the grocer for sugar or coffee.
. If a man is unable to work he ought
to be supported by law. But if he il
: able to work. the property which he may
have and which renders him not only in
/, dependent of aid by law, but the les:
! dependent on his own-ii1dustry for sup
port, should never he made a means O!
l expressing his fellow men. This may
be avoided by the government making
perpetual alternating loans to the PEG
pie. So long as the industries and trade
l OF the country are conducted on the
principles of competition the power tina,
controls the money of the nation controls
the nation. And when the peoples
{ government manufactures and furnishes
!, to the people a fixed amount of money
per capita, sustains it at that ratio anc
! keeps it all in circulation, then, and no,
till then, will labor and the products Of
labor receive certain adequate reward.
On the question of transportation but
one solution of the difficulties seems tt
! be left us. Anticipating the attempt o.
the people to enforce their demand tt
hrin0 tho roj1roodc Dpdarfbo ,a,+ro1 ~