The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1898-04-01
THIS COUNTRY FOR US.
SO SAYS OUR AMERICAN CON-
STlTUTION.
Ours a Government of the People, by
the People and for the People of the
United States--But all This Has Been
Repudiated In Our Financial Affairs.


The preamble to the Constitution Of
he United States is as follows:
We, the people of the United States,
III order to form more perfect union
establish justice, provide for the COM
mon defense, secure domestic tram
guilty, promote the general welfare,
and secure to ourselves and our poster
1ty the blessings of liberty, do ordain
and establish this Constitution"
BY this preamble the constitutional
powers and purposes of our govern
ment are to be interpreted, says An
son Wolcott, of Indiana, in the Silver
Knight Waterman Ours is gov
eminent of the people, by the people,
and for the people" of the United
States of America. All this and moth
ing less is claimed. BY this patriotic
principle, all the powers of congress,
all interpretations by our courts, and
all acts of our executive officers must
be measured and construed. If there be
anything done at variance with the
constitutional interests or rights of our
people, then such thing of variance Is
a wrong which demands the promptest
redress.
The source Of all governmental au-
thority in the United States is author
itatively declared to be "of and in our
people" and such power is to be exer-
cised by our people. The government
is trusteeship only, and is strictly
limited by its constitutional powers. If
any attempt shall be made to exceed
the granted powers, or to exercise such
powers, except for the purposes de-
clared in the Constitution, it is moral
treason, and may be legal treason.
Please do not forget that our gov
eminent, under the Constitution, is Ito
promote the general welfare of the peo-
pie of the United States, and to Sc
cure the blessings of liberty" This is
its beneficent purpose
In his recent speech in New York, our
distinguished President, William Nc
kinley, In all he said relative to our
agriculture, manufactures, and COM
merce, recognized fully and without re-
serve the duties of our government "to
pie OF the United States" But when
he discussed the financial policies that
should prevail in our government he
wholly forgot our people, their inter-
ests and their rights, and in a long
harangue, he insisted that the United
States should discharge call it's obli-
cations, at home and abroad, in the
currency recognized as the best
throughout the civilized world at the
time of payment" totally regardless
of the consideration paid or the terms
of the contract. Were private citi-
zen, the attorney or agent of a debtor
to do this thing in behalf of a creditor,
and If larger sum should be paid the
creditor than the contract called for,
such attorney would in law and equity
be responsible to the creditor for the
difference. And should the excess so
paid be paid out of funds in the attor-
ney's hands, he would be liable to
criminal prosecution for embezzle-
ment. The government that would do
the same thing would be morally de-
linquent to it's people.
Besides, where in the Constitution OF
the United States is there any provi-
sion indicating that there is any duty
on the part Of the United States to
frame its currency laws so as to con-
form to the laws of any other country
or countries? The assertion that any
such duty exists is an unpatriotic as
sumption and is also false.
This great and independent nation
makes its own laws on all subjects.
We are not subordinate nation, to be
governed by the laws of any foreign
countries whatever. The requirements
OF our own special conditions, financial
or economic, are the only proper guides
in the enactment of our laws, other
wise we cease to be an independent
and become contemplate subordi-
nate nation.
Mr.. Mckinley aspires to be our ma
tional Delilah, and would shear this
national Samson of it's locks of polit-
ical strength on this financial cues
ton. II our national independence is
to- be given away on this political
question, have we any assurance that
we will stand safely on any other ques-
ton, where interested parties shall
seek to control our governmental ac
ton?
Applicable or inapplicable to us,
right or wrong, Mr.. Mckinley says: