The Portland daily press., 1897-08-27
TWO LEGGED MoNeYilN NuPE.


david A. Wells in Harper's Weekly.)
Any recital of recent currency expert
ences would be imperfect that failed to
call attention to certain anomalous fiscal
troubles that have lately befallen the peo-
pie of one of the negro States of western
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 a view
of increasing their commercial advan
tages through the requirement of new
markets, have, within comparatively
recent period, greatly increased their ter
ritorial domains and government in and
over what is regarded as uncivilized
Africa. What has been achieved in this
respect in south and southeastern Africa
is well known; but the general public are
yet in a great degree oblivious to the
fact that the French are pushing their
territorial occupation and dom ain in the
direction Of the famous city of Tilnbuctoo
and the soathern Sahara; while the Eng
lish are rapidly occupying vast tract of
territory geographically known as Nigri-
tia, from the circumstance that it Is trav-
ersed by or is contiguous to the ancient
and once mysterious river Niger. AS
almost all experience has shown that
when civilized and barbarous nations
have been brought into contact, mutual
peace and security for commercial inter-
course can only be attained by the ex
hibit or exercise of superior military
force on the part ssof the former; con-
sequently the British occupation and
government of Nigritia have been neces-
sarily military, wit h such contingent
beneficial results as the termination of
the horrible human sacrifice kingdoms of
Ashantee and Dahomey.
One of the Nigritian kingdoms that
has most recently, and after considerable
fighting passed under British rule and
European ideas and enterprise is that of
Nupe; which, although ruled by bar
barous negro king, has. through con-
current Arab population, to considera-
BILE extent commercial trading through
caravans with an interior, and to whom
the advent of the English was probably
not unwelcone. The currency of this
kingdom and its population were mainly
slaves; with, inferentially, slave babies
and children serving as subsidiary money
media.
And herein is impending very serious
financial difficulty. For as the British
government does not sanction or tolerate
slavery, and as it is understood that the
new officers of the state, known as the
"Niger Company" propose and promise
the entire abolition of a previous legal
status in respect to all the instrumentali-
ties of abarbarism-rule of the "witch
doctors, - human sacrifices, human sla-
very, and the like-the interesting Ques-
ton has naturally arisen, what are the
people of Nupe going to do for money, or
rather for currency? Will party arise,
as in the United States, who will man.
fully contend for the maintenance Of the
dollar of their fathers?" Will not some
"Nupean'' Bryan set forth in fitting
language the wickedness of the demone-
tization of the former Nupean currency?
What better use can Senator Teller make
of his disquisition on the benefits that
accrued to the ancient Spartans when
they substituted iron money in place of
their former cattle, COW and pig currency
than to send large number Of copies
of 1t for general distribution on the
banks of the NigerS How the heart of ex-
Senator PETER of Kansas must rejoice at
the historical vindication of his axio-
matte financial principle, that ''it mat
ters not of what money Is made, or what
Its intrinsic value is Would it not be
the part of wisdom for President McKin-
ley to instruct his monetary missionaries,
after they have got through with their
search In Europe for information about
currency around the tables of royalty, to
journey forthwith to West Africa, visit
Nupe, and learn from the Nupeans their
opinions as to the effect of cheap money
contingent on successful slave hunt:
and also whether their former money had
not much to commend 1t by reason of its
remarkable properties tor Qeg) circula-
tion? 1t certainly could not have stayed
long in one place without watching.