The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1897-12-22
SOME AFRICAN MONEY.
{ Consists Of Slaves, with Babies and
Children For Small Change.

Consists Of Slaves, with Babies and
Children For Small Change.
Any recital of recent currency expert
ences would be imperfect that failed to
call attention to certain anomalous fis-
sal troubles that have lately befallen the
people of one of the negro states Of west
arm Africa, and which have not yet
passed into history to an extent that
they merit.
AS is we'll known, the governments
Of the leading states of Europe, with
view of increasing their CONNER.
cial advantages through the acquire
ment of new markets, have, within
comparatively recent period, greatly in
creased their territorial domains and
government in and over what is regard
ed as uncivilized Africa. Thus the Brit
ish government is rapidly occupying q
vast tract of territory geographically
known as Nigrita, from the circum-
stance that it is traversed by, or is con-
tiguous to- the ancient and once myste-
rious river Niger; and one Of the Nigri-
tian kingdoms that has most recently,
and after considerable fighting, passed
under British rule and European ideas
and enterprise, is that of Nupe, which
through a considerable Arab population
Is to an extent commercial country
and to whom the advent of the English
was probably not unwelcomA The cur
rency of this kingdom and its popula-
tion was mainly slaves with, inferen-
TALLY, slave babies and children serving
Us subsidiary money media.
1t might also perhaps be inferred
that white babies would be considered
counterfeit circulating medium and
octoroons bimetallic The carrying round
of two or three babies to make change
would certainly be rather difficult and
when they cried it might be regarded as
on account of imitation. But anyway q
serious financial difficulty is reported
to be impending in Nupe; for as the
British government does not sanction
or tolerate slavery the interesting ques-
ton has naturally arisen, What are the
people of Nupe going to do for money,
or rather for currency? Will a party
arise, as in the United States, who will
manfully contend for the maintenance
of the dollar of their fathers?" vii
not some "Nupean" Bryan set forth II
t fitting language the wickedness OF thu
q characterization Of former Nupean cur
rency?
What better use can Senator Tel
!. ler make Of his disquisition on tn
benefits that accrued to the ancien
Spartans, when they substituted, irol
: money in place Of their former cattle
e COW and pig currency, than to send
: large number Of copies Of it for genera
T. distribution on the e'banks of the Niger
How the heart Of ex-senator PETER @
Kansas must rejoice at the historica
l. vindication Of his axiomatic financia
'f principle that cit matters not of wha
If money is made or what its intrinsi
If value isl"
" Would it not be the part Of vii
- dom for President Mckinley to IL
- struct his monetary missionaries, aftt
;" they have got through with their scare
y In Europe for information about Gu
is rency around the tables of royalty,
n, Journey forthwith to west Africa, Wis
& Nupe and learn from the Nupeans the
e. opinions as to the effect Of cheap none.
es contingent on a successful slave hun
% and also whether their former mont
:. had not much to commend it by reasC
:, Of its remarkable properties for lie
ID circulation? 1t certainly could not ha'
er staid long in one place without watc
of ing.-David A. Wells in Harper
ms Weekly.