The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1900-09-21


Great problems are solved slowly,
but struggling humanity marches on,
step by step. content at each nightfall
II 1. can pitch its tent on a little high
er ground. It was God himself who
placed In every human heart the love
Of liberty. He never made a race OF
people 30 low in the scale Of civiliza-
ton or intelligence that 1t would vel.
come . foreign master.
That the leaders OF a great party
should claim for any president or con-
gress the right to treat millions OF
people as mere possessions" and deal
with them unrestrained by tho consti-
tuition or the bill of rights, shows how
far we have already departed from the
ancient landmarks. and indicates what
may be expected IL this nation DELHI
erately enters upon q career Of en-
pire.
No n has a right to expect from
society o than a fair compensa-
ton for the sery:ccs which lie renders
to society. II he secures more 1t is
at the expense of some one else. It ia
no injustice to him to prevent his do
ing injustice to another. To him who
would. either through class legisla-
ton or in the absence OF the neces-
sary legislation. trespass upon the
rights Of another the democratic party
says. Thou shalt not"
I place the philosophy of Franklin
against the sordid doctrine of those
who would put a price upon the head
Of ar American soldier and justify a
war of conquest upon the ground that
it will pay. The democratic party is
in favor of the expansion of trade. 1t
would extend our trade by every legitt-
mate and peaceful means; but it is not
willing to make merchandise OF human
blood.
Destiny Is not a matter OF chance,
1t is q matter of choice; 1t is not a
thing to be waited for, It is a thing
t. be achieved.
No one can see the end from the be-
ginning, but every one can make his
course an honorable one from begin
ming to end. by adhering to the right
under all circumstances. Whether a
man steals much or little may depend
upon his opportunities. but whether
he steals at all depends upon his own
volition.
Shall we keep the Philippines and
amend our flag? Shall we add a new
star-the blood-star, Mars-to indicate
that we have entered upon a caree,
Of conquest? Or shall we borrow the
yellow, which In 1896 was the badge
of gold and greed, and paint Saturn
and his rings, to suggest a carpet-bag
government. with its schemes and
spoilation? Or shall we adorn our flag
with q milky way composed OF a mul.
titude or MINOR stars representing re-
mote and insignificant dependencies:
Lincoln embodied an argument in
the question when he asked, Can
aliens make treaties easier than friends
can make laws?" I believe that We
are now in a better position to wage
a successful contest against imperial
ism than we would have been had the
treaty been rejected. With the
treaty ratified a c:eaa-cat ies.ie is
presented between a government by
consent and a government by force,
and imperialists must bear the respon-
sibility for all that happens until the
question is settled.
In addition to the evils which he and
the farmer share in common, the la
boring man will be the nrst to suffer
il oriental subjects seek work in the
United States; the first to suffer II
American capital leaves our shores to
employ oriental labor in the Philip
pines to supply the trade Of China
and Japan; the first to suffer from the
violence which the military spirit
arouses and the first to suffer when the
methods of Imperialism are applied to
our own government.
Shame upon a logic which locks
up the petty offender and enthrones
grand larceny. Have the people re
turned to the worship Of the COLDER
calf? Have they made unto themselye.
a new commandment consistent will
the spirit of conquest and the lust TO
empire? Is thou shalt not steal upol
q small scale" to be substituted for tn
law Of Moses?
Awake, o, ancient Iawgiver, awake
Break forth from thine unmarked Sc
pulchre and speed thee back to cloud
crowned Sinai; commune once NOR
with the God Of our fathers and pro
claim again the words engraven upol
the tables of stone-the law that war
the law that is today-the law tina
neither individual nor nation can vic
"a +. $780, "a hNsH -AE