The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1898-03-04
FREEDOM AND
ITS OPPORTUNITIES.
Natural Rights Which Man Has
Foolishly Surrendered.
LAND AND FREEDOM OF EXCHANGE
Restoration Of These Rights Is the
Answer to the Cry Of Distress.

Answer to the Cry Of Distress.
The Fabied Story of Antnus and His Over
throw--Row tho Few Accumulate Great
Stores of Wealth--The Methods of the
MEDIEVAL Iarons Are Still In Use-The
End of ''The Labor Question"-How Is
the Cry of the Soul of Man to 30 An
swered?-Public Things to the Public;
Private Affairs to the Individual--A Pro-
posed Constitutional Amendment.
from an article by Governor John r. Rogers
of Washington in January Arena.
In all ages broad minded and farsee-
ing men have not hesitated to declare
that the right of access to land in some
free and independent way is absolutely
necessary to the creation Of strong and
stable nations and men and that in no
other way can freedom and the rights
of men be preserved. Thousands of years
ago this was as we'll known and under
stood as it is today. The myths and
mythology of the most ancient peoples
oonclusively prove it. In the mythology
Of Greece and Rome this truth was ex-
pressed in the tabled story of Antpus, a
giant or renowned athlete, who was
said to be the son of Neptune and Terra
(sea and earth Or land and water). He
inhabited the Ly bian desert (where land
was free) and successfully wrestled
against all Corners, for whenever thrown
to the ground he received fresh Access
sion of strength from mother earth, ris-
ing stronger than ever from his contact
with the soil. Hercules, however, the
crafty god Of strength, detecting the
source of his strength, held him up in
his arms and strangled him in the air.
Doubtless the common people among
the Greeks and Romans, to whom the
priests told this story Of the gods, be-
ieved it true and thought Antseus a
real parsonage, but the better educated
among them probably knew perfectly
well that this story contained one of the
greatest probably the most i'm
portant to mans temporal welfare
which it is possible to state. Antnus
symbolized the human race, which, de-
prived OF its hold upon the soil, is quick
~ weakened and destroyed.
Mans life upon this earth is govern
ed by certain Interchangeable laws, fixed
Al the DEGREES of nature. Men make no
new ones. they only discover them.
Having discovered them, if the course
of their lives and their statutory enact
ments are in consequence Herewith,
Emptiness il the result; otherwise hu-
mainly pays the fixed and certain PEN
atty Statute law is like it's makers,
very imperfect.
All wealth-which is the only reme-
dy.fo poverty-is created by the appli-
cation Of human exertion to land or to
it's natural products If men are denied
access to land, they are then unable to
create wealth for themselves. II they
work for others, the profits of their la
Dor are taken from them. This, III short,
is the sole origin Of great wealth on the
one side and poverty Oh the other. No
man aocumulates large wealth unless
he is enabled in some crafty way to OBJ
tain the fruits of other men labor. If
access to land is open to all, men can
not DO forced to work for insufficient
pay They are then free to work for
themselves. If men possess their little
self supporting homesteads, free from
debt and taxation, they are then free,
strong, brave and inclined to make
much Of their independence when IN
the presence OF those who may try tt
impose upon them. Let us, then, en-
deavor to restore to men those natura
opportunities which will enable then
TO protect themselves. This can be done
by a change in our laws. And it vii
he done whenever our citizens deter
lninedly and persistently demand O
their lawmakers Il restoration OF those
natural and inalienable rights gualan
teed by our constitution as the sell evi
dent gift of the Creator to all.
hold that our form OF government
in its first intent-and III it's basic form
today--is the best imaginable, and tina
whatever Of i'll has become by lack Of
that eternal vigilance which is the price
of libervy part Of it's administration
will yet be remedied by the courageor
and resolute assertion Of man S natura
rights under the law. And hold, too
presumptuously perhaps, that evel
among educated men there is great pre-