The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1898-07-08

OF the chalrmen. 1t implied also
that no proposed legislation should ever
reach the stage of public discussion up-
less such legislation should agree with
the purpose and plan of the despot. 1t
implied a total suppression Of the mi
nority. It implied that the greatest
statesman in the United States, if elect
ed to the house of representatives,
| should, if he be of the minority, be
| placed at the tail END of the committee
on Indian appropriations. It implied
| that every man courageous enough to
represent the people by whom he might
be elected should be stuck away in the
convenient pigeonholes of the despot's
private closet and kept there, while the
arena Of the house should be opened
only for the activity of the despot's wv
puppets.
l need not, however, enlarge upon q
condition which is now we'll understood
by the American public. Everybody
knows that the condition here described
has actually come to pass. Everybody
may know, with a little reflection, the
reasons why such a condition has be-
come dominant in the public life of the
United States. Nor need we dwell at
length upon the evil aspect of the stars
nder which a man was found at a Ger
Elm j%uncture in u history exactly
suited to impersonate and energize the
evil conditions Of the age. 1t came to
pass that such a man was born. It came
to pass that when 81 years of age he
was CONT RI tho hO17cn IF oTrnconfatiy -oc
at the exact time when he was needed
most as a destroying force working
havoc with the institutions Of his coun-
try. Possessing talents which, coupled
with lack Of scruple and a disregard
for the interests of his countrymen,
amounted to a kind of malign genius,
he entered upon his work. He rose to
leadership-borne on to prominence by
the very conditions which we have de-
scribed as prevalent in the outside polit-
ical realm. He gladly accepted the evil
work which destiny had assigned to
him. He became speaker of the house
Of representatives, and at length he be-
came the house of representative itself.
This is the matter in a nutshell. 1t is
the whole statement of the case. It is
the naked truth. Thomas B. Reed, talk
ing advantage Of the conditions which
political history has offered him, has
become not only the presiding officer Of
the house, bnt the house itself. He is
recognized as such. The goldite oil
garchy gloats over him day by day.
The newspapers which are the organs Of
that oligarchy proclaim him day by day.
They openly admit that the national
house has lost it's character as a repre-
sentative body, and they glory in it.
They openly declare that the manage
ment Of the house is in the hands Of
Reed. They shamelessly avow and glory
in the despotism which has been estab-
lished by this means over the American
people. They tell u in advance Of al
most every issue how Speaker Reed
managed or will manage the house.
They have no hesitancy in stating be-
fore the fact the exact course which the
arbitrary despot inhabited by the soul
of a cynic will take, n8 to carry out the
will of the people, but to thwart their
will and to bring it to naught.
This matter, this prostitution OF
office, has become a national shame. II
is an outrage. 1t is an insult to honor,
able history. 1t is al open scandal
Haunted in the face of mankind. 1t is
al ignominy done in particular to the
American people. They are victimized.
+ They are defrauded Of their purpose.
l They are swindled out OF their rights
to be heard through their representa-.
tives and to be governed by Legislation
which their representatives shall pre-
l pare and approve. They are obliged tc
3 witness day by day the most shameless
ever been seen in a great Legislative
hall. I do not recall any incident from
the parliamentary annals Of the English
e revolution, including the episode of thu
! rump commons, or from the French
: revolution, including the national con
S v%entior, so utterly devoid of any ele
ment Of respect, so utterly beneath tn
dignity Of manhood and republican de
Q mocracy, as is the daily scene in on
g house Of representatives under the ad
ministration of the American car.
There he sits with a sardonic smile
9 He lifts his gavel and recognizes eth
:, gentleman from Maine" The gentle
man from Maine rises with the name
q of a second class schoolmaster and pre-
n ceeds to execute his part of the ridicu
lous play. When the point is reached
if it be reached in the affirmative, Rec
tells the house to stand up and ratif
some feature of the scheme. If it be an
y other proposition and a negative result
y be wanted, he tells the house to stan
up and condemn it. The house stand
up. Then he tells the house to sit down