Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-12-05
DEBT AND DEFENSE.

The letter of the Hon. Samuel j. Tilder
to the Hon. J. G. Carlisle concerning oul
coast defenses-and the national debt
is most interesting document, and
marks The Old Man of Greystone a
statesman still. The coasts are practi.
cally defenseless, while the property ex.
posed in the cities mentioned in this
letter, according to the estimate OF Mr..
Tilden, is double what the national debt
ever was. The coasts should be defended,
and defended as effectually as science and
wealth can defend them. To do this there
is no necessity to cease paying off the
national debt, although the reduction
might not be so rapid as heretofore. Ii
the choice is between continuance
of the reduction of the debt
and the continuance of defense
less coast, We believe it would
be better to let the coasts remain defense
less for few years longer. The national
debt is still enormous, but not so enor-
nous that the nation may not hope to see
it so reduced in size by the close of the
century that it will be mere bagatelle,
comparatively speaking. Many things
are essential to the conduct of a great
war, or to constitute a great nation, but
the sinews of war, money, are an abso-
lutte essential. England has been ena-
bled to more or less sway the destinies of
the world more on account of her money
than her military prowess. She was en-
abled through her money to form a coali-
ton of the European Powers which finally
succeeded in overwhelming Napoleon,
while without British gold Napoleon
would possibly have ruled the world. The
amount Of a nations debt is to that
amount an incubus upon its resources,
and the sooner it is off the better. By
some it is argued that a national debt
is good thing, and that it serves
to hold a nation in check. Possibly
but one thing is certain, that such a debt
holds a nation in check when it most
needs full play. The country should be
put in such state of defense that will
not leave it an easy prey for foreign ma
vles in the event OF war between the
United States and any country, but to do
this it is not necessary to discontinue the
reduction of the national debt. The sci
9nce of war is in a state of transition.
md the absolute defense of to-day may
be absolutely worthless decade hence.
seems now to indicate that
he means of defense will be found in
superior offensive weapons. Greater
'ange for artillery must be had for coast
License, for the guns of such ironclads as
he Devastation - and the {" Duillio''
nay stand out to sea beyond the reach
II any OF our Rodman guns, and
rom their position of security
axe a metropolis. Less reliance is
'laced upon submarine warfare than
few years ago, and the experience
# the French in the Tonquin war, as re-
lted in a late number of the Edinburoh
teciew, proves that torpedo boats for
ffensive operations are almost useless
1here strict watch is kept and vessels
re provided with the electric light.
1t is now some ak months since Lieu
enant Griffin published his essay on
oast defenses, and that, together with
ne letter of Mr.. Tlden, will draw the at
sntion of Congress and the country to
ne necessity of doing something to put /
ne coast in defensive condition, and :
nat Immediately.