The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1900-08-10
A Hateful QUESTION.
Are We to Have Mckinley and
Permanent Imperialism
WHAT HIS ELECTION WILL ENTAIL.


WHAT HIS ELECTION WILL ENTAIL.
Fellowship With the Great Powers
Means That the Government Must
Have More Power md the Citizen
Lcss-As Imperialism Ascends the
Individual Comes Down.
Are we at the end of great epoch
in our national life and about to en-
ter upon a period during which new
order OF things is to prevail? That
Is the question which every man Is
now asking himself. the world asks it
Of us and some Of the powers have
put 1t to us categorically.
This nation was founded In the will
derness upon theories that designedly
segregated 1t from the policies and poll
tics Of the old world. Its government
was based on principles that recognized
the individual as the greatest factor in
human society. To make the citizen
strong, free, self assertive and self sus-
tanning was its object, and to attain it
1t Was believed necessary to guard him
md the government from the corrupt
ing Influences of intimate contact and
association with the greedy privilege
breeding despotisms of the old world.
II then we are to claim partnership in
the associations which for 125 years
We have stunned, we must clothe the
government with greater power and
the citizen with less. The necessities
arising from the first step to fellow
ship with the worlds great powers
have already compelled the president
and his administration to set aside the
constitution and to usurp the exercise
ed exclusively to themselves. AS impe-
rialism ascends the throne the individ-
ual must abdicate.
Examine the social compact Of any Of
the great world powers, and it will be
found to rest on privilege and monopo-
ly. They are the roots that nourish i'm
perialism. If the United States is to
accompany these great powers in their
predatory excursions around the globe,
we must sustain It's government by the
same roots. We must not only give up
the fight that we are making against q
greedy, vulgar monopoly that displays
itself in tariffs and trusts, but we must
ennoble it, making it institutional in
our system and dlsarm the people OF
the power to destroy or injure it as an
evil. If the new era that Mckinley is
to inaugurate is goc' thing, if the ex-
ample Of the powers he proposes to Inn
itate is desirable, then there can be no
bad trusts. Mckinley has blazed the
pathway and the trusts have mustered
their battalions behind him. They
await but for the sanction of the people
at the polls in November to make i'm
perialism permanent. VIII the people
give their consent? Are they willing to
submerge their individuality, their
business. their ventures. their hopes
and ambitions to the machinery of
great corporations and trusts and sub
NIT to special privileges and monopo-
lies at home for greatness of empire
and national glory that bring profit on.
~ to those who pilfer? That is the chief
issue today. All other issues are bound
up in that one as in sack with which
they will have to sink or swim.
The policy Of establishing ourselves
| as a new and despotic power In the
| world is advocated alone on the greedy
| and avaricious cry Of Commercial ex-
pansion." Mark Hanna, who is now
pilot to the ship of state, has declared
that his predecessors in that Office
| Washington. jefferson, Adams and
Monroe, were mere novices in the art
Of government, narrow minded provin
| cial gentlemen who knew nothing Of
| the great world and who in their sent
mental efforts to preserve the freedom
and liberty of the citizens handicapped
the future and bound and gagged the
commercial expansion and greatnes.
of the country. There never was s
greater falsehood. The whole past his
tory of our country rises up and thrusti
1 It's indignant finger into his face ant
says, Mark Hanna, thou hast lied"
i Before he became prophet to the ad
/ ministration and high priest of its pc
4 litical morals and while we were We
under the influence and advice Of thu
founders Of the nation and the princi
A pies OF the Declaration Of Independ
ence this republic, although young ii
years, did by leaps and bounds take tn
4 lead Of all other nations In all that con
4 tributes to the material welfare, happl
ness aud prosperity of q people.
4 AS Washington, Jefferson, Adams
Monroe and other patriots had bull
the republic on principles antagonist
to the worlds great powers they in
8 tended that it should rise above all an
live without peer. Their hopes wer
realized before Mark Hanna came t
Y Sit in Judgment. The motives and prir
& ciples that animated their great soul
s he cannot appreciate. He must weig
1.-The republic IN the bankers scales
J When he shall have substituted in th
peoples minds the privilege Of class
] the robbery Of wealth and the despo