The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1897-08-20
EVILS OF MONOPOLY.
JERRY SIMPSONS FOURTH OF
JULY SERMON.
He Describes the Dangers That Threaten
the Republic and Calls Upon the
People to Rally Around the Free
Silver Banner.

Ihe members of the Peoples church
IN washington held a Fourth of July
celebration which deserved more than
t6e passing mention it received from
the daily newspapers. The principal
speakers were Jerry Simpson and Sem
ator Allen.
Mr.. Simpson was the first peake
He said:
L suppose l am here to speak to you
about the Fourth Of July and things
associated Herewith. 1t is one of the
days OF the year when we should go
over the glorious achievements of our
ancestors in giving the world one of the
grandest governments ever seen. Up to
the lime of the Declaration of Indepen-
dence there never had been an attempt
TO give the world freedom. 1t was an
unheard of declaration. The idea of
governing by the people was an un-
heard OF thing. Heretofore the idea
prevailed that the right to govern come
from on high, and that it belonged to
the lew. We all concede to Jefferson
alone the authorship of that great pa
per. 1t was Jefferson's greatest dec
laratlon that just government can only
eAlst py the consent of the governed
IT was launched upon an unknown sea.
4 d II been a success? What are the
achievements of that declaration?
nav people realized its full import?
Il doubt if half a dozen men at the
time who took an interest in the affair
really understood the full import of
the Declaration of Independence. JEFF
lerson understood it and laid it down
as a cardinal principle. What little
success we have achieved lies in the
TACT that Jefferson realized and incor-
porated therein equality of opportunity.
Equality OF opportunity for all is JEFF
lersonlan Democracy. The progress of
the new government has been marvel
GUS. We look back! We see the col
onlsts hight a seven years war of de-
VISITATION and devotion to their cause
to a successful conclusion. We see a
1e" settlements O the bays and inlets
OF the %seacoast develop into the grand
est nation of the world. We see them
curing this time conquer a continent.
we see commerce and trade spring up
everywhere. That increase of growth
was because the declaration of equality
OF opportunity had been made. Under
the benign influence of the same the
great s~torehouses Of wealth were
opened. 1t is easy to account for.
Inc same old story over again.
Every government that has risen is
one where the masses are given equal
opportunity.
We sometimes think that when we
establish public schools and libraries
that all is don India and Spain have
had public schools, libraries and NUM-
cipalfties, but they did not save India
or Spain. In France, before the great
revolution, there were all the onnor-
tunities of education and reading but
they did not save France. Fifty year.
before the great French revolution 49,
ooo persons owned all the land. No
wonder the people revolted.
Il want to point out, if possible. some
of the evils confronting us. We have
seen the progress made and the build-
4
ing of the institutions. l want tn ask
some questions. Has this given tho
people equality of opportunity? Have
the masses shared the blessings. or
have only the few been benefited? IF
this Is not the case we have but IN
make a new resolve that we will trv
to secure the advantages that shonld
result. It is hard to speak on these
topics without stepping on some ones
prejudices. But it is the duty Of every
public speaker to tell the truth as he
sees 1t.
L hold that today the struggle for
existence and the conditions of life are
harder than in the days of Jefferson.
and that we do lot receive the full
benefit OF our government. What are
the causes? We see the land taken IN
n controlled by sy%ndicates. We ought
to devote more attention to pleading
the cause OF the miners of the state Of
Illinois. and should manifest an in.
terest in the conditions under which
they struggle. What is true of them is
true of every laboring man in the Unit
ed States. We say that ought not to
be in so grand a land, with all it's re-
sources, and the inventive genius Of
labor to create machinery. Yet these
are the conditions confronting us to-
day. We are on the verge of a reyo.
%lution--a political one, Perhaps
peaceful one, perhaps. 1 do moi believe
that people who listen to annualF Fourth
of .Tuly oratinns will elf dou,n o