Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1897-10-09
SOME AFRICAN MONEY.

1T Cc7,siSta'nf Slaves. with Babies and
children for Small Change.
Amy recital of recent currency expert
euccs would be imperfect that failed to
:all attention to certain anomalous fis-
al troubles that have lately befallen the
Jeoplc of one of the negro states of west
,rn Africa, and which have not yet
passed into history to an extent that
they merit.
As is well known, the governments
of the leading states of Europe, with
4 view of increasing their commercial
advantages through the requirement
of new markets, have. within COM
paratively recent period, greatly in
creased their territorial domains and
government in and over what is regard
ed as uncivilzed Africa. Thus the Brit
ish government is rapidly occupying
vast tract of territory geographically
known as Nigrita, from the circum-
stance that it is traverscd BY, or is con-
tguous to, the ancient and once mys-
terious River Niger; and one of the
Nigritian Kingdoms that has most re-
Y
passed under British rule and European
ideas and enterprise, is that of Nupc,
which through Il considerable Arab pop
ulutiou is to an extent Il commercial
country-and to whom the advent of the
English was probably not unwelcome.
The currency of this kingdom and it's
population was mainly slaves, with, in
fcrentially, slave babies and children
serving as subsidiary money media.
1t might also perhaps be inferred
that white babies would be considered
n counterfeit circulating medium and
octoroons bimetallic. The carrying
round of two or three babies to make
change would certainly be rather diff
cult, and when they cried it might be re-
garded as on account of imitation. But
anyway n serious financial difficulty is
reported to be impending in Nupe; for
as the British government does not
sanction or tolerate slavery the inter
csting question has naturally arisen:
What are the people of NUpe going to
do for money, or rather for currency?
Will a party arise, rs in the United
States, who will manfully contend for
the maintenance of the dollar of their
fIthers?" Will not some "Nupean"
Bryan set forth in fitting language the
wickedneSs of the decentralization of
former Nupcan currency?
What better use can Senator Teller
make of his disQuisition on the benefits
that accrued to the ancient Spartans,
W hen they SItbStitItol iron ,nonev in
place of their former cattle. COW and
pig currency. than to send large num-
Der of copies Of it for general distribu-
tion on the banks of the Niger? How
the heart of ex-senator PETER, of Kan
sas, must rejoice at the historical vindi-
cation of his automatic financial princi-
pie that "it matters not of what money
is made or what it's intrinsic value is!"
Would it not be the part of wisdom
for President Mckinley to instruct his
missionaries, after they have
got through with their search in Eu-
rope for information about currency
around the tables of royalty, to journey
to West Africa, visit Nupe and
learn from the Nupcans their opinions
as to the effect of cheap money. contin-
gent on n successful slave hunt; and
also whether their former money had
not much to commend it by reason of
its remarkable properties for (lcg) cir
culation? 1t certainly could not have
staid long in one place without watch
ing.--navid A; Wells, in Harpcr's
Weekly.