Los Angeles daily herald., 1885-12-10

ened Fortifications.
The message Of President Cleveland
was led up to by very interesting
communication from Mr.. Tilden TO
Speaker Carlisle in which the urgent
necessity OF strengthening our fortifi'
cations was dwelt upon. The HERALD
in its humble way has often pressed
the matters dwelt upon by Mr.. Tilden.
1t has seemed to it that genuine
American policy-indeed the very
possibility OF developing genuine
American policy-calls upon our peo-
pie to provide ample resources at
least Of defensive warfare. 1t is true
that at the close OF the War OF the
Rebellion the mere intimation OF Mr..
Seward that the United States looked
with disfayor upon the Macmillan
government in Mexico caused the
Emperor Napoleon the Third to with
draw his legions from the soil of our
Southern neighbor. But at that time
the United States had just emerged
from an internecine war which showed
that this country possessed unexam-
pied martial resources. The Merri-
mac and the Monitor had, simultane-
ously, made ii matter OF extreme
curiosity with all naval powers as to
whether their existing navies were
worth the powder 10 blow them to
Davy Jones's locker. Under the cir
cumstances, they were not anxious to
try any dangerous experiments. All
this has been bravely changed since.
They have been adding to their often
sive and defensive armaments during
two decades, while the United States
has been doing nothing. Our people
have been pursuing the happy 60
lucky plan of taking things as they
came, paying no heed to the fact that
they often come amiss, and when
people least look for disaster.
The voice OF no citizen OF the
United States has more influence
with the people of this country than
that OF the venerable Sage oil Grey
stone. Just at the right time Presi-
dent Cleveland reinforces the appeal
of our greatest living statesman by
taking ground, in his message, for an
enlarged and efficient navy.
The great impediment to ouf get
ting navy heretofore has been that
although plenty OF money has been
appropriated by Congress for that
purpose it has been, to use the most
inoffensive phrase we can find ready
To our hands, "hornswoggled" by
Roach, Robeson and their fellow cor
morants. Millions upon millions OF
dollars have been sunk, so to speak,
in the depths Of the salt sea Now
that we have Democratic admins
tration il ought TO be possible to
secure small but serviceable navy.
II il has been satisfactorily demon
strated that we cant build it we
ought to go into the markets OF the
world and buy the nucleus OF it, as
Italy, Turkey and Chile have done.
The United States have long purse,
and the iron shipbuilders of the
Clyde would do their very prettiest
to furnish us with navy. To buy
one seems to be about all that is left
TO us to do, at least at the start.
As to the urgent necessity oil enter
ing upon some modern system OF for
tifying the principal seaports OF the
United States there is no room
for argument. Mr.. Tilden points
out the five thousand mil
lions OF dollars worth OF
property which are embraced in the
principal cities of the Atlantic Coast.
Here on the Pacific Coast, with full
British and Russian squadrons at
hand, we are peculiarly exposed to
attack. The Chilian steamer Esmer-
aida could come up and lay San Fran
cisco in ashes. At least, she could
infict great damage. All the other
ports ON this side of the continent are
equally exposed, 1t is very pleasant
to assume that we shall remain at
peace with the whole world, but the
choleric temper OF u single man may
change everything in moment.
Instead OF tinkering with the tariff
and taking off the duty on foreign
wines, brandies, raisins, oranges,
lemons, etc, Congress would do well
in the next three or four years to
spend hundred million dollars OF
the surplus revenue in giving the
country a navy and Notifications
which will be real defense against
foreign foe. The fact should be borne
in mind that one OF the greatest ar
tillery officers in the United States, in
paper published in a popular maya
zine, has placed the opinion upon
record that it will take fully five years
to provide us with the plant needed
to cast the ponderous ordnance OF
the day. We can, thei elore, i'll afford
to lose any time in preparing for the
future.
PRESIDENT CLEVELAND in his mes