The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1884-08-07


nVltlNG INSULTS ANO hrrACFgD
Tho r.port uf tio engineer "nlnur Elm
Inrlr uflho rulst l.frus"s lis"lu f.- 10
condition ufumdrs that ought ~ Uu %
un.t numilntug mntl.r Ca tr.o people
lfthi. country u- well u7 n.Ic uf im.
mediate and rrout ruuDcr.r Tho trlu-
graphic report from Washington, pub
Iishcd hy NJ yesterday morning asserts
that both the Atlantic coast and lnk"
front, are In nu almost totally defense
less condition, ard what there is IN ihr
WAY ut Qualifications, h daily FALLING
muro ANA nor into decay. Tho same
thing /, true uf the Pacific and Gun
coasts,
such another case Of curclcSsucss II
neglect I'm 50 important II particular
cannot hc found today in any other
quarter of the world, and ought not to be
witnessed anywhere on the globe
until wal shall have become "
thing Of history merely. \ thou
sand emergencies might arise, where Il
would become necessary for the United
states tn assume u hclligcrcnt attitude
and possibly hc carried into active hos
tnitic,. What would then become ct
nur commercial, financial aud manu-
b featuring cuuterS without coast or mar
hur dcfcnscS?
puriug Mn. GNRrIUIp'S adminlstr1'
tim In BLNINE'~ "uggrcssiycncSs, hts
,.,iguruu, foreign policy and miNuu
lcr>tuudiug and complications witl
Chill, needed hut another step, n mcr,
shark ~ kiuilc ihc lame into wnr
Where would the greatness ot Sew
York, lis commerce and wealth have
brpu had one or two CHILEAN ironclal'
determined upon its destruction? u
the event of war with spain, MeNir"
any OF the European or South Ainef'
can Governments, san frah'lS
cn, Sew Orleans, Galveston
Charleston. Baltimore, New York
BOSTON. even Washington itself Will
their magnificent buildings and thou
sands of millions of wealth would be
completely al the mercy of amy mouori
. fleet. \ hostile fleet could in II da>
destroy moro property than would he
required to give us imprcgnabIc defense
from Maine 10 pugct Sound and place {
first class Navy upon the seas.
During the last session OF Congress III
effort was made to appropriate only !
little more than S3,UOO,0oO for our co"s'
dctrnScs through the annual Forillica
{. tions appropriation bill, but failed
JruGr IIASCuCK, of this state, ana T.
JuIlN ELLIS, of Louisiana, joined thu
Republican members Of the A%ppropria
tions committee and reported the bill
providing over $3,OO0,O00 for the pur
noses named, hut the minority re
mort for less than $l,V0,OoN, signcc
bv those rigid and narrow con
tractcd economists, RANDALL, iioLa'H
FonNEy, etc, who would save at tho
spigot for political campaign purpose
and waste at the bung. was forced up"i
the House, and a ~momentous, needed
public ]preoaution prevented.
Such parsimony, such neglect OF th'
public safety, falsely called economy, Il
next to criminal, and it is to be hoped
that during the next session, the Presi
dental election being out of the way, III
adco""te provision will be made foi
uuttinr our entire 60 lst line in a proper
state of defense against the stronges'
runs and navies Of the world. 1t i
short-sightcd craftsmanship to insiS
that we are in no danger from eNterna
foes or foreign aggression. In this day
and time of close international com
munion and complications of various
kinds we might find ourselves sadly il
need of a navy or II perfect system o
coast defenscs, or both. 1t is II wise
broad craftsmanship to provide in al
vance for all dangerous emergencies.