The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-03-23
WAR AS A BUSINESS MOVEMENT.

WAR As A BUSINESS MOVEMENT.
An esteemed lingo contemporary whose
voice is for war and which Is convinced
that the people Of the United States
would rise up and make short work OF
the spaniards were they not held In
check by the great financial interests
OF the country. attempts in recent issue
70 convince these great financial inter-
estsr that so far from being huriful. war
would DO a positive advantage to the
country and would give q great stimulus
20 business.
The contemporary aforesaid Is OF
the free silver persuasion and has al
ways contended that tho opening or
the minis OF this country to the free
coinage OK silver would bring about
a great Industrial and business boom.
II now thinks that war with Spain
would DO quite as much in this direction
as free coinage. war brings business
activity" says our contemporary. Every
productive industry Is stimulated. Rail-
ROADS are overpscssed with business
Hanks ind an increased demand Tor
money. The field OF employment for
labor Is wldened and capital profits Wili
bo more. Except IN It's coast lines the
United States has little or no shipping
70 suffer. and a peril that might Sppaii
England scarcely exists for US. il the
coaetwiss steamship lines suffered the
railroads would proAt proporuonately'
Even Il there were war and l. shou'u
be prolonged. American business inter
egts would not &c harmed
But If our contemporary he right why
were II necessary 10 have recourse 10 war
IN order TO bring about those most oe-
slrabls results? 1t Will not b Claimed
yo think that war in itself and OF ITSELF
acts as a stimulus to business y VIII
net help trade for a thousand Americans
n stand 10 against thousand span!sics
and aboot one another to death. Ihe
husiners feature in war IS the demand
which Ii creates Tor the products OF 'he
country. thus stimulating Industrial &C
t!v,ty and giving the farmer a pe''''
price tor his stuff. II the United states
government should 60 to wal II "ouiu
want SHIPS and guns and ammunition
and sabrcs ana horses, clothing ior 'he
soldiers and provisions galore. All tAeSe
things would give employment to labor
10 say nothing Of the destruction OF ci-
ties. which would have TO be reouAt IN the
course Of time.
The purchase OF such supplies would
nut a vast sum of money into circulation
and. accordingly 20 cur jingo contempor-
ary. the whole country would be n
state OF booming prosperity. But
question arises which does not seem 70
have occurred to our contemporary II
"a this: The money to carry on war
must come from some source. The gov
ernentA cannot manufacture 1t, as some
OF the Populists see 10 think, but must
get Il from the people. The government
will call upon the people for hundreds OF
millions Of dollars and will return 1t to
the people in the manner aforesaid
Therefore. we repeat, why should we
have war In order 10 get TINS great IhuuS-
trial development? II our contemporary
IS right in saying that war viii bring
prosperity, why not let the government
20 ahead and do just what it would do
if there were war, and yet without the
loss OF blood? Let the government raise
five hundred millions by taxing the peo-
pie: let It build ships and buy guns and
clothing and provisions and destroy towns
and build them up again, acting in every
way, we say, as though it were carrying
on war with foreign nation, enlist!ng
men; marching them back and forth,
supplying them with food and clothing
ard giving them a salary in money for
their services. II the jingoes arc really
after war for the sake Of the prosperity
that it will bring, then BY all means let
US have war without the fighting.