The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1891-06-19

lltlcal revolution. 1t appears to be cas-
Ter for the people to regain the scepter
of power by the creation Of a new party
than by the capture of either Of the old
ones
What a pictured The people Of a great
republic struggling to gain control of
their own government! What has made
such a spectacle possible? The unfaith-
fulness Of public servants, and moth
ing else. The purpose of the people to
punish that unfaithfulness is unanimous.
Even those who believe in striving for
reform through the old parties agree in
that. See it all through the south. where
old local Democratic leaders are giving
place to new men. This purging of the
dominant party is possible in some local
tiles, but how about the whole nation?
The army of reform is divided betweea
both parties in its past affiliations. Each
party is controlled by a ring. Every
body knows that. Both party rings are
controlled by n other outside ring
the goldbugs. Everybody knows that
too. Now, how is the army of reform,
divided in half, to defeat, first. one of
the political or party rings, and through
it the goldbugs? No matter what prom
Uses by the Old parties are made-and
they will be meant to deceive in any
event-the army of reform cannot be
marched by anybody's order into either
the Republican or Democratic camp. It
can be marched under its own banner,
many millions strong, into a camp of its
own!
r
There is the logic of the whole politi.
cal situation clear as daylight. Does it
not make compromise with either of the
old parties out of the question? The de-
mand of reform is for new men as well
which neither the Republican nor the
Democratic party will ever grant They
would swallow the whole Alliance plat
form if forced to it; but give up control
Of the machine? Neverl That would
mean the destruction of the power be
hind the throne. That would mean the
downfall of plutocracy. That would
mean the restoration of the people tc
power.
Be not deceived by oily offers of plat
form concessions. They cost nothing.
They mean little. What if one or both
parties in final panic next year incorpo.
rate all the Alliance demands in its plat
form. What will it amount to, provided
the same men and influences still con
troll the party2 1t is no unprecedented
thing for a party to be false to its plat
form. Indeed, it has become SO common
that it excites little surprise, and if the
people in disgust turn to the other party
the goldbugs behind the scene laugh
and rub their hands and say to each
other, "What fools these mortals be.
What cares Wall street which party i:
in power as long as it controls both2
L +
When one Of the old parties says tt
the reform army, "Name u candi
dates" then we can accept their profes
sions of sympathy with some faith il
their sincerity. But that day will neve,
come. A sop or two will be thrown t.
the reform leaders. That's all. Let me
give you a sample. One of the old part.
machines recently made overtures, tn
substance of which was that the reform
party might name their candidate TO
vice president in 1891 What an insult
? And what fools the politicians are t.
think the exasperated people of thi
t country are to be caught by such chat
The vice presidency has been the empt:
f honor with which both parties have PAL
: awkward political debts for years !
goes always either to a bag of money O
l to a disappointed candidate for the frs
place on the ticket. The incumbent c
the office is merely a waiter for dea
t mems shoes. II the president dies he b
comes somebody-not otherwise.
g 1t is by promises of all sorts of conce
= sions within the next year that the ol
: party leaders will try to check the thir
! party movement To the people of tt
south these assurances will be mao
Il more alluring than to all others. l.
them not be deceived. Local supremac
) state control Of party and officers, amp
d concessions in national platforms, all Wi
h be laid at their feet with. the most SC
le emn p~rotestations of loyalty to the int
n ests of the farmer. But southern Der
n ocrats no longer control the nation
G Democratic machine. There will be l
q changes made in the law Of the lal
y which Wall street does not approve.
)e 4 = I - .
| believe that all the cunning al
, manifold devices which will be used
:, check the reform movement in the ne
year will fail. ! believe the eyes Of t
II people are open at last. / believe tn
nothing will be allowed to stand in t
way of the execution of their will. B
or the victory will be won only at the pr
ID of eternal vigilance and of self s~acriici
er devotion to- a common cause. No