Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-02-04
COAST DEFENSES.
A Wide Difference of Opinion in
the Senate.
BLAIR signs FOR THE NORTH POLE.

MS fuea oil Flea Bite Attacked by
Hawiey-Owenby Lets Out Some More
Information About That silver Pool.
and says seven Congressmen were In
Noived-A Test Vote IN the Coinage
c.mmittee-sIonthly Report from tn e
Treasury Notes
WASHINGTON CITY, Feb. THE coast
defense question was again the subject of
aspirlted debate in the senate yesterday.
Gorman moved a reduction in the appro-
preparation for the purchase of oiI-tem-
2ered steel for high pressure guns from
q ,OOO, 0O TO $3.50. 0O0 the senate committee
having proposed a reduction 10 500, 600
Dawes opposed Germans amendment and
advocated that OF the committee on appro-
priations. Referring to Hawley's speech
OF Monday as TO the absolute necessity of
coast defenses, he said the committee on
appropriations was in harmony with it to
the utmost limit Of prudence. But the
committee found itself standing "between
the devil and the deep sea" On the one
hand 1t found itself confronted by Cock
felPs sentiment that there was no necesSi-
" for any Notifications whatever; by
Blair, who proposed to turn the fortiica-
ton bill into missionary enterprise in
Africa, and by Dolph, who wanted $780,,
10000 to he expended over several years
for coast Notifications.
Blair Would Gobble Canada.
Blair, taking up Dawes reference to his
missionary proposition, said that after
al the missionary was 4 greater force
than the warrior, and had accomplished
more good in the world lie desired TO
have til coast put in a condition of de
Tense Ii ever the United States were seri-
oasly attacked it would be By a land line.
Canada, he believed, would be the great
basis Of warlise operations against the
United States; and therefore il was that
Canada ought 10 be secured and made
part OF the American union. The north
ern line OF the United States ought to be
pushed back to the north pole, and then
ii would lie fortified by seas and icebargs.
He hoped that his amendment would be
adopted so that bill which appropriated
S4,O00,00O or 50 600 900 for war purposes
might also appropriate 100000 for the
promotion of universal peace and the ces-
sation Of war.
\ Criticism by Hawley.
Even LAP ttb~4uZ new lOTh CITY were
bombardeG and destroyed, that would he
but flea bite on the resources Of the
country, and would only serve 70 st;mp-
late the war feeling of the people of the
United States, and create such a rage that
armies Of invasion wonld be organized,
and would not lay down their arms until
the insult and the injury were thoroughly
satisfied
Hawley expressed his establishment that
senator's would make such extraordinary
mistakes, and would differ so totally from
men who had given their lives 20 the study
of all that business Nobody who studied
the art of warfare would agree with tbs
senator from New Hampshire when he said
that the destruction CT the city of New
York would be mere flea bite as COM
pared with the power and wealth of the
whole country.
Effect of "A Blockade of New York.
New York was the carotid artery, Haw-
ley said, OF the county, of its commerce
and its finances, and the blockade of New
York by foreign fleet would be felt in
twenty four hours in every village OF the
country. There were within the range of
long guns in eight harbors along the
coast Including New York and Boston, a
grand total of $500, 900, 900 Of destructi-
bile property, without any lequate secur-
ity against the vicissitudes of war That
was very large fraction Of the total
wealth of the country No power was 90
ing to venture on land invasion of the
United States In one sense the bomb
bardment of New York would be com
paratively small Hatter-small "a com
pared to the shame that would attach to
the idiotic imbecility which had failed to
have gun to prevent it.