Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1899-08-25
VOLUNTEERS THINK.
AND THE ADMINISTRAT.O is
SHAKING" THEM.
The Unholy War for Enslaving = People,
That of Right Ought to Be Free, Can
Not Re Trusted to Intelligent Soldiers
Hired Men In Demand.

When the great American nation
said that Spanish oppression should
stop in Cuba and declared war to en-
force its demands the hands of the
president were upheld by united
people. Volunteers pressed forward
by thousands from every state. Most
of those volunteers were from the best
blood of the nation. The North and
the South Wed with each other in
this holy war for humanity. After
the war for freedom was over the pres
ident inaugurated new war for the
purpose of enslaving a free people.
He did not call on the states for vol
unteers in the war of conquest He
didn't like the volunteers very much.
They could think as we'll as fight. He
asked for an increase of the regular
army and he is now filling up its
ranks. A New York paper tells the
kind of men he is getting. Just lis
ten: During the recruiting last
paper reporters went through the
crowd at the Third avenue Office. The
men who came he says. impressed
the outsider as needy lot who had
tried everything to earn a living be-
fore they came to the shelter Of the
army. They ranged in age from the
minimum to the maximum allowed by
the army regulations and walked about
as IL they had at last found refuge
from the uncertainty of New York
work Those who were accepted gave
evidence of feeling great relief. There
was no more need Of care and anxiety
for the morrow The government
would feed and clothe them and take
care of them when sick, and the work
provided would offer at least diver
sion from the ordinary and promised
some little adventure. Yes, as one
man put it, the army was a refuge for
the poor devil who had Jared badly
In the civil battle of life"
And here Is what the Chicago
Tribune, lifelong Republican paper,
says of the enlistments: THE men
who are crowding the Chicago recruit
ing office number but few real patriots
among their ranks. In general, these
men, army officers say, are not enlist
ing because their country needs them,
nor because the flag is being fred upon
nor because the army calls them. The
extra effort to recruit men has merely
increased the production Of the or
binary output of peace times and
drawn in the lovers of adventure who
are out of employment, with an &C.
casional drop of aggressive patriotism
intermingled. The majority of them
are out of work and realize that it will
not be long before winter sets in"
These men are only facing pestilence
to escape starvation. Compare them
with Funstons gallant fighters or
Stotsenburg's heroic men. But then by
careful training they may make pretty
good killing machines, and as most Of
them have no friends to inquire into
their treatment or mourn their death,
they will not give the administration
nearly as much trouble as did the intel
ligent volunteers now seeking their
homes. They have no great states be-
hind them with millions of earnest and
loving men and women to demand for
them justice and fair treatment. Yes,
Mr.. President, you may not get as good
soldiers, but you will reduce criticism
to a minimum. Besides that, you are
also redeeming your promise to fur
nish employment to idle men; employ
ment in killing and being killed, and
il the war lasts long enough you may
be able to furnish work for every man
that wants 1t.