The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1898-05-25
OBSERVATIONS ON THE WAR.

Senator Davis before his colleagues
and admiring galleries in United States
senate crates about American patriot
ism and preserving the nations honor,
the plutocratic dailies parrot his utter
ances while the nations youth are in
cited to war;
Meantime Senator Davis is voting FOR
bonds that these same soldiers and their
children will be compelled to pay after
the war is over. He is fndustriously
working for leaden bullets for Minnesota
soldiers and golden coin for Wall street
brokers. When will Minnesota have a
senator with sufficient love Of country,
patriotism and honor to place Mime
sota's manhood above New York money
bags.
A parent with sons addicted to cock
fighting and dog-fghting would hardly
expect to stop such sporting practices
permanently by killing the roosters and
dogs. The sons could too easily replace
their loss.
The wise parent would separate the
fighting birds and beasts and apply the
corrective to the boys.
Think of stopping such dog-fght by
furnishing more dogs; think of breaking
up cock-fght by throwing more roost-
ers into the cockpit. Think Of stop
ping wars by reinforcing the armies en-
gagged. When the Rothschilds, Morgans,
Rockefellers, Carnegies and the worlds
other millionaire bondholders foment a
fight between two armies of the COM
mon people, intelligent public opinion
should not expect such war to cease by
killing the fighting men.
Wise craftsmanship would apply the
corrective to the fomenters of the strife
In the case of the boys good service
able rawhide properly applied would lie
the most effective agency in stopping flu
ture fights.
In the case of the bond-grabbing mill
lionaires stout hempen rope properly
adjusted around few necks would 10
more to stop war than the killing of a
million common soldiers.
The public mind is just now deeply
interested in a rich mans war without
fully approaching the fact that it is the
poor soldiers fight.
The great capitalistic manipulators of
governments foment wars, signal the fir
ing of the first shot, referee the fight and
pocket the winnings. They push the
button and the common soldiers do the
rest
The war of Spain against Cuba has
long been one of oppression and extor-
ton in the interests Of clique of Span
ish bondholders.
More recently another clique Of
American and European capitalists have
Cuban government and called upon our
government to protect those bonds.
The real purpose of the present war
between Spain and the United States Is
to determine whether the sweat of Cuba
shall pay the Spanish or the Cuban
bonds.
These two bondholding cliques are
controlling the two governments at Mad
rid and Washington; from these two cit
les they signaled the firing of the first
gun: they are still marshalling the
troops and engineering the fight and
through the American press are mis-
leading the American people into a be-
lief that this is a war to free Cuba.
How many of our brave Union SOL
diers now fastening to battle imbued
with laudable and patriotic desire to
free Cuba would knowingly risk their
lives to wrest Cuba from the brutal
clutches of Spanish bondholders only to
be given over to the merciless greed of
no less extortionate clique? To fight
for the freedom of Cuba would be indeed
patriotic To fight for a change of Gu
ban masters is blind foolishness.
In our late war the Northern soldiers
were moved by patriotic desire to
free 1900, 900 cblacks, the instigators and
manipulators bk New York and Washing
ton were actuated by the fiendish desire
to enslave 6eO0G000 whites. The pat
riotism of the common people is thus
made to subserve the hellish purposes of
greedy few.
Intelligence And accurate knowledge Of
the real facts, more universally diffused
among the soldiers of both countries,
would result in the reputation of both
sets of bonds,f an all around hanging
bee of bondho1ders if necessary, the free
dom of Cuba from both cliques of her
oppressors and the peaceful disbanding
of both armies.
A little target practice in the vicinity
of New York City and other money CEN
tiers and millions of lives would be saved
on the battlefields Of Cuba.
Yes, stand by our government, this is
patriotic, it is American, it is what our
forefathers fought for, it is the heritage
of noble blood and every loyal Ameri-
can will ever be ready to fight if need
be for OUR GOVERNMENT.
But let us suppose that our govern
ment ceases to be our government and