The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-02-21
FIGHT AND BE DONE WITH IT.

/ The monopolistic east, its organs,
| leaders and fuglemen are ecstactically
| wild in their congratulatory glee that
| England has weakened and consents
10 the settlement of the Venezuela treu
bic upon the basis demanded by the
/ United States So flushed in New
York and other money centers over the
victory that a movement is on foot TO
establish standing international tri-
bunal for the adjustment of all pos
Sible disputes that may arise between
England and America. These cities
and their interests are all in sympathy
with England Their demand for ar
bitration is demand for a continuance
of our present relations with England
and it is just for that reason that it
should be rejected by the American
people. To oppose arbitration of all
international disputes with England,
that are not settled by diplomacy is
not to declare in favor of war. II
does not imply bloOdthirsty spirit.
IL does not show that the man who
thinks a tribunal of the kind suggested
is wrong should be classed among bar
barians. But it does show that such
a man recognizes that the present re-
latiOns between this country and
Great Britain are inconsistent with
liberty and that perfect independence
which should characterize great ma
ton.
under existing economic conditions
means prostration and ultimate ruin
for the United States. AS long as it
endues the United States will be little
better than a British province, pos
sesing it is true certain measure of
political independence, but economi-
eally subject to the jurisdiction of Lom
bard street. This is not a dream. 1t
is not nightmare which has arisen
TO disturb the slumber of ignorent men.
1t is truth of which no one who stu
dies economic questions carefully can
be ignorant. 1t is demonstrated by
the fact that the men who control our
national government say that it is i'm
practicable to change the financial pol
icy of the United States without the
consent of Great Britain.
The full independence of the United
States was not achieved when the
colonies became politically free. PO-
litical freedom is glittering and it suf-
fees for time TO make people believe
that they are really free. But the
logic of facts demonstrates in time
that there is no true freedom where
the people are not permitted to choose
their economic policy without regard
TO the wishes of some other govern
ment or nation. Until the United
States is able to shape its financial pol
icy independently of the wishes of
Lombard street it will not be econom
ically free.
War is q terrible thing and greatly
TO be deplOred. 1t should be resorted
to only as the last alternative. But
it sometimes is better to go to war
than TO submit to conditions still more
ruinous and depressing. A war with
England would involve the sacrifice of
thousands of lives and the destruction
of millions of dollars worth of proper
ty. But the economic policy to which
we are under enforced subsection has
destroyed more property and ruined
more lives than the bloodiest war ever
known in history. IL would be better
to have a war with England than 10
continue in subsection TO the forces
that control British finances and
through Great Britain the policy of
our own country. Let us hope that
our economic independence will be
achieved without war, but while in
dulging this hope We should not de-
prive ourselves of the last appeal OF
an oppressed people.