The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1898-05-20
RIGHT TO CONTROL
CONGRESSMAN STARk'S OBJ.
OBSERVATIONS.
Believes Americans are Fully Capable of
Controlling Their Own MINIS and Treas
ury Without Waiting Tor Cooperation
or Outside Help.

| olCooCo lllluScIl.
lin response to your favor asking
for an expression of opinion on '"The
right OF Americans to control their
own mints, and their own treasury.
without waiting for the cooperation.
or asking the consent Of foreign gov
arnments, or foreign fnanciers," l
would say that our power in this di-
rectlon has never been questioned in
my presence by the most ultra of the
advocates OF the single gold standard.
Some profess to doubt the advisability
OF pursuing an independent course;
but that the right Of this nation to
legislate for its people upon any sub
ject is seriously questioned, is new
thought to me. | can understand that
this would be the inevitable tendency
OF their logic, as the doctrine that
1.-The King can do no wrong" was the
ultimate conviction of the extreme
royalists: and a belief in the divine
institution of slavery grew upon the
more devout of the uphclders of that
ubiquitous system, but did not know
that we had reached that stage vet
The idea that class. designated by
the Hon. John NJ. Thurston of INV
state, in his recent speech upon the
Cuban question as ''the Money Chang
ers' OF our country, have interests dis
tinct and apart from those of the ordi-
nary American citizen-that their
desires, hopes, and plans are alien to
the welfare and higher aspirations of
our peoples not a discovery Of the
eloquent statesman from Nebraska.
though he was fearless in his state
ment of fact and mcrciless in his ar
ralgnment OF the unpatriotic motives
OF the class which he said ''raise the
single voice of dissent" against any
advancement in the cause of human
liberty.
Others have noticed that the sordid
designs OF these same money changers
are not alone upon the unfortunate
people of the island of Cuba They
have recognized that the danger which
menaces the freedom and happiness of
posterity is not confined to single
race or single cline; but is as world
vide as is the influence of the danger
GUS class to which MIR. Thurston al
ludes.
The eyes of many people of ali par
ties are being opened, and they are in
curing just what position the money
changers (who since the days of the
great Teacher, have never ranked
very high in the estimation of good
cltlzens) are now occupying in the
temple of American government Their
attitude and the results of their
schemes during and following the late
war are matters of history That their
nature has not changed is amply evil
denced by their efforts to protect their
interests in Spanish bonds, and render
secure the larger investments of their
allies in Lombard street and elsewhere.
The following from a recent issue of
the st. Louis Globe Democrat is an
other indication of the utter selfish
ness of their designs:
Government bonds have fallen
somewhat since the Maine disaster
but this does not mean that the
public supposes the United States
would be beaten in war with
Spain. Neither does it mean that
the governments credit is lowered.
One OF the things it means is that
many investors believe Il war
would bring such a demand for
money that a higher rate of inter
est for it could be had than govern
lnent bonds provide. Hence there
is disposition on the part of many
5. holders of bonds to sell in order to
be prepared to take advantage of
the expected urgent demand for
money in various enterprises. gov
ernmental, and other, and to get
the higher rate Of interest which
they look for. This tendency to
sell sends bonds down
Whether the explanation given, that
they regard the contest of a brave peo-
pie against oppression and starvation
with no throb of human interest, and
that it only concerns them as affording
an opportunity for gain and specula-
ton, be the true one; or, whether in
addition, they are, from similar mo-
tives, endeavoring todepreciate the Sc
curities of the country in order to af-
ford their advocates in congress an
argument against any proposition that
does not perfectly protect the interests
of the bondholder, is immaterial. 1t
is sufficient to note that the same un-
worthy purpose is apparent, and that
united action against the growth OF
the Tory influence is needed in the
! United States.
\ 1t is conceded that never in the his
tory of America have trusts and de-
partment stores SO multiplied as in the
past twelve months. What matter
whether the hand of the money chang
er, stretched forth to exact universal
u tribute be rlnYed or not It is recnr.