The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1898-04-08

bad democrats who left the demo.
cratic party. prolonged cheers.) The
democratic party to-day is built upon
the foundations of the fathers. You
ask me why it is that when two
years almost have elapsed we have
suffered no assertions. and | tell YOU
it is because we got rid of the desert
ers when the fight was on hand, and
we had nothing but the true blue when
the fight was over. (Cheers) And since
the election of 500 we have seen what
was never before witnessed IN this
country in recent years, and that was
a party growing stronger every day in
it's defeat; and when | speak of the
growing strength of the democratic
party. do not mean to contine this
growth in strength to the democratic
party, because we went into the last
campaign triple acknowledgements.
popnlists and silver republicans dif-
fcring about some things, agreed about
the paramount issue; they went in an
undisciplined army: they came out the
most magnificent body Of fighting men
that ever emerged from Il political bat
tie. (Applause.)
II ha We heard Of one democrat who
went back on us, and he was a Nation
al banker. (Applausc.) And when he
went out, he wrote a letter saying that
he believed in bimctallism just rs much
as ever, but he thought the world had
decided for the gold standard and now
he was going to help them to stick TO
it.. But while there was one demo-
crat, SO far as ! know Of, who went
back on us, have not heard yet of the
first silver republican who went back
on us after the election. And there is
IA good reason why they have been
faithful. They We're not drawn out of
the Republican party by any allure
ments we could offer. Not one of
those gallant men who left the Rcpub-
lican party left because Of any hope Of
reward to him as an individual in which
the whole country did not share. They
thought themselves out of the rcpubli-
can party, and they did not leave it
until their convictions become stronger
than party ties, and then when they
went out they went through such a
fire OF persecution as has never been
known since the time the three He
brew children went through the fur
mace heated seven times hotter than it
was wont to be heated.
And yet, my friends, as the Hebrew
children went without harm through
the fire. rather than to bow down to
the golden image which had been set
up, so the silver republicans went
through the fire almost as hot, and
you need not be afraid that any one of
them will go back to the republican
party.
And those populists are fighting
the same battle for humanity that we
arc fighting. You need not be sur
prised if the relations between the
populists and the silver republicans
and the democrats are friendly, be-
cause, my friends, if the the democrats
are casting out devils, and the popu-
lists are casting out devils, and the
silver republicans are casting out dew
lis, we cannot be very far apart. al
though we invoke a different name
when we cast devils out. applause
and laughter)
Democracy is not merely Il party
name. Democracy has meaning
Democracy means a government in
which the people rule, and that is all
we ask for. We arc willing to submit
any question that concerns the people
of this country to the people them
selves. No matter how earnest we
are, no matter how anxious we are,
no matter how emphatic we are. there
is not (; contention that we hold that
we arc not willing to submit to the
American people.
II remember that those who were
with me in 1896 were sometimes called
a mob: they were called socialists, and
they We're called anarchists. but |
glory in the fact that when the result
was announced. six millions and
half of earnest men bowed to the will
OF the majority. They did not know
they bowed to it. daughter and re-
peated applause.)
Where was the sign OF anarchy
then? Where was the advocate Of BIZ
metallism who would rise up to CON
to decide for themselves? He was
had been successful, whether the cor
out their money so freely to win a re-
would have bowed as meekly as our
people did? l am afraid they would
not have done SO. 1 am afraid they
would not. But, my friends, our
cause is growing SO fast, that in 1900
we will be SO strong, and the majority
sc great. that there won't be a trust
but that will bow as meellly as we did
then. (Applause.)
My friends, they sometimes call us
radical. l want YOU to understand
that we arc the conservative people of
tins country. Those who believe in
democracy in its broad sense are the
conservative forces OF, the !. United
States today. Democracy appeals to
the poor man because tits only in a.
democracy that u poor man can make
his influence felt. Democracy appeals