Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1885-05-23
DAILY pOsT.IHTELLIeENcER



FOR The nrss tia.s sinss The RebeIlion
the subisct Of the eoasi defsnees Of sne
United States Ia nsesdvinG the attention
which Il demands ut the hands Of tie
press and the polilisL An able and e1-
psrisnesd cfhcor Of engineers has
pointed ous WITH cleeEnsss that IN
duoes con<sction the danger that our
seaport cities vosIId be IN, II a var Tfi6
any foreign power should occur. There
is NOT city on the Atlantic eoass Si'isn
would ros be entirely Of the mercy o. .
Heet Of modern irpnelsds. Even me
torpsds systems On which reliance nss
been placed are shown to be psscsieaiiy
worthless, and tho b1ng cherished Amer
iaau notion that something cO0ld Be
done quickly enough xhsnsssr the ne
esssiey should ariss, b ridieuled and e1-
ploded By the presentations Of . fsS ne-
urss and the siatsEnsnt Of few undie-
putsd truths.
A usual, everybody h unanimous m
the bslisf tina, something ought 20 oe
done. Everybody agrees that 10 u at
sara. a. well az chminally negligent, to
Isaye interests 90 yass al the mercy Of
any buccaneer who may cross TIE
ocsa,, with hes.l strong enough 70 Do
s.ro, them, all for the lack OF . 10"
forsiaeatious and this ct = TINA when
the treasury annually shows surplus
10 lsres that tha Gosernmeus cAiines
deviss means Of disposine OF 70, and
when In every city thousands OF labof-
srs are idle and unable 70 hnd work.
why not" say the psOpie, bring the
treasury surplus into eontsst with shs
idle laborers BY tuilding the fortInca.
tions which are 30 badly needed r
And 70 such . question no answer can
be given. The necessity Of q thoscueh
rebuilding Of orr searcoast fortinea-
tions has been acknowledged % long
that the wonder 10 that the work vas
not accomplished long ago. The Gov
eminent has had the necessary molina
tion, but the vork has not been done
The American paopls are so fesrfal Of
being robbed, and 90 foolish In thail
fear, that they refuse 10 spsnd mansJ
for the most necessary purposes. whils
pouring ID out iavishly Ia works Of ne
utility whatever. some contractor
would be surs 10 get the money; i
would never be applied 10 the purposs
for which /, IL intended. There 10
lob In the BILL" argues the member Of
Ccngrsss, a. he votes against an appro
priaiicu 10 proyiis proper defenssa for
our great commercial cities. Ineon'
sistsstly enough, however, be will not
hesitate 30 vote away thousands Of esl-
lars for the Improvement Of Cheese
quakes creek. or the dredging Of some
unhsard Of rivulst In Indiana or Mis-.
soari.
Nov, however, IL is said that deter
mined effort will be made 10 convince
the next Congress that the danger from
hostile fleets 10 greater than that from
shievine contractors, and that q WORK
Of acknowledged necessity should nci
b neglected from motives Of false
economy. President Cleveland is going
10 devote much ef his message to She
subject, and u IL sincerely to be hoped
that the old and 0ften dangerous cry Of
economy will no, be allowed 10 kill this
new effort 10 provide our coasts with
proper defsnses. In sUoh case the CRY
Of economy weula be not only danger
GUS bat false. II would be the economy Of
aicity that chooses tie losses consequent
upon greet eonhaerations rather thar
the expense Of maintaining q IRE de-
pAzsrnent Of the man who chooses "a
allow the wind and rain 10 enter his
hoasa rather thaa TO pat In new pane
81 glass.