Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1898-05-13
What is a Bond?

The New Road, Denver, discusses the
question of bonds and greenbacks IN the
following terse manner:
Did you ever stop to inquire what
bond is? If you haven't, just take TINS
fact into consideration: 1t is simply Il
piece of paper engraved by the govern
ment upon which is printed a promise to
pay money within certain time at a
certain rate of interest. Now stop ana
ask yourself what a greenback is a
greenback is piece of paper engraved
by the government, neatly engraved; and
printed on one side is a promise to pay
the bearer. The only difference between
the piece of paper in the bond and the
piece Of paper in the greenback is this;
there is nothing said about interest on
the grecnback. The same government
stands behind the greenback which stands
behind a bond, and SO far as value is con
cerncd, one is as good as the other. 1t
has been demonstrated in the past that
the people are perfectly willing to take
greenbacks in pay for services rendered
During the Rebellion two billion, six
hundred million of greenbacks were alb
sorbed by the people in payment for
military duty performed and munitions
of war furnished. That hypocritical old
scallawag, John Sherman, in re-
cent interview says: "The people will
not take low denomination bonds"
Why wasn't he honest enough to adj
nit that they would take low denomi-
nation greenbacks, and that, too, with
out an interest clause?
Our present secretary is hobnobbng
around Wall street with Pierpont
Morgan and lot of other bond sharks
with view of floating $500, 900, 900 in
tcrest- bearing war bonds. You bet he
knows which side of his bread is buttered.
He knows that the American people are
loyal and patriotic, and that If they
were asked to absorb the war debt in
the shape of grecnhacl.s they would do
it in second, but DIR secretary OF the
treasury is tool of Tie money power,
and he thinks he OWES no allegiance to
the people when bon holders interests
are under consideration. The scheme to
float $500, 100000 new bonds will no
doubt carry, and we say it with shame.
That the American people will allow
such robDing scheme 1T this time beats
our understanding.
Even our sainted Teller has been won
over to the unholy Wall street scheme OF
bondage. We have always maintained
that Teller could be depended upon to
funk at the wrong time If he would
stand pat with Senator Allen OF Ne
braska, Senator Stewart of Nevada,
Senator Daniel ot Virginia, and that
class of silver men, the chances are ten to
one that before the money power would
permit an increase i'll the greenback cir
culation, with probability of it getting
beyond their control, they would agree
u II ucC CciilttSC lilCitSuIS, lSuilLiiiS thttt
coin could not be stamped as rapidly as
grecnbacks. But Teller, under cover Of
war excitement, feels safe in serving his
old friends, the bond syndicate and the
So far as we are person.
ally concerned land we only speak for
ourself though we trust a few of our
readers Will concur with us) we brand
Teller as a hypocritical old fraud and
traitor to the best interests of Americans
In general and Colorado in particular.
There is no more occasion for issuing
bearing war bonds at this time
than there is for declaring that gold is
no longer the basis of value and that
diamonds hereafter must be considered
i'll that capacity.