Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1898-06-30

earnest it is no time to consider
neither it Is a righteous or an unholy
he. The United States is In 1T and
order to maintain the stand 1T took
efore declaring hostilities that the
hove was in the interest of humanity
must be prosecuted fearlessly and
With diligence. Many precious lives
viii be lost in the struggle. But In
he conduct OF the war it is needless
acrifice for leaders under IA show OF
bravery to rush troops into the very |
laws OF death with wreckless daring AS
some of our officers already have |
done. With little less dash on the |
part OF our rough riders after landing |
on Cuban soil, and more considerable |
Judgment on the part Of those in com
mand the sacrifice of the lives OF ~
men and the wounding of many more |
might have been avoided. We have
ltreacherous foe to fight and our brave
boys should not be placed at disad-
Vantage by being rushed headlong and
unnecessarily in range of their guns II
the Spanlards can be starved into sub
mission rs reports from the seat OF war
seem to indicate, it would be far better
to pursue that policy if il takes all
summer rather than have one Ameri-
can shot to death.
~
1t has been demonstrated that the
cost OF war for the union was increased
more than $500, 900. 900 by the mistake
of issuing greenbacks. The greenbacks
deprecated with the result that In
buying war supplies the government
paid more for them than it would have
paid had it stuck to gold. At one time
it took over two dollars in greenbacks
to buy one dollars worth of powder,
bacon or corn. Since the civil war the
greenbacks have cost heavily every
year for the gold reserve required to
keep them at par. With this fact the
great expersiveness OF greenbacks for
war purposes staring them in the face
the Popolists and some Democrats in
the senate, having our Spanish war to
pay for, are trying TO repeat the disas-
trous greenback issue. They are try
ing to make people believe that the
greenback costs nothing" whereas IL
is the costliest kind Of currency Our
recent panic experiences are not for
gotten.
~
The battle Friday on Cuban soil
brings home To us with renewed force
the deplorabe certainty that many
precious American lives must be sacri-
feed to free the Cubans. Our fond
hopes that the Spaniards would early
perceive the utter hopelessness of their
defense and give up, are not TO be
realized. Spain is going TO defend
every last inch of her cherished terri
tory, and we must take it from her
inch by inch, at much cost OF human
life. War is dreadful in all its aspects.
1t is "a business that shadows with
gloom the homes Of its victims, and
makes desolate the field of its action.
The only pleasing aspect of it is re-
vealed i'm the fruits Of its triumph,
when those fruits are human liberty
and Independence and advanced civili-
cation We sacrifice our young men
to make free the enslaved. And we do
it from motives that are holier than
inspired the crusaders. Detroit Jour
nal.
~
The proposition to surrender all the
remaining confederate flags captured
during the civil war meets with no OPP
position from any quarter. The en-
broiIment of this country in a foreign
war has drawn the people OF all sec
tions together and has done more in a
few weeks To establish the feeling OF
brotherhood than was accomplished
before in thirty years OF peace. There
will probably be more celebrating of
the coming Fourth Of July south OF
Mason and Dixon's line than the aggre-
gate Of such celebrations there since
the patriotic custom was suspended on
the breaking out OF the war IN 1861.
For thirty years the south has made
Christmas day its occasion for noisy
demonstrations with cannon, rockets,
crackers and all the usual accompan-
iment of Fourth of July in the north.
~
The Republicans OF Ionia county
never entered upon campaign with
better prospects than at present.
With the utmost harmony and good
feeling in our ranks, and all at work
for one object, success; with the oppo-
sition at sea, unable to tell where they
are at or what port they are making
for, and with their forces scattering
and their leaders DESERVING the old
ship, the Republicans are assured OF a
grand victory. The Republicans have
leader that is worthy of their ut
most confidence in Geo. f.. Nichols.
He is leader that will promote har-
,nonv md enUpnder enthusiasm, "A