Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1898-06-03
SHOULD USE SILVER.
WITH CREENBACKS AND TREAS
URY NOTES.
these Were the Financial Sinews That
Fought tho Civil War and Ought to
he Used to Fight Spain-Republican
Go Back on the Lincoln Plan.

Although the people will be unani-
, nous in its prosecution, there will be
quite difference Of opinion as to the
objects Of the war, so far as Cuba Is
concerned, and as to how the extra rev.
enue should be raised to carry on the
war. And this difference of opinion
will correspond with the difference be-
tween silver and gold standard people;
so that war will not only stop the
contention between these opposing par
ties but will intensity and illustrate 1t
by giving something immediate, tangi-
BILE and concrete to fight about.
Bimetallists will, no doubt, insist
that silver, coined and bullion, and the
retired greenback in the treasury are
used before any other extraordinary
means are resorted to to raise revenue.
They will, perhaps. insist that the sim
ews Of Spanish war be secured as
were the sinews of the civil war; that
system of revenue raising which
seemed good to Lincoln cannot be so
very bad to Mckinley. Only the peo-
pie are now up to all the tricks OF the
money lender, and will hardly be In
any great hurry when the war Is over
to retire greenbacks, to convert cur
rency bonds into coin and gold bonds,
and to discontinue the coinage OF sill
yer.
Goldbugs, on the other hand, will in
sist that revenue be raised on the gold
basis from the word go, and that we
sell gold bonds instead Of currency
bonds, coming silver and issuing
greenh,acks.
II tae senate takes it's stand on the
one plan, and the administration on
the other, 1t may result in deadlock
as to revenue. But then 1t will be the
business Of the administration to carry
on the war; and the people will hardly
fall out with the senate If 1t stand
ready to furnish the same financial sin
ews that fought the civil war.
But the most marked difference of
opinion will be as to the purpose of
the war, in so far as it bears on Cuba,
and this difference will again clearly
define the lines separating silverites as
the friends of the great common peo-
pie, and the goldites as the special
guardians of the best citizen" men
Of affairs" and representative peo-
ple." One will take the side Of Cuban
patriots, therefore Cuban independ-
ence; the other will take the side of
the "best citizen" of Cuba, and of the
holder of Spanish bonds based on Gu
ban revenue, therefore of autonomy I'M
der Spain, or annexation to the United
States, regardless of the Cuban patriots
wish. One will intervene to give the
Cuban patriot the independence he
fights for; the other, to give him an
autonomy or an annexation that he
will die rather than accept n.
1t would, therefore, seem to be the
correct thing for congress to take in
PREVENTION out of McKinley's hands,
who, If he followed the traditions of
his party, will intervene. in the interest
of the "best citizens" or tories Of Gu
ba, by giving them an annexation or an
autonomy most distasteful to the pa
triots of Cuba. Perhaps the proper
way to do this will be for congress not
only to acknowledge the independence
of Cuba, but also to disclaim all inten-
ton of annexation, unless, indeed, the
Cuban patriots at some future time
should Enthusiastically ask for it. Thus
would the United States show itself the
friend of liberty, vindicate it's disinter-
ested maintenance Of the Monroe doc
trine, and put no stumbling block in
the way Of the Cubans who fight for
independence. To do otherwise is to
array Europe and America against the
Monroe doctrine, on the ground that
we maintain it for our own exclusive
ACKNOWLEDGMENT. We can't afford to
thus dishonor ourselves, our motives,
and natural sympathies as an accom-
mediation to the "best citizens" To
do so is to array the world and the
gods against us, and ought to.
F. ]. RIPLEY.