Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1849-03-09
ron THE SOUTHPORT TELEGRAPH.
F"n sot FHPORT TELEGB3fH
PLATFORM OF THE FREE DEMOCRACY.
No +

| 18th. Tha, we are opposed 10 all wars, except
for National defence
take these twp together, because the one is
reason for the other. That we are opposed to all
wars. is good reason why we should reduce the
army and navy ami wien the army and navy are
greatly reduced, il will be some reason to oppose
all wars, except fos national tleence But the
great harm and little good OF the army and navy,
and the great harm and little good of war, is shf
ticient reason why they should both be dispensed
with
The cost of the navy, in future, may be estimated
at ten millions. The value of tue property in this
State last year 100000, call it now fifteen
them keeping ur the navy thirty years more per-
ectly useless as it has been during the last thirty
years, and il will cost as much as would buy the
property of twenty States like Wisconsin. This
large amount might, with propriety, be call
ed the corruption fund. In proof oil this | will
state, that in the first ten months of the coon-skin
Administration in 1871 (and The election that put
them in power will long be remembered) there
were three hundred and sixty two officers added TO
the navy. In January, 1872 out of sixty eight
captains there at sea- sixteen. Out Of ninety
six COMMANDERS there were at sea, twenty one
This was the number in actual use, though thr.
teen captains and forty commanders had been so
lately added to number already far greater than
propriety wouldjus;ify.
All those who arc conyersant with the political
world for ten years back, will recollect the great
noise that was made about creatihg offices TO re,
ward partlsans for services in the election of 10
and these SOP among the rest. 4 bout augmentinc
the taxes, swelling the expenditures, aud running
the nation in debt. Well, what did it amount TO
When the other party got in power again, did they
discharge these supernumeries, abolish sinecures
and lessen the expense OF government? No such
, thing These officers were influential men
, That is the reason they got in. To have turned
f them ont might have injured the party The
noise was all bombas differing nothing in ,rnci
r pie from the irohy stuff about gold spoons, rose
bushes, window curtains, subtIeasury rotes and
national debt of Martin Van Buren, all TO gull tn,
people. The expense OF the navy is now two mill
ions greater than Ii was after the rewards of Harri
son and Tyler. This is reason why it SHOULD
at once be greatly reduced"
But what does the navy DO for us TO justify suct
enormous expense? Isit kept up for national de
t fence lso 1t is altogether inadequate. as that o.
England il. at least eight times as large as ours
and John Quincy Adams threatened Natchez with
her PaXhan guns, if the General Government re-
fused TO assume the State debts. II the navy is
kept up for defence we should make il etiectuaI Ia
do this and TO put out of all dread of the Pax
han guns, would require at least eighty millions a
year. To build such navy ill it with men and
stores-send it out 10 TO meet one of equal size
and ability belonging 10 neighbonng nation and
let them try which could sink the otfcr first
might tell well for the victor on the scale of glory:
but would tell a monstrous tale for both on the
scale of civilization. There is no more use for u
nation to spend one third OF It's income in preparing
to do injury to neighboring nation than there is
for me TO spend one third Of my income in prepar-
ing to do injury TO a neishboring farmer. Defence
indeed! VIII any one say that if our army and
navy were disbanded Tomorrow that England or
some other nation would come here and set up a
monarchy? presume not. But these Paxhan
gnns A word on that subject. England may
play pirate on weaker nations, bat she knows well
that the next time she presents of her Paixhan
guns at us she will be closed out from the hole OF
North America.
For what purpose does England kcsP up an ar.
my and navy2 Why, principally, to keep her
slaves in subsection; 10 force from them the pro-
ceeds Of their labor while they starve to death 1t
may answer, too, to occupy the time ofsoue of the
younger of the nobility, who are denied light
10 part of the land owned by their fathers. The
army and navy there, are used by the Joint stock
company who own the slaves, in place OF the over
seer on the Southern plantation
1t is an old saying, and, believe, from veneer
able source: Ia time of peace prepare for war
This may be very good doctrine but there are 9TH
er things of much importance to be prepared for
also. Besides, there are different modes of hrepa.
ration ToImpoyerish the people by heavy taxes
n time OF peace, to keep up a large army and ma.
Wy, may not be the very best mode of preparing for
war. A better plan would be, TO give the people
free homes free trade, free press, free education
light taxes equally levied aud rely on the free born
sons of America, and the lovers of freedom from
other countries among us to defend them and am
sure they wool1 do it.
But it is said that require a navy TO protect
our trade. Ii our trade is SO very valuable that II
can bear such monstrous expense TO protect it.
why not turn those fine large vessels into this pro.
Atabe trade, ard let them protect themselves, and
Ply there way as they so7 and in time of war ,bev
would be equally useful. One thing that prevents
ibis is, We have two kinds Of people among us tax
payers and tax eaters.
I pity the master whose servants are more in
teigent than he, and such is our OWE Ion political
~. II every citizen had fist of the items that
make up the ten millions of expense of the navy
they would throw many of them of, or raise re,
beilion. To show fully how this corruption fund
is managed, would GIL a large volume. The lin
its of a newspaper article wifi only admit of sam
pie. One mode of expending it is, by slnecure OF
fees officers on leave or waiting orders The lower
officers whose pay in the service is ght hundred
dollars year, get when leave, or waiting or |
ders, fo' the first ten gears FIRE hundred dollars