Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1896-11-20
THE VOTE OF THE HILLS.

0. OASJ - D"
THE VOTE OF THE HILLS.
The eastern part of the state had so
long depended upon the Black Hills to
help it out when defeat seemed almost
inevitable for republicans that they
could scarcely realize that there was
any doubt in this part of the state.
But conditions we're against republi-
cans in the Hills this year-plainly so
even before election. On the south we
have the stronghold of populism of
Nebraska-where drouth has brought
distress and DEPRESSION, creating the
very elements of populism. The val
leys and farming lands surrounding
the Hills have been but little better.
Year after year failures have come
upon the farmers and at last driven al
most to desperation many have con-
cluded that there is something wrong"
just as the free silver orators con.
tended. This feeling upon the part of
our near Nebraska neighbors penetra-
ted the agricultural regions of the Hills
to quite an extent, and led astray some
heretofore staunch republicans, who
were honest of course in seeking some-
thing that might help them out of
their dilemma-although the free silver
advocates never promised that they
could make the rains come and the
crops thrive.
Then the mining men of the Hills
were flooded with appeals from fellow
miners of the silver states to help them
to throw open the silver mines and
thereby create labor for them. If
there is any one trait i'll u miner more
prominent than another it is his fealty
to "a brother miner. In their great big
heartedness they will go to almost any
extreme to help out a fellow miner, and
on this hearts tring-real or imaginary
the miners played for all they were
worth. The Black Hills miners figured
that they really oughtto help out their
co-workers of Colorado, Montana, idaho,
etc. help them create 81 place for en-
ployment in those mines out there;
that by so doing they would at the
same time lessen the probability of
competition for their own jobs. by Civ
ing employment to more miners, and
further, that the free and unlimited
coinage of silver would not effect the
development of Black Hills gold mines
OF the value of their product. And
then. too. there are some mines in the
Hills with perhaps sufficient silver to
barely pay for mining il that metal
were worth s1.29 per ounce. This
caught Il small element for free silver.
Another cause has probably had
something to do with the result in the
Hills. Scarcely a nominating conven-
ton has been held by the republicans
in this state when the Black Hills re-
publicans did not get turned down in
some way it was almost an accident
whenever they came out with some
thing worth shouting about. They
have tried time and again to get a state
convention this side of the river. but
have been spurned for even suggesting
it. The party has been warned that
many republicans of the Hills were
becoming restless and threatened re-
sentiment for such treatment. There
can be no doubt that some who have
harbored such feelings considered that
this was Il pretty good year to carry
their threats into effect. We never
really believed that any number would
do so, but now that it is all over we
have heard from various portions of
the Hills expressions of satisfaction in
the result in this part of the state. hop
ing that it might teach the republican
party of the state that the republicans
OF the Black Hills were worthy of some
consideration.
So that with all these clements at
work in favor of free silver it is little
wonder that the republican party re-
ceived such treatment here i'll the
! Black Hills. In fact the wonder is
that. surrounded and intermingled as
we are with these various large elc-
ments working for free silver that the
republicans made as good Il showing as
they have. and Fall River county re-
puDlicans especially have reason to re-
ioice that they came nearer victory
tlian any other county in the Hills.