The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1900-07-27
As Mr.. Mccain Views Bilps Outbreak

EDIJoR UNIoN:-My attention has
been called to an article in the Rapid
City Journal purporting to be an ex-
cerpt from contribution by ex-Judge
Gardner to the Minneapolis Journal on
the Genius and Genises of Populism,Y
with the comment that the article was
"well worth reading both from polit-
ical and literary point OF view"
Now, Mr.. Editor, want to protest
against that article, not Oh account of
any political influence an article from
the pen of the ex-judge could exert, es
peciaily here where he is known, but
on account of its uu-American IDEAS
The ex-judge's vociferous attack, al
though osteusibly directed against
populism, is direct thrust at the fun
damental principles Of this republic,
and Notwithstanding that he has endea-
vored to conceal the real intent by in
dulging in ephemeral rhetorical gyra-
tions, any true lover of American ideas
or anyone instilled with the principles
of humanity and justice as set forth in
our Declaration of Independence. can
easily detect The traitorous attack up
on the spirit OF our free institutions.
He says. 'the trite and foolish old saw
declaring the natural equality OF men
is lod Eed deep in the heart oe the pop
ulist and cherished as a literal truth"
then he adds, 1.-The othor bit of worn
out bombast pronouncing us all 'sover-
ign is as sweet and solemn q truth to
the populist mind as the sermon on the
mount Then after describing the
condition Of the pioneer on the arid
plain and the proepector in the noun
tains he attempts to belittlc them by
foul insinuations, picturing them as re-
aecting bitterly on the fact that they
are the peer of Vanderbilt or a
Rothschild and dreaming not OF more
rain or higher wages, but Of imperial
crowns and Fifth avenue mansions.
Nothing could be further from the
truth. Men do not covet imperial
crowns who hold as literal truth what
the ex-judge terms 1.-THE silly old saw, 9
viz: the equality of all men. Such in
constituencies won't take we'll with an
intelligent class of readers.
But let us look at this question from
. more serious standpoint 1t is la
mentable fact that the republican par
~ of today, in order to defend its adj
ministration, is compelled to turn its
back upon and repudiate the very
principles, thu advocacy Of which gave
that party its birth, and anyone famil.
lar with the eventful days from 1856 to
! 1860 will remember that the contention
between Lincoln and Douglas hinged
on this immortal truth, which the ex.
judge through ignorance or malice, at.
tacks over the shoulders Of populists as
something sinimical to good govern
ment- one Of the dangerous tenets in
the creed Of this spopnlist) party the
latest, freshest and most generic form
LOT American radicalism.' .
Lincoln's words at Springfield. ILL.,,
on June 26, 1867, are prophetic and ap
lply today as forcibly as in slavery days
Referring to the equality Of men he
|said: 81 y
LII MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL
In those days (1776 our Declare
i tion OF Independence was held sacred
by all and thuught to include all, but
now, in order to aid In making the
bondage Of the negro universal an6
i eternal, il is assailed and sneered u,
and Construed and hawked ut till
1 IL its trainers could rise from theil
graves, they could not at all recognize
4 III. All the powers OF earth seem rap
Idly combining against him 1.-THE ne
/ 0rfll.s MHmmons il After. n i'm. am tinr