The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1896-02-14
GROUND-HOG JOB.


One OF the most sickening and disgust.
ing signs Of the times - tho abject pan
dering and trucking Of tho old party
newspapers to tho various moneyed in
fuences and interests from which they
expect to batten and keep life in their
bringing, apologetlc carcasses. That
there are some shining examples to this
degrading condition OF affairs Is due to
the TACT that human nature is intrinsi.
cally good and generally speaking il q
man be freed from the pressure OF need
and necessity he had much rather b. q
mar and speak and write his honest op-
inions and sentiments, candidly, openly
and boldly. than to dodge, hedge, lawn
and submit to dictation from some little
temporary tin God, simply for the rea-
son that he may have a little money or
iAfence. But as one of the wise old
saws has it "a power over ones sub
slstence is a power yer ones will" and
the pity OF it is that many a good man
is compelled, through fear of having
his supply OF bread and butter choked
off, to write opinions wholly at variance
with his truest and best nature. A strik-
ing illustration OF this sy%cophantish
style OF newspaper is furnished by the
Rapid City organ, which is nominally
edited and managed by "Ground-Hog
Joe," some OF whose pithy, oracular
say ings have long since become proverbs
for example, SIT takes money to
stick type" II help those who help me,'
the natural inference being that If one
desires a little booming or boosting, he
must give &C. H. Joe" a job and not
forget to pay for 1t, whereupon he is en-
titled to space IN which to spring his
little "boomlet" to the extent and in
proportion to the magnitude OF the Job
SO furnished.
At present there are signs OF a vigorous
shaking up in the policy of this inestl-
mable organ and the mild and pleasant
treatment which it's gentle readers have
been RECALLED with, such as ::Mrs. B. had
q tea, Mrs. C.. came to town" and "Mrs.
D. has gone home will have to give way
to the rude bellowings OF perspiring poll-
ticians who can furnish the wherewith
to pay for sticking type and leave a
small margin for G. Ii. Joe.
At present a cunning foundation Is be-
ing laid. in certain articles presumambly
. KID bY the nominal editor OF this fas.
clnating, phenomenon, in which there is
a crafty commlngling OF truth and mis-
representation. The party of the peo-
pie, for the people and by the people is
severely taken to task because forsooth,
the county commissioners of Pennington
county, have had a majority OF populist
members since January LIST, 1896 and
during this time they have not succeeded
in restoring order out OF the chaos
brought about by dis-republican me-
thods from the first organization OF the
county up to the present time. Now
the writer of this unfair article in the
journal surely cannot defend his posl-
ton, except on the grounds of prejudice
and ignorance. The facts probably are
that this county got into debt as many
individuals did, at a time when every
thing seemed bright and the future as
sured and that the clear skies OF pro
perity, as IN the case of individuals be-
u overcast by the bllghting curse of
an oppressive and ubiquitous national
monetary system, brought about by the
legal cnicanery OF moneyed centers in
whose grasp rests the fate OF millions.
1t is folly for the Journal or any of
It's liscensed corps Of aspirants for poll
tlcal and literary laurels, to make CAPT
tai out OF such bold and barren charges.
AS well put some populist in charge OF
the Black Hills National bank or the
Lakota bank and if they failed to i'm
med1ately blow breath and infuse blood
into their inanimate frames say 'they
had better retire from the public crib"
One can ready imagine the fervency with
which g. IL. Joe" re-echoed this prayer
for it is a well known physical law that
two bodies cannot occupy the same
space at the same time and the soft foot
steps Of Gentle Joe will not resound at
the doors OF the public crib" as often
as OF yore and thereby hangs a tale.
But there is no argument in the article
referred to. To state it is it's own best
r%efutation. Indeed it would seem as
though both Old parties had passed the
age Of reason and entered upon the age
Of decrepltude. They might learn and
nroha hin hax III Lac aaad IL L. ali 49,