The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1899-12-22

iohs time ago, so long that there
are many who have not only forgotten
'le date, but the circumstance also.
oouy or men, styling themselves The
hlrteen United States of America
IN congress- issued a proclamation
"hich was one of the most revolu.
"ohaFy documents the world ever saw,
styled the Declaration of Independ-
,nce' and recl1lessly flung it to the
n'eeHe amid the shouts of anarchists,
.ne ringing of bells and prodigal
waste OF powder. 1t was on the 4th of
'"'y' los, and in some locations the
u'S IS still celebrated by small boys.
"hose memory of it is limited to
rnlhese crackers, black eyes and
bloody noses
The document was so radically
wrong, reasonable and subversive of
good and loyal government, that it be-
moves us to repudiate and retract it
III Justice to our mother country, and
clot out the record of it SO far as we
can. 1t is impossible for us to return
&c the arms Of our longing mother,
anXiously waiting for us to come and
with us bring our tenements, heredit-
dments, railroads, gold mines, stocks,
bonds and whatever else we have OF
value accumulated since we became
Maynard children. without at least
&pologizing for the Incorporate haste
and misplaced zeal of our forefathers
IN charging our beloved parent coun-
try with all the crimes in the deca-
logue, and accusing her of the most
dlabolical infringements upon human
rights.
1t is not true, Oh! most noble en-
press and queen, house of lords, COM
mons, bank Of England, Baron Roths-
enid, London cockneys, or to whomso-
ever else the government of England
is contlded, that our forcfathers suf-
Tered any of the things mentioned in
that reasonable document. 1t is not
true that any one ever suffered any
thing at your hands but the most be-
nlgn treatment. In testimony of this
we have the evidence of our chief ex-
ecutlVe, the great Republican party,
our army and navy, our servants,
clerks, agents, attorneys and employees,
with Joe Choate as their mouthpiece;
the theologian> OF our wealthy uni
Versltles; our trusts, combines syndi-
Gates and banks; our American beau
ties who have already married into
your nobility and carried their dowries
into your eXchequers.
In the 1jpht of rooopt ovo,te ,,d
guided by the spirit that presides over
cur destlnies, we do not believe that all
men are created equal, or are in any
manner endowed with inalienable or
any rights that merit respect. We
now believe that governments are in
stltuted for the sole purpose of keep
Ing up and maintaining royal and i'm
perial dignity, and for the benefit of
the importers and traders, spectators
and bunco men. We had no right to
alter or abolish your benign system
o. government, and in proof of it. and
as reason for justifying our apology,
we are returning to it with rapid
strides. We confess that the alleged
tram OF abuses and your "usurpa-
tons" had no foundation EXCEPT in the
pessimistic brains of our anarchistic
forefathers, and we believe with that
great and large-hearted patriot, whose
followers are as numerous as the
voters for Mckinley, that popular SOW
ereignty IS failure, government for
the people mere mob rule, and that
there is no decent or respectable gov
eminent but monarchy
We are doing everything we can, be-
loved mother, to get back into your
sheltering arms. We owe YOU more
than we can ever pay, and have will
1ngly more than paid our enormous
debt to you in interest, but are still
willing to keep on paying. We have
ruined our most valuable metallic
product for your sake, and we are
about to abolish everything but fiat
money SO as not to Interfere with your
cherished ambition to control all the
gold in the world. We are opposed to
everything that you oppose and we are
willing to mix into everything you see
tit to grab. Indeed we feel your great
kindness in taking us back after we
have done so much to merit your
eternal displeasure, so much that we
are willing to exchange our bedraggled
reprehensible eagle for buzzard.