The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1901-04-19


excite public alarm, then, indeed,
are we upon the threshold of an era
of unbridled extravagance-the sure
forerunner of untold evils to our
country.
1t is well in this connection to re-
member that the Hanna ship subsidy
bill, carrying many millions out of
the the treasury, only bides its
time. 1t will receive the favorable
consideration of the incoming con-
gress, there can be little doubt. As
an exhibition of the favoritism to
the favored few this bill is thus far
without parallel. 1t is passing
strange that the country is not
aroused to the enormity of such
reckless squandering of the public
money. Under the guise of legisla
ton it is an unwarranted expendi-
ture never contemplated by the
founders of the government and ut
terly unknown 10 the first seventy
years of our history. During that
long period no public man could
have outlived the hostility his adyo-
cacy of such a measure would have
aroused. Now the champions Of
this bill are those who sit in high
places, the chosen and honored lead
ers OF the party in power!
The question OF extravaganza in
public expenditures, however, is
but the dust in the balance as COM
pared to one of graver import yet
to be considered. In our foreign
policy we have broken, it may we'll
be feared, irrevocably with the past.
1t was the dream of Washington
that he had assisted in founding a
republic which, owing to it's isolated
condition, could in no event become
involved in the meshes Of European
intrigue and diplomacy. For hun
dred years after the words of his
Farewell address were uttered, no
man could be found to question their
+ a r-seeing craftsmanship. Hi S
words were indeed words of wis.,
dom. His warnings were intended
not for those who heard them only,
but for the oncoming generations
of his countrymen. 1t may truly
be, said that for nearly century af-
ter his death the earnest and i'm
pressive words of his Farewell Ad-
dress were regarded as little less
than inspiration.
The admonitions of Jefferson at q
i yet later day to avoid all entang-
ling alliances with foreign nations
cannot be too deeply pondered.
They were once the very warp and
wool of all party creeds. Moreover,
the utterrnces of, Washington and
4 Jefferson but voiced the deep con,
yiction of their contemporaries the
men who had shared with them the
dangers and glories of field and o.
4 council.
]. Until today there were none te
challenge the admonitions and warn
lings of the founders OF the republic
Their words were sacred, even as
those OF Holy Writ. The landmarks
they had established, it was thought
!. were to endure.
1 May it not be we'll even now tc
take our bearings and see how fal
from the ancient landmarks VIZ
4 have drifted? Upon the salient
phases Of our foreign the attitude o
the republican administration today
is that SO earnestly deprecated By
the sages of the revolution. AL
this has been at fearful cost o
4 blood and treasure. Moreover, the
/ high ideals Of government that were
ours have gone. The closing hour.
lot the nineteenth century-so close
| " following the peace conference q,
1.-THE Hague witnessed our govern
ment engaged in war. Not a wal
of self defense, but Of conquest; no,
. war to aid struggling republic
to hold place among nations, bu1
1 Tor its destruction, In other words
4 Is war Of the greatest republic on