The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1899-11-10


| and as sovereign states can not ex-
pand, the federal government must do
so-lndeed, 1t Is the only part of our
system of government that can eX-
pand. With English statesmen and
brilliant editorial writer's and college
ton, and prescribing the line of duty
for our own politicians to follow, in
the way of jumping into the worlds
arena and Strengthening or Christianiz
ing feeble nations for the benefit OF
trade and commerce in the hands OF
trusts, syndicates and combines it Is
presumption for the average American
citizen to interpose protest. We are
bound to get rid Of domestic tran
quillity," eliminate the BLESSINGS of
liberty to ourselves and our posterity,"
because such an effete doctrine Is a
thorn in the side of an Anglo-Ameri-
can alliance, and expansion is the only
remedy to reduce the Inflammation
caused by the thorn's irritation.
1t is made the duty of the United
States-the pluribus unum---to guar
publican form Of government. and the
president being the chief executive au-
thority and power in the United States,
1t rests in his hands to carry out that
provision of the constitution. More
over, he is the cOmmander-in-ch chief OF
the army and navy. and every officer
and man in the service would most un-
doubleday obey his orders without
questioning their legality; they would
shoot first and try the constitutional
question afterwards. Bearing this in
mind, it must be clear that the federal
government may cut loose, at any
time. from the sovereign states and
set up an independent sovereignty of
its own. without in the least departing
from its duty to preserve the peace
between the several states and enforce
republican form Of government. We
are almost at that point now-indeed,
1t does not require a naked eye to per-
ce1ve the same symptoms prominent
In the case Of King Charles III. refus-
Ing the crown with one hand and
grasping it with the other.
Suppose the president of the United
States should determine that the poll
cy Of his administration could not be
changed without detriment to the
commercial and financial interests of
the nation, it would certainly be his
right and duty. and he could point to
the constitution as his authority, to
employ the army and navy to prevent
the inauguration of president elected
upon platform inimical to such a
policy. We know what that policy is;
1t is gold standard, expansion of the
federal lines beyond that of mere
arbiter between the sovereign states,
and an inordinate increase of the army
and navy In times Of peace. If Mr..
Bryan should be elected upon a silver
platform, he might be prevented from
taking his seat because the remone-
tization Of silver is inimcal to the in
terests Of the people-that is, to the
spectators in gold. Assuming that
Mr.. German or Richard Croker should
be elected upon gold platform, but
opposed to expansion and an increase
Of the army and navy in times OF
peace, 1t is clear that, as the admins
tration thinks expansion and militar-
ism essential to the we'll being OF the
nation, Mr.. German, or Mr. Croker
would be escorted out of Washington
at the point Of the bayonet If he at
temped to enter that capital for the
purpose Of being inaugurated. The
president would have Mr.. Henri Wat
terson, Mr.. David B. HILL Mr.. William
c. Whitney, Gov. Theodore Roosevelt
and the unanimous Hamilton clubs as
we'll as the Chicago Jeffersonian clubs,
to back him up in saying to the annoy
ing and troublesome people from the
backwoods; from Kansas, from Po-
dunk and other disreputable anarchist
sections: Gentlemen. the time has
arrived to stop this foolishness about
popular sovereignty. We will set up
a sovereignty Of our own and refuse
to be further distracted in our efforts
to make this a great and glorious ma
ton. We will raise the flag wherever
our benevolent trusts can get in to
make an honest dollar; who will dare
to haul 1t down? We have the terri
tory to make an empire Of. With our
dear friends and fellow linguists who
drop their his, we shall acquire a bit
Of China. Liberia Is ours because some
of our citizens have been driven to set
tie there. We can absorb Nicaragua
and dig canal that will paralyze Will
liam of Germany. Not only westward,
bu5 all over, and in every direction
shall the star Of empire take It's way,
and ID be he who first cries Hold,
enough!'"
Principles are beautiful things to
think or talk about We read about
them in political platforms, presidents
messages, reports Of the secretary OF
the treasury telling us about the beau
ties of the gold standard, which is
driving all the gold out Of the country;
the ears Of the populace are stunned
with the masticated mouthfuls Of them
hurled from stump-speaking catapults;