Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1897-01-08

Purpose with Big Army-Other
Matters.
When we study the conditions which
surround us on every side. we appre-
ciate the full meaning of the words OF
Wendell Phillips when he said: when
die wish but two words written on
my tombstone: Tnfldep and Traitor
-infldel to a church that could be at
peace in the presence of sin; traitor
to government that was magnificent
conspiracy against justice"
Judge Foster, of Chicago, fined
woman $40, one day last week, because
her rooster persisted in Growing" be-
fore daylight thereby disturbing the
slumber of one Of her neighbors. That
Judge" is dandy. If luke Pullman
had starved few of his men to death
Foster would rule that he had a per-
feet right to do so.-Ex That "Jedge"
is fully up to the spirit of our civil
cation. If there is anything that is cal
culated to disturb the equanimity of
ledge" more than anything it is a
rooster growing and waking him up
before daylight.
The Caucasian is stirred up over the
fact that General Miles recommended
an increase of the standing army, and
that the bankers are preparing at the
same time to make raid on the green
backs. 1t asserts that these are the
two danger signals which should en-
gage the peoples attention. 1t says:
Such an army cannot be needed to
meet any foreign foe that might ap-
pear, for W, can always depend on the
patriotism of our people for volunteers
to meet any such peril when it may
arise We challenge any man who
favors this increase to give his reasons
"a standing army is dead expense
to the taxpayers, and is opposed to
the genius of our government"
There can be but one purpose" con-
tinues the authority above quoted,
"and that is to train standing army
to serve monopolies and trusts, and to
shoot down any who may oppose the
avarice and oppression of industrial
kings and monopoly tyrants. The
present army is big enough for that
purpose, but the fact that they want
1t more than doubled shows that they
have planned new and greater schemes
Of robbing and oppression" This ap-
prehension is becoming pretty general
among the people, and it is not with
out some grounds. People naturally
connect military force and despotism.
1t would seem that our civil authority
was sufficient for all purposes, but IL
it should fail, there is the militia and
the great body of the people to supple
ment it.
The Caucasian, further discussing
the danger of surrendering to the
banks the absolute control of the cur
rency, says: "The constitution pro-
vides that the government shall issue
all money. 1t is function of govern
mnt-a function of sovereignty. To
turn over to the banks the power to
levy and collect taxes from the people
would not be near as dangerous to our
property and liberty as to turn over
10 them the issue Of our money and the
control of it's volume. Put the country
on the gold standard and then let the
banks control all the paper currency
and the spectators and bankers would
have the country absolutely at their
mercy. 1t is bad enough now to bring
hard times to all except those who
enjoy special privileges, but the avarice
of these money sharks is not yet sat-
isfied If the bankers have this tre-
mendous power, in addition to the
power they already have, then they can
Cypress the people at will beyond all
endurance, and they want big stand
ing army to put down any kicking
on the part of an outraged people and
to enforce the robbery of these shy
locks at the point of the bayonet."
The plutocrats ridicule the idea Of
money without intrinsic value. but all
their ridicule and TRADES of abuse can
aot wipe out the expressions of long
list of eminent authorities that have
placed themselves on record against
the intrinsic value theory. Among
these was United States Senator Plumb,
of Kansas, who, in speech in the SEN.
ate, in reply to John Sherman, said:'
1.-The senator from Ohio said in brief
speech which he made the other day,
on a minor clause of this bill, in a
spirit of candor that did not. charac-
terize his speech of yesterday, that gold
and silver had been created by the AL
mighty as money, and had been such
from the beginning of time. What
Coz hath Joined together, let no man
put asunder. If gold is money, then
silver is money, and If gold to-day is
any more money than silver it Is be-
cause the law has made it so, giving
to- gold the exclusive money function