The times., 1898-02-23
MANHATTAN's MONEY KINGS.
History shows That They Have
Never Been Patriots

1 never bStn
The anniversary of Washington birth
day made many persons. owing TO the
| acute situation between America and
| Spain, look backward over some OF the
chronological events that have been
stamped on the pages Of American his
| tory.
In doing this it was found that sub
| stantiaIIy the same condition existed that
prevailed more than n century ago; also
! in connection with the war Of 1872. and
later the war with Mexico. and hnaIiy
the great civil conflict
History is with certainty repeating
itself In 171. when the colonists were
-agitating the question of independence.
| the great money power then in this coun-
try was as it is now conferred in 8Ianhat-
tan Island. These rich landed proDrie.-
tors and merchants. as "A body use.I
every effort possible To keep the people
loyal TO Great Britain, and when at last
their iabors to this end proved unavaiIine
and the bell of liberty rang out in i7Te.
the money power among the colonists
contributed to the support of the armies
of Great Britain, sent emissaries all
over the land to urge all wealthy men to
adhere to the cause Of the crown. alIeg-
ing it TO be the only means Tor presery-
ing the wealth they had inherited or
accumulated. Vigorous Tories We're
these money kings, but the right was
with the people, and their grand triumph
finally came
Immediately following this great event
in civilization came the outrages by the
British government. which insisted upon
It's right TO board American vessels and
search them. The patriotism Of the peO-
pie called forth a vehement protest
against the outrages. but the money
power i'm Manhattan Island gave them
no aid Instead of doing this. they de-
plored the outrages and then cried out
that the people must submit 20 them for
the new Republic was too poor for war
and that a repetition Of the successes
attending the revolution was at the best
but visionary. and the dreams of a few
fanatics.
Nothing but the wonderfully firm stand
of the President and Congress saved the
country from the humiliation these
money kings We're willing TO have i'm
posed in order to save their wealth
The President. Congress and the peo-
pie threw off the influence Of the money
kings. declared war, and as all know.
drove back 10 the shores of England
her invading navy and army.
When Congress contemplated buyine,
the louisiana province from France these
same money kings entered their hearty
protest against the plan. They declared
the country had more territory than IL
could support and that To acquire more
meant an increase of taxes that Would
prove to be ruinous. In every way p0esi-
bic ths money holders of Manhattan Isl
and opposed the efforts of the President
and Congress to make the purchase, but
fortunately for the country able AMI
honest men represented the people in the
executive and legislative branches Of the
Government. and notwithstanding the op-
position of the mOneyed interests the
province was purchased and as the result
has shown it was one of the greatest acts
of farsighted craftsmanship this country
has ever known.
When the apparent necessity for war
with Mexico was before the people Man
hattan's mOneyed people pursued the same
plan Of selfish self interest in an effOr-
to avert the war. They cried out with
one voice that war would ruin commerce.
bankrupt merchants. increase the n3-
tiOnal deb and cripple the country for
ever These money lenders pleaded for
their bonds. stocks and warehouses, ,Rnich
they urged should be saved at the cost OF
national dishonOr Again the masses re-
voIted from the clutches of the money
lenders on Manhattan Island. and after
u brief and well fought war the Stars
and Stripes were victorious and the great
State of Texas became a part Of the
American Government, and subsequent
events have shown the 7-isGOm OF tie
Government at that time in not following
the advice and granting the petitions OF
The money kings of Manhattan Island.
The struggle of the milliOnaires to pre-
vent the late civil war Is modern his
tory. and so is the fact that a great deal
of the financial support the South re-
ceived came from these bankers and
money lenders in New York who believed
for Il long time after the war began that
the South would prove to be victorious.
Since then the country has had the Sir-
ginus affair. the Chilean affair and the
Venezuelan trouble In each OF these in
eidentS the Wall street bcndhOIders flock
ed to the White House and begged for
moderation by the Government that their
wealth might be undisturbed. and to the
credit of the Government be il said that
in not single instance did their C0unssis
cause the Administration to recede a step
from the position taken. All know how
wildly Wall street entreated Mr. Cleve-
land to retrace the step he took in the
affair. but even if he had been
inclined TO accede to the money lenders
he had taken an irreVOcabls
step and he was compelled 10 abide by it.
and the result reflected honor to the eoun-
try instead of the dishOnor that Wall
street would have subjected Ii to.
Now that the present crisis has arrived
close students of history are asking,
.sWir President Mckinley finally rise TO
tine emergency or will he do what no
other President Of the United States has
lone 10 avert war. show the white feather
and heap dishonor on the nation that has
so greatly honoTed him?