Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1898-05-20
War and Weaitd.


between two great nations in more than cen
fury should be bitterly opposed by wealth. L
is consistent that those who own fouI- ffths 0
the property IN this country should sheer at {
war having as its object the freeing of "fev
mulattoes" and eXacting vengeance forthe muir
foreigners"
Before the smoke of battle obscures our Wis
ion and the thunder of artillery browns thu
voice of reason let us jot down few fact
which will be considered when the historian
treats of the Hispano- American war. 1t vii
be the province of the New Time to treat thu
war, its events, incidents and developments from
sociological standpoint. Ne believe the wal
to be Just one. This view Is strongly oppos
ed in many reform quarters, but the future vii
Justify the position of the New Time in declar
ing that this war is righteous and that its sue
cess will advance the causes for which this mag
azine is so earnestly striving
Wealth ever has opposed armed resistance tc
tyranny or forceful revolution for liberty When
wealth goes to war it is tor markets and terri
tory. Almost without an exception the ncf
men of the American colonies sided with the
English crown and raised tory regiments to fight
the farmers and woTkmen who attained our Amer
lean independence. They wined and dined the
British officers in New York. They contri but.
ed money to import Hessian soldiers. In the
war of 1912 the conduct of the wealthy was
even more infamous. They were guilty Of
H.
chants and traders, Massachusetts and other
New England colonies met in convention al
Hartford and practically seeded, They open
ed negotiations with the British and invited the
occupation of Boston and other seapoits. They
refused to pay war taxes or to send their quota
of men. AS result the United States was dis
gracefully whipped in the war of 1912, in spite
of what the school books say to the contrary
We did not win land battle until after the wal
was over. England did not concede point at
issue. Her troops burned our national capital
and laid waste TO our territory. 1t was shame
full record and the rich men of the day were to
blame for our national disgrace. They well
coined defeat as the price OF peace and profits.
Read any standard history and see if this not
correct.
The wealthy opposed the freeing of the slaves
or any curtailments of the "rights of slave own
ers" They mobbed and hanged abolitonists.
When the Southern states seeded they begged
the President to let them go in peace. They
raved against the income tax. They urged other
countries to interfere. When they found that
war was a reality they set about plundering the
treasury and the people with a success which is
matt er of history.
In the present trouble they ipstinctively al
lied themselves with the Spanish monarchy.
They declared that Cuba and the Cuban people
"belonged" to Spain They excused DeLome
when he insulted Mckinley They insisted
that the destruction of the Maine was an acct
dent. When it was shown to be an external
explosion they said the Cubans did it. They
argued that the most to be expected from Spain
was money indemnity, Theil papers, college
professors and preachers sounded note of Amer
lean cowardce more depraved than that of the
Toryism of 1916 or the potroonery OF 1872
1874 The weak Mckinley crinsed before
them. The White House became branch Of
flee of Wall street. United States senators,
with their pockets bulging with stocks, whined
for peace and denounced the honest loyalty OF
people as the ''jingosnof tramps and pa1pers
In the meantime they were unloading stocks.
The weeks dragged along, with American dead
rottine in Havana halbor and 1000 Cubans
starved each week The nation was ablaze
with indignation. Mckinley was being forced
into war, but he waited until those stocks were
unloaded and the threateded Wall street slump