Birmingham state herald., 1896-02-16
COAST DDFENSES.

COAST DBFENSES.
 The senate of the United States, which was lately growing over the Davis reso- lution on the Monroe doctrine, and drop ped that in favor of bill for the free coinage of silver, is getting ready to drop that in favor of a bill to appropriate $S7,- 900, 900 for coast defenses, to be expended a the ratio of not more than $20, 000, 900 a year. This measure comes at time when the government cannot meet it's current expenses out of it's current in- come. Therefore the money to pay for these implements must be borrowed, or taken out of a fund already borrowed, and at the risk of throwing the national finances again into oconfuson.-New York Post
 Surely there is no necessity to borrow money when the treasury has received5 $260,000.000 from -the.sale of bonds. There's should be present surplus of over s30O,- oOo,0OO.. This. money is locked up. in, the treasury, taking just that amount out ,of circulation. At a time when money is badly needed we should hail any proper means for eettiHg@it adrift amongBtheT people, There could be no better way oT) expending it than in defensive works OF, by building us a navy to cope with tthe, great naval powers of the world. Here, we fare demanding of Great Britain ac- quiescence in our views of arbitration and are making no adequate provision to enforce our demands. This country would be. in a, pretty predicament if we should be embroiled in war The Be- curityS of cornInerue depehds upon sea power. '"To secure respect to a neutral flag, wrote, Washington, requires d naval force organized and ready to vim. dicate it from insult or aggression. This may prevent even the necessity of going to war. These considerations in- vite the United States to look to the means and to set.about the gradual ere ation of arnavy." "A naval power," wrote President John Adams, next to the militia Is the natural defense of the United States" And nearly 100 years later President Cleveland has re-echoed these sentiments-"I am distinctly in fa- vor," he says, "of building up a thorough and efficient navy"
 It is very we'll to seek commercial un- ions with great naval powers, to provide for the settlement of international dis putes by arbitration and to trust to the honesty and fair dealing of our neigh bors. but at the same time we should be in a condition to defend our commerce
 
 line from invasion. We have now the money in the treasury to enable us to do vast work in this direction. To keep it there is to contra ct the currency and add to the popular distress. Let it be paid out upon government works as soon as possible.
 Those who object to appropriating and paying out this money received from the sale of bonds do so upon the expectation that by keeping this money locked up. the treasury will finally gather in ali the treasury notes and prevent further raids. upon the gold reserve. This would be a retirement and practical cancellation of the treasury notes It would be an in- direct violation of the law requiring the treasury notes to be paid out from the treasury in payment of public debts whenever received. We must either pro vide objects upon which the surplus can be expended or we must face a fearful and disastrous contraction of the cur rency. '-' s. '''
 Tn 1894 the following counties gave ma jorities against the democratic party in the August election. A change of the vote opposite each county would put them back into the democratic colt;mh Blount 100, Chambers 250. Cherokee 400 Choctaw 225s Clay 50 Cleburne 250, 0Sfps 175. Covingtonl 30, nCrenshaw 30. ,Gull- man 175 DeKaib loo, Etowah $50, lime stone 150 Lee 250. Marshall 350, Shelby 25o Talladega 15O. Tuskaloosa 100, Wal ker 175. Here are nineteen white scouny ties. that can and should be returned to to the democratic party. Which one ef the candidates for. governor can de ftP Which one can poll, the largest vote fn these counties? Is there any man at all posted on Alabama politics who does not know as a matter of fact that Cantaik Johnston is the man? Is it not cl IF 3o every one that he is the man to redeem these counties? Is not the redemptien of these nineteen counties of more iff- portance to Alabama than the indorse- ment or the failure. to indorse a national administration that is now about ready to retire sfrom business? This is ques- ton that must come home to every pa- triotic democrat in Alabama. The State Herald has the pleasure of placing before its raaders this morning the full text of Captain Johnstons open \ ing speech in his campaign for the demo- cratic nomination for governor. The speech was delivered yesterday at Thomasvflle. in Clarke county. It Is the speech of a statesman, patriot, demo- crat, a man who prizes the success of his party above the success of any ndi-