St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-07-05

tionss So far as can be seen by men of
common sense, the only reason why there is
such pressing need of navy and fortif
cations is that the job for constructing them
can be given out while the Republican party
has control of the government. That party
seems to be anxious that not single dollar
which can be made way with shall be left
in the treasury when it shall so out of
office.
There is not only suggestion OF hoggish-
ness in the manner in which the Republicans
treat this matter, but there are indications OF
an astounding stupidity. The conclusion OF
the Tribune, of Chicago, is that we must have
Notifications because we are liable to be bonn
barded by the long range guns of some
foreign vessel 1t seems to labor under the
impression that some forts scattered here
and there, and built under Republican con-
tractors would have the effect to prevent the
threatened mbardment. How many forts
would it take to prevent the bombardment
of New York by England's latest war vessel!
All the forts in the world, grouped
about New York would not pre-
vent any such occurrence. That vessel
could take its station far out at sea, where it
could be reached by no artillery in our pos
session, and where no fort could be located,
and could batter the city without interference,
and at its leisure. The talk of the stopping
of heavy iron clads, carrying eighty and one
hundred ton guns, with any sort OF fortifica-
lions known to modern engineering is pre-
posterous. The work of defence against
this class of vessels, so far as preventing
them from bombarding cities is con-
cerned, must be located in something
besides land Notifications. 1t must be in
torpedoes, dynamite, and marine processes.
The conditions of war on the ocean have all
been lately changed. Even the clumsy OPP
erations of the late war proved that fimsey
wooden gun boats could run with impunity,
by heavy land batteries. The English ''In-
feXiblen could run the gauntlet of all the
guns in our armories. and probably would
not be more injured by their pellets than
steam boiler would be by bird shot fired at
it from fowling piece.
In brief, the conditions of attack and
defence have so radically changed within
few years, from the Introduction of the
breech-loader among infantry. and
"a inches of armor, and one
hundred ton guns on the water, that the Or
binary Republican editor is no longer compe
tent to deal with them. His idea of defense
is an appropriation which should be expended
among Republican contractors for what he
vaguely terms sea cost Notifications. VIII he
kindly tell the country what he means when
he speaks Of seacoast defences; that is, If he
means anything apart from an appropriation
to Republican contractors! What kind of
defences would he suggest that would ac-
complish something more than merely to
enrich few men of the Chandler stripe? If
it really be the Democrats who are guilty of
opposing appropriations for seacoast
Notifications, then they are to be
! commended We need defences
but before we begin to construct them we
should know what is required under the new
conditions of modern warfare. A few earth
works thrown up here and there and mount
ed with 100 pound guns, might answer to
make some Republican contractors wealthy,
and assist in Kidding the treasury of some of
its surplus, but they would not in the least
protect our principal coast cities from being
shelled by first class iron clad.