The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1896-10-30
WHICH ONE SHALL RULE
A Tie Which Calls for Patriotic
Work by Every True
American

w VI SiedU Tel TO Our readers
touching so we'll as it does, upon tn
issue OF the day in which the people
are so deeply interested. Mr.. Reee
has Travelled quite e%xtensivel,
throughout Iowa, Minnesota anc
Missouri during the past year, has
closely watched the trend of public
opinion and knows where of he
speaks. He writes as follows:
We are about at the close of one
OF the greatest, if not the greatest,
nolitica( struggle this nation has
ever passed through. In the begin
ing it was belittled by the leaders
and paess of the allied forces of
capital. At the close the opposition
is maligned and misrepresented in
every possible manner by the same
forces. The transition shows a
realization of the dangers of defeat
which confronts them. This is still
further empathized in the amount
of money expended in railroad ex-
cursions aud parades and in the un-
heard of fact that railroad magnates
from the president down, business
men even the clergy are getting out
into the ''middle Of the road" and
trying by example to draw their
men and the floating vote generally
into line. A strong gold mar and
one somewhat behind the scenes,
said to the writer recently, I don't
know as you fellows know it, but
you have the gold men Sound money
ne said) badly scared, they know
that only work aud money can save
them. 1t is q patent fact. The
politicians r badly scared, they
have worked up and alarmed the
capitalist and they in turn have
scared the church and are trying to
alarm their employees. Great is the
power of the Golden Calf.
l know your readers would like to
know what the tru. outlook is. So
far as the press is concerned or the
national committees, both claim
everything for their side. This
proves nothing. 1t is always SO on
the V of an election. Neither
does the betting SO often reported.
This is another bluff game always
played on the eve of election and a
game at which money always makes
the best showing. | suppose this
misrepresentation that always fol-
lows the eve Of an election is to
catch the floating vote which is sup
posed to follow the crowd. This vote
is always over estimated and espe-
cially in such a contest as this. The
populist ranks, and they are the
back bone of this contest, are COM
posed of men who have been edu-
Gated on the economic lines for the
past six years. They can give a
reason for their faith and no march
ing OF magnets nor beating of drums
can force them into line. l have
been over considerable of Minnesota,
Iowa and Missouri and have closely
inspected the situation. Many re-
publican farmers are pronounced
silver men; many business demo-
Gratis of the towns are pronounced
Mckinley men; but I have yet to
find a populist who is not working
and who will not vote for Bryan and
I tell you the democrats who will
not cordially support him are very
small crowd. To such men it is
best to tell the truth and not lull
them into idleness with promises of
success. The golu men realize the
desperateness of their cause and
are making every effort and this
calls for like effort from the people.
Never rest until the polls are closed
and do not let a vote escape. I was
talking with a republican speaker
Saturday, an honest man and a
friend. In answer to my inquiry he
said, II cannot even guess what the
result will be. OF course 1. think
this state qowa) is safe for McKin-
ley by a small majority, but I would
not be surprised to see it go for
Bryan. | expect to see m OF the
two men elected by a large vote and
yet I dare not bet a dollar on either