Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1898-11-04

and forest and mine. Bradstreets finds
that or the tirst day of October, 1896
the average price Of these products
stood at 56.8. On the first of October o.
this year Bradstreets took the prices
again as they ruled in the market 'and
found that the average had risen tc
7G.6. Thus in two years time the
prices of the staple products of this
country have risen more than fifty pc,
cent. and this under the gold standard
But It is not necessary to quo.e
figures. Every mar in South Dakota
can appeal to his own experience and
that OF his ne!ghbor. Every one knows
that times are better. that prices are
higher. that money is more plentiful
Every n knows that the Dlngley bill
has added a dollar and a half to every
head of sheep in this state and has
I doubled the price OF wool. But 1t is
not sheep alone which have been bene-
fitted. -0Yur wheat and oats and bar.ey,
and corn and cattle and hogs have in.
creased from twenty-five to fifty pei
cent in price. There arc more farm
! improvements being made in South Da-
l:ota than ever before. Since the e..ec-
ton OF Mckinley more debts have been
paid. more mortgages discharged than
in all the preceding years since the
settlement OF the state. IL hard luck
overta'les the farmer. II his crop is
hailed out or his house burns down and
he has to borrow money, he can get NIL
he wants and can get 1t for three to
four per cent less than he could two
years ago.
1t would be a brave man who would
come GU in South Dakota this year
and talk caiamity. No wonder the
prophets of evil have fed. No wonder
the political confidence men dare no,
discuss national issues this year. Blu,
Go not let their silence de.udc anyoie.
DO not get the notion that because they
have ceased tali.ing calamity and re-
pudiation and bourbonism. they have
ceased to desire them in Their hearts.
= Ii begui!ed by this silence the people OF
the United States should be seduced
into voting into powex - opponents
of the administration the latter would
wake the we.Fin with their shouts of
Il silver victory. II by the apathy or
overconfidence of the voters South Ia
kota should defeat the Republican tick
ct this fall the wires would flash tho
news over every state of the Unicn
that South Dakota had decided for the
0OSLiAA0 w StlAuAbLy AIN utlA AStuk lS1
to congress two men pledged to re-
verse the splendid policies which are
bringing back prosperity 10 us aud
bring on again the reign Of d%istrust.
| disrnay and hard times from which we
arc just escaping
Faut this ia net all. Should q hostile
majority be returned to congress it
' might not plunge us entirely into ruin.
So long as William Mckinley sits in
the white house there will be no re-
+, pudiation. no dominance by the silver
mine owners. But tho money issue
and the tariff Issues are not the only
great issues OF national policy which
divide the parties. Those two great
policies of prosperity have been put
into operation by the Republican
triumph OF 1896. Even though the enc
mics Of the administration should gain
control OF congress the presidential
veto would interpose an i~nsurnaounta-
bio obstacle to their repeal. But an
other great policy has como into being
through tho Spanish war. is being rap
idly shaped by the ~farseeirg states
manship OF the president and is dcs-
tined If carried out to raise the Arneri-
can people to n degree Of wealth and
splcndor never equalled by any nation
OF the world. Should the tusionists
control the mex. house of representa-
tfyes this policy would fail. Their lead
i ers have denounced It. Their organiza-
ton is opposed to it. Taey cannot dis
turb the gold standard and tariff poll
cies which have brought and are bring
ing us prosperity. ut they could pre-
vent the president from putting into
effect that other splendid policy which
means SO much to this nation.
Now that the fighting Is over. nov
that peace is in sight have these same
people changed their course? Arc they
standing by tho administration in Its
policy OF concluding n brilliant peace?
Thei: own speeches and newspapers
form the answer. The wal is nc. vet
ended. No powder is being tuvEt. No
shot n shell are piercing the ranks
OF u heroic troops and sending to o
swift and terrible death the brave boys
VINO went out to protect the nations
!ic:or. But peace has not been de-
clared. We are merely enjoying a
truce. We are waiting for that treasy,
'tc secure which Our commissioners are
now sitting in Paris. Will they sue
coed? Will they secure for this nation
its demand. freedom for the oppressed
aud compensation for our tremendous
outlay? That depends. Though the
commission has been in session a
month nothing has been accomplished.
The Spaniards SO humble two months
ago are now growing ~irsolent. hey
are delaying the proceedings by every
sr:bterfuge. every trick known 10 the
crooked diplomacy OF Spain. What arc
they waiting for. They are oyerwhe!.n-
ingly beaten by u army and navy.
I They were brought to their knees and
made to humbly sue for peace. They
know that they can make NO Roadway
against the united American nation.
What are they waiting for? Tho am
swer is plain. They have heard of tho
campaign raging in this country. Their
newspapers are reproducing the vile
ISLANDERS which the copperheads in this
country. the Pettigrews. and Leases. are
:ittering against the president. They
were unable to defeat Mckinley.
Their sole hope is that the
American people will defeat him.
They know the character Of cam
N