Los Angeles daily herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1884-1890, 1885-12-06
TELEGRAPHIC.
A Letter from Tilden to
Carlisle
ON OUR COAST DEFRNsEs.
Successful Races of the Pacific
Coast Blood Horse Assoeia-
tion--Day Dispatches.

.specfdl 10 the Herald bvihe Associated Press.
NEW YORK, December 5--Mr. Sam
uelJ. Tilden has sent the following let
ter TO Hon. John @. Carlisle:
GREysroNE, YoNKERs, N. Y,
December /. 1885.
DEAR Mr.. CARLISLE; As public
opinion points to you as Speaker of the
next House of Representatives | desire
to submit suggestion as TO one Of the
public objects for which an appropria-
ton ought to be provided, and liberal
one. In considering the state and man
agement Of public revenues, the subject
involves questions whether we shall ex-
tinguish the surplus by reducing reve-
nue. or whether we shall apply the sur
plus to payments on the public debt or
whether we shall seize the occasion to
provide for our sea coast defenses which
hive been long neglected. am
of the opinion that the latter
is paramount necessity which
ought to precede the reduction
of revenue, and ought also to precede
an excessive rapidly in the payment OF
the public debt. The property exposed
to destruction in the twelve seaports OF
Portland, Portsmouth. Boston, New
port, New York, Philadelphia, Balti-
more, Charleston, Sayannah, New Or
leans, Galveston and San Francisco can
not be less in value than five thousand
millions of dollars. To this must be
added vast amount of properly de-
pendent for its use on these seaports.
The elaborate aud costly Notifications
which were constructed with great eDgi-
neering skill are now useless. A mil
lion soldiers with the best equipments
on the heights surrounding the harbor OF
New York, in our present state OF prep
aration, would be powerless to resist a
small squadron OF war steamers. The
noioriety OF the fact that we have ne
elected the ordinary precautions
OF defense invites want OF
consideration in our diplomacy and
injustice, arrogance ard insult at
tho hands OF foreign nations. 1t is not
intended to recommend any attempt to
rival great European powers in the crea-
ton Of a powerful navy. We can con-
tent ourselves with adding but sparingly
to our navy, but what we do add should
be the very best that science and expe-
rience can indicate. Ii we do not nuke
the expenditure necessary to provide for
our seacoast defense when we have
surplus, and we have no need to levy
new taxes, we certainly will have to
make those expenditures when we have
no large surplus in the treasury. To
leave our vast interests defenceleaB in
order to reduce the cost OF whisky to its
consumers would be q solecism. Not
only doea the surplus in the treasury
supply the means to meet this great
public want without laying new burdons
on the people, but the work can now
be done ut much lower cost than has
ever before been possible. The deien-
sive works would consist almost entirely
of steel and iron. These materials can
now be had at unprecedentedly low
prices. 4 vast supply of machinery and
labor, called into existence by the great
vcssitudes in the steel and iron indus
tries, offers itself to our service. We
should have the satisfaction of knowing
that while we were ayailiDg ourselves
of supplies which would ordinarily be
unatininable, we were setting in motion
important industries and giving employ
ment to labor in ia period OF depression.
endeavored to impress these ideas
upon MIR. Randall the lust time ! had the
pleasure of seeing him. With my high
est regards to Mrs Carlisle and yourself,
| remain, very truly yours.
(Signed) y. j. IILpES.