The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1884-12-13
NEEDED REFORMS.
Some Questions and Thoughts
Ponder On,
FOR THE NExTNEw CONGRESS.
I he Consular Service and the
Army and Navy OF the
United States.
To the Editor of THE HERALD.

To the Editor of THE HERALD.
We have been thinking of many
things of late, and with your permission
will throw out few dishes ofpalatable
food, which we hope Speaker Carlisle
and the Democracy of the House and
Senate will taste and digest thoroughly.
We remember the Lasker business with
shame, and fully understand that 1t
was the temerity of a Republican adj
ministratiOn which caused US to bear
the brunt of Bisnarck's insults. Such
an insult under Democracy would be
instantly resented.
There IS an amount of work for Dem
Ocracy which will require Immediate
attention. First of ali, let US have a
navy. Why is it disgraceful to notice
the rotten old hulks, floating the stars
and stripes from their mastheads, that
represent Us in foreign ports. Yet we
are a great nation.!!! Are We? If so
let US place navy on the seas which
will command the admiration OF the
world Let US show old Europe that
we are just whatwe represent ourselves
and place suitable ironclads abroad
DIOuNlN
float the dear old flag of liberty and
of the United States. Let
us take a view OF the different Euro
pean navies, and what see we? Why
England leading, France next, then
Italy. then comes the German princi-
palities, and even the smallest has Il
feet rejecting more honor upon It
than does the poor wooden excuses of
this great domain, called the United
States of America. Why is it that our
navy has deprecated? What has been
done with the immense appropriations
under Republican administration
What became of the immense navy his
tory tells US was in existence when
Abraham Lincoln was elected, in 1860?
These are open questions, and We must
conclude the moneys appropriated were
mIsapplled, perhaps used 70 hold cor
ruption in power.
Again, We have too large a standing
army. At the close of the war the
UniOnists felt il important to deny
suffrage, if feasible, TO the oppressed
whites, and elevate the negro for pOliti-
cal prestige only; and used armed men
rather indiscreetly. Now the tOcsin of
war has ceased to sOund-peace. pros
perity and tranquility reign, and yet
there exist some 5000 or 10000 en-
listed men in the army Of the United
States. II requires immense sums 10
maintain this force. 1t requires like
to maintain West Point
Military Academy. Do We need TIL
fOrceP If so retain IT, sit too small ? Ii ~
augment ii. A hint sometimes gains
prominence and is the motor power of
good, so we hint thereby. Reduce the
army. Bring it 10 the lowest possible
minimum, For instance. Retain IL
sufficient standing force tor our coast
defenses, let that be of artillery. Along
our Mexican frontier. let cavalry
force sufficient TO look TO our interests
be kept, for all know infantry are useless
there Let a regiment each be stationed
in the Indian Territory. and at or col
yenienj to the different Indian reserva-
tons. Why retain this force at so
enormous an expense when we possess
state militia sufficient in any emergency.
Ii our territory is invaded, a million
volunteers would come 10 the front.
Let the surplus saved thereby be turned
over TO the Secretary of the Navy On
The seas we need material for defense,
not on'the land. Or, TO sum up, increase
the artillery and cavalry forces and
disband al save four or five infantry
regiments. Past experience has proven
the utter futility of infantry, most not. =
bly In the Sitting Bull campaign. Are
We right? We simply 'hiit, let Others
speaF.
Now to cur consular service. Many
foreign posts, designed to be held by
citizens of the United. States, are now
held by proxy. BY proxy We mean
that aliens do the work, and many ap-
pointed to represent Us. scarcely
see their posts at all. Such has been the
abuse Of service, which, above ali
should be pre-emineDtly occupied by
loyal Americans, for in the capacity of
Consul the greatest and most powerful
country is represented. But Democ-
acy will reetify ali this, and those hon
irable positions will be filled as III the
palmy days prior 10 1850 Again the
American II. erchantmen will float, snd
no longer will We pay tribute 10 English
mariners. The exec siYe tariff on ship
building material will be removed and
then we will recover our lost prestige.
How proudly would we feel, II Ne should
visit Europe. to see our flag hODOrPd
and respected; but at present, and un-
der existing circumstances, il Is not
We are hnbecile, so TO speak, and
Europe is not afraid of az Oh the seas.
Tariff and Revenue" is our motto, and
il must, snail and Kill be observed by
Democracy.
To help pay the enormous debt con-
tracted under Republican regime, the
decrease Of the army to 10000 men ana
the moneys thus saved would equal
naval appropriations and be Of immense
value in releasing Us from bondage.
That NapoleOnic idea-"In time OF
peace prepare for war" is not Demo
cratic. In Europe where q nations
engenderS eDmity that would
do; but here IN the United States, far
away from any other but pauper.
imbecile countries. We are sale With
out an army OF larger size than barely
sufficient for coast and frontier defences.