The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1897-12-03

| to return, no matter what party
brought it, many were inclined to give
the republican party further time to
| demonstrate the success or failure OF
its policies. Republicans who belev-
ed in a high tariff, as well as in sill
yer, were waiting to see the Dingley
law tested. Republicans who were in
favor of international bimetallism
saw in the sending Of the commission
abroad fulfillment OF the party plat
form and were loath to give up hope
even when, just before the election
England refused to cooperate. The
short crop abroad brought sudden
rise in wheat and the republicans
seized upon it and paraded it before
the public as if it were the result of
republican policies or a refutation of
the arguments against the gold stand
ard. In spite of these advantages the
republican party has failed to hold lis
own. The Dingley law was the only
affirmative remedy offered by the re-
publican party to relieve existing con-
ditions The republican platform Of
last year said: eve renew and en-
phasize our allegiance to the policy Of
protection as the bulwark of American
industrial independence and the found
alton of American development and
prosperity" Immediately after the
election it was found that republican
success at the polls did not of itself
bring prosperity More national banks
failed during the first six months at
ter the election of 1896 than failed
during the corresponding six months
of the year before. More failures took
nj M, ct he,
after the election of 1896 than took
place during the corresponding six
months of the year before. Industrial
prostration was SO apparent that Con-
gresham Grosvenor, the statistican of
the republican party, made speech
in the Ohio state convention of 1897,
in which he denied that the republican
party had promised to bring prosper
ity, and quoted the republican plat
form to show that the republican
party had only promised to restore
protection, which it alleged to be the
foundation of prosperity. He asked
that judgment be withheld until a
high tariff could be put into operation.
The tariff bill has now been in opera
ton somthing like four months, and
yet it has not been indicated by ex-
perience. Notwithstanding the fact
that republican leaders and republican
papers are continually celebrating the
return Of prosperity, the voters do not
seem to have received their share, as
evidenced by the returns of last Tues
day
The price of sugar rose because the
sugar trust was allowed to dictate the
sugar schedule Of the Dingley bill, but
the consumers of sugar have not been
able to obtain any of the advantage
which the bills brought to the trust.
The commercial reports point to an
advance in the price of wooden goods
sold for delivery in 1898. This advan-
tage is directly traceable to the Ding
ley law, but how will the benefits reach
those who use wooden goods, unless
their incomes are likewise increased?
Raw cotton is considerably lower this
year than it was last If man
makes his living by producing cotton,
how he is going to enjoy prosperity
If his incomes decreases and his living
expenses increase?
While in Ohio learned that the coal
of Eastern Ohio were receiv-
ing less per ton for mining coal than
they did last year, notwithstanding
the increase in the tariff of coal and
the increase in the
price of sugar and woolens. So long
as the gold standard drags down the
level Of prices those who sell in the
markets Of the world will be injured
rather than aided by law which pro-
tects them at the expense of the mass
es. II a man is so situated that he can
protect his own product from the eff
feet of the gold standard he enjoys a
double advantage in that he maintains
his income while it Increases in pur-
chasing power, but If one is so situated
that he cannot protect himself
from falling prices when he
sells he is doubly injured in that his
expenses do not decrease with his in
come.
Since 1884 we have alternated presi-
dents with the republican party. Each
administration was repudiated by the
people. Why? Because neither the
democratic nor the republican admin
istrations attempted to relieve the
people from the one primary and con-
tinuing disease, namely, the gold
standard. The Wilson bill modified
the tariff rates somewhat in the inter-
est of the consumer, but the benefits
We're overcome by the evils Of Mr..
Cleveland's financial policy. The
Dingley law increases the tariff rates
to the defriment of the consumers gen.
orally and for the advantage of the
manufacturers and trusts, but the adj
vantages even to the manufacturers
will be overcome by the evils of Mr..
McKinley's financial policy.
. The elections will encourage the