The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-12-05
UNCLE TILDEN'S MESSAGE.
The Sage of Greystone Anticipates the
President by Two or Three Days,
And Tells the Democrats the Revenue Must
Not Be Reduced, Because Money Is Needed
for Building Sea-Coast Defenses.

NEW YORK, Dec. 4-Hon. Samuel J. Tilden
to-day forwarded the following letter to Hon
John G. Carlisle
"GREYsToNE YoNKERs N. z. Dec. 1. 1885.
'sDear Mr. Carlisle-As public opinion points
to you as the Speaker Of the next House Of Rep
resentatlves, desire to submit u suggestion as
to one Of the public objects for which an appro-
priation ought to be prompt and liberal In
considering the state and management of the
public revenues, the subject involves the ones
ton whether we shall extinguish the surplus by
reducing the revenues, or whether we shall
apply the surplus to payments on the public
debt, or whether we shall seize the occasion to
provide for our sea.coast defenses. which
nave long been neglected am
OF the opinion that the latter is
the paramount necessity which ought to precede
the reduction of the revenue, and ought also to
precede any excessive rapidity in the payment
OF the public debt. The property exposed to
destruction in the twelve seaports-Portland
portsmouth, Boston, Newport, New York. Phil.
adelphla, Baltimore, Charleston. Savannah Nav
Orleans, Galveston and San Francisco-cannot
De less III yaiuo than five thousand millions of
dollars. 10 this must be added vast amount
OF property dependent for its use on these sea
ports. Nor does this statement afford true
measure of the damage which might be caused
TO the property and business of the country
Dy failure to protect these seaports from hos
tile naval attacks. They are the centers not
only OF foreign commerce, but of most of the
internal trade and exchanges of our domestic
productions. To this state of things the ma
chinery of transportation of the whole country
has become adapted The interruption of the
currents of traffic by the occupation of one or
more OF our principal seaports by a foreign
enemy, or the destruction of them by lombard
ment would infiict upon the property and bust
ness of the country an injury which cannot
here be foreseen measured The elaborate
and costly Notifications, which were constructed
with the greatest engineering skill, are now
practically useless. They are not capable of re
slstlng the attacks of modern artillery. A still
greater defect exists in our coast defense The
range of the best modern artillery has become
SO extended that our present Notifications, de-
signed to protect the harbor of New York,
where two thirds of the import trade and more
than one-haif OF the export trade of the whole
United States is carried on, are too near to the
great populations of New York city, Jersey City
and Brooklyn to be of any value as a protection.
10 provide effectual defenses would be
the work Of years 1t would take
much time to construct permanent Notifications.
A small provision of the best modern guns
would take several years Neither of these
works can be extemporize5 in the presence of
emergent danger. A million of soldiers, with
the best equipments, on the heights surrounding
the harbor of New YORK in our present state of
preparation, or rather in our total want of prep
aratlon. would DC poweress to resist a small
squadron of war steamers. This state of things
is dlscredltabie to our foresight and to our pru-
dence The best guarantee against aggression,
the best assurance that our diplomacy will be
successful and pacific, and that our rights and
honor will be respected by other nations, is in
their knowledge that we are in situation to
vindicate our reputation and interests. While
we may afford to be deficient in the means of
offense. we ca mot afford to be defenseess.
Our government has firmly adhered to the
Monroe doctrine, and even so late as 1865 it
warned Napoleon out of Mexico. 1t is impossi-
BILE to foresee, In the recent scramble of the
European powers for the acquisition of colonies,
how soon an occasion may arise for our putting
IN practice the Monroe doctrine 1t is clear that
there ought to be some relation between our as
sertion of that doctrine and our preparations to
maintain it. 1t is not intended to recommend
any attempt to rival the great European powers
in the creation of powerful navy. The changes
which have rapidly occurred by the dminution
of the relative resistance power of the defensive
armor of iron clads, and by the increased eff
cheney of modern artillery, which, on the
whole, has gained in the competition, suggest
that we should not at present, enter largely
into the creation of armed vessels. In the ques-
lions that beset this subject until they shall
have reached a solution, we can content our
solves with adding but sparingly TO our navy.
But what we do add should be the very best that
science and experience can indicate. This pru-
Dental view is reinforced by the consideration
that the annual charge of maintaining war
original cost of construction. In constructing
permanent Notifications and in providing an
ample supply of the best modern artillery
the annual cost of maintenance is incon-
siderable; nearly the whole expenditure is in
the original outlay for construction. If we 10
not make the expenditure necessary to provide
for our own seacoast defenses when we have
surplus and have no need to levy new taxes, we
certainly will not make those expenditures when
we have 70 longer surplus in the treasury
NJ l00 CT Hnfa
to reduce the cost of whisky to its consumers,
would be solecsm.
1.-THE present time is peculiarly favorable
for providing for this great national
does the surplus in the treasury sup
ply ample means to meet this great public want,
without laying new burdens upon the propie
but the work eau now be done at
a much lower cost than has ever be-
fore been possible. The defensive works
would consist almost entirely of steel and iron
These materials can now be had at unprecedently
low prices. A vast amount of machinery and labor
called into existence by great vicissitude in
the steel and iron industries, offers itself to
our services. We should have the satisfaction
Of knowing that while availing our
selves of the surplus which would ordinarily be
unattainable, we are setting in motion impor
tant industries, and giving employment to labor
in period of depression. With encouragement,
by the guarantee of work, or, perhaps if the
government itself furnish the plant, theinventive
genius of our people would be applied to the Gre.
alton of new means and improved machinery, and
establishments would spring into existence capa
pie of supplying all of the national wants and
rendering us completely independent of all other
countries in respect to the means of national
defense. endeavored to impress these ideas
upon Mr. Randall, the last time 1 had the
pleasure of seeing him. With my highest re
CARDS to Mrs. Carlisle and yourself.
II remain very truly,
IS j. TILDEN
''To Hon. John G.. Carlisle"