The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1892-05-13
CHARITY BEGINS AT HOME.

| Whenever, in connection with calls for
charity, criticism ls made or the call is
used as text to point to the cause, the
cry is raised that those who criticise
never assist. Time and again we have
heard it from the pulpit and the past
week find it echoed IN one OF the very
few origina! articles appearing i'll the
Stockman. But unwittingly that Jour-
nal furnishes a practical sermon on the
subject by following the intended criti-
cism by a clipping which partially out
lines the condition in Russia. Road
both articles carefully.
1t is a noticeable fact that those who
oppose aiding the starving millions in
Russia and shrek that charity begins
at home," are the vetY ones who do
nothing toward helping the destitute at
home or abroad. Their efforts consis.
solely in raising howl and hindering the
| efforts OF those who have some feeling for
starving humanity wherever it may be
found. Our duty IS to aid Russia, and
| we will do it.
A prominent Russian newspaper says:
The disaster that has over taken us is
not a bad harvest, nor even a tempor-
! airy famine. 1t is the complete ruin OF
the economic welfare OF the masses,
which has been going on for a long time.
1t is a far-reaching and irreparable dis
solution OF the entire agriculture OF the
empire, revealing the evils and the dis
orders which haye invaded our whole
existence. The official formula that all
is gong on well, is dlsproved every
moment. The conviction that our mis-
ortune must be remeded, and that the
government must devote it's attention
to nothing else, prevails everywhere and
has taken rootin all parts OF the country.
There is cause for all evils. The
Lord never intended that people should
hunger. He produces enough to feed the
entire human family. 1t is the avarice
of man that prevents the holding OF a
surplus against failure and prevents It's
easy distribution at nominal figure.
While contributing to Russia's need, the
lesson should not be lost on the people
OF this country, Our government has
given to railroad corporations and
canals log, 6,3O9, ,943 acres of public land
Aliens, individually or in corporations
own in this country 26,213, 354 acres.
This amount is controlled by Sc indi-
viduals or companies who thus hold in
this free America land sufficient to make
homes OF 16O acres each for 14O,615
families. This does not include farms
taken by foreign loan companies. 1t has
been stated that in Kansas alone 2,7OO
farms passed into foreign hands by fore
closure in Is months.
But the growth OF landlordism IN this
country does not all come from across
the water.
No nation produces mllionaires with
the rapidity that free America does and
they are apt scholars who will not be
out done by by English noblemen (?)
But an imperfect list OF the large holdings
of Americans is at hand, but this we
know, thirty American corporations and
persons own II, ,O36, 900 acres. Now let
the Stockman add to this the G,41O ,595
acres reported to tie general land office
as enclosed and controlled by rich cattle
companies and truly may we claim that
"the dissolution OF the agriculture" OF
this country is iu sight.