The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-06-19
POLITICS AND GREED CAUSE DELAY.

advisers have decided to postpone thu
main Cuban invasion and the attacl
on Havana until after the rainy season.
1t is further given out that the suffering
in Cuba is to be relieved by sending 81
abundance of provisions to Santiago
and from that point distributed by fhC
| Cubans throughout the island to those
who are starving.
announcement of programme which
| the obseryant public has understood all
along.
The policy of the administration from
the first has all been directed to ac-
complish two results:
1. TO postpone the real conduct of the
war until the approach of the Novem-
Der election, and
,. TO make such conditions as would
warrant a big issue of bonds.
Many charitable people who have
been puzzled because of the Fabian
policy of the President, and who
refused to believe that the admnistra.
ton was directing all its efforts to Sc
cure the accomplishment of the two
purposes named above, are now seeing
that the logic of events is proving what
this paper has known for weeks.
The result of the Oregon election
shows that the war helps the Repub-
lican party. Every election in the Unit
ed States held prior to the declaration
of war resulted in overwhelming Demo
cratisc gains. 1t was apparent to the
most hopeful Republican partisan that
his party would be overwhelmingly de-
feated next November. Lit was in the
air. Everybody felt it. Then came the
blowing up of the Maine, the starvation
of the reconcentrad0s and the growing
Indignation of the people of the whole
country. Republican politicians sought
vainly to postpone the war until Sep
TENDER so that it would be in progress
at the time of the election of the next
Congress. The Democrats sought to
avert war in january when prompt ana
determined action would have prevented
the starvation in Cuba without war
Events compelled a declaration of war
in the early spring-in time for subdu
ing Cuba before the rainy season set in.
Mr.. Mckinley and his advisers resolved
that no decisive battle should take place
in the Spring. but that everything should
be SO managed as to postpone the wan
to the Fall. There is no other
hypothesis, except that of utter incompe
tency. upon which daliying and dallying
can be explained. Having contriyed to
do nothing until the rainy season, the
suffering and starvation in Cuba is to go
on for five months, and we are 20 feed
the Cubans Is there not method in this
policy? There is the deep-seated method
Of using this war to give the Republican
party a new lease Of power, no matter
what the sacrifice to the brave men
who have been inspired by lofty motives
to take up arms for their country's
flag.
The second cause for delay is to pro-
vide the syndicates and trusts the big
bond issue promised them in 1896. Why
do they desire big bond issue at a
low rate of interest? There are two rea
sons:
/. To perpetuate the national
banking SYSTEM that is a compact or
ganization to retain the gold standard
and give the bankers the absolute con
troll Of the governmental fiscal policy;
.. To escape the burdens of Federal, |
State, municipal, school and all other
forms of taxation. The consuming
thought of the multi-milionaires is, how
to escape taxation. They write the
tariff laws and escape it from that |
source, but they cannot escape it in !
cities and counties. The surest way is
to convert their accumulations into non
taxable government bonds. That is the |
certain way. IL man living in a city |
lends out his money ut ) per cent, he
has to pay a tax of 2 per cent, thus
leaving net profit of only 3 per cent, |
the same that he realizes from gov
eminent bonds. on which the interest is
paid promptly without any trouble what
ever to him. These are sufficient rea-
sons why the very rich clamor for bonds
and buy elections in order to force their
issue.
For more than a month the papers
nearest the administration have an-
nounced one day that the troops would
sail mt once, and the next day have
given plausible excuse for delay. This
has not been by accident but by design. |
There has never been any intention to
send the troops to Cuba, and the in |
genuity of the administration has been
taxed to find excuses to delay until
plenty Of bonds were issued and the |