The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-07-01
Our True Defences.
, the Editor Of tho Eagle.

Recently Colonel Fred Grant said that
we need to spend one hundred million dol
lars upon Notifications and big guns upon
the land. How much we may be called
upon to spend on a navy. though. Mr..
Grant does not state. The purpose. he
assures US. Of this expenditure Is 10 keep
big ships from destroying or occupying our
cities upon the seacoast.
But why should there be any cities upon
the sea-coast? Some one may say that
the cities exist in order that We may con-
duct trade and commerce in them Per-
haps. But according to the views of a
great many people there ought not to be
any foreign commerce. When We import
foreign goods It is said that we are bring
| ing into the country the products of pau
per labor. that whom We export our food
We are sending away the elements Of fer
tility and that We are impOver,shing our
soil It is said that when We send away
our cotton we ought to keep It at home and
employ our own people in working it. True
we might want some tea and coffee and
| few tropical spices. but they could be put
upon lighters and sent Up one cur rivers
! in which the water is too shallow for a bis
| war ship TO go into.
| We do not really need any great haroors.
and If we blocked up the channels the peo-
l
be moved away-we would send the poor
people or into the country where the food
We now export would be all they could
| need We should also get nd Of Tammany
| Tigers and city bosses-everything would
be lovely and every goose would hang
| high Grand thought, this.
| II that would not answer. then we could
| employ the men who made the tariff OF
| 1850 to go one better by making a tariff
that would stop all our imports.
| Now look-what a lovely picture this plan
presents. No forts, no guns. no taxes to
pay for them, no Sums. no bosses, no
paupers labor products interfering with
home industry. plenty of work and plenty
| Of food, fuel and clothing.
| And then. what have we 70 do with
abroad. when we can all live well and en-
| joy life in peace and plenty at home
But somebody would say. II we had nothing
to do with abroad are you quite sure there
| would be something to do at home? Now
| what an isnoramus. Wasn't there enough
to do when all the goods were homespun-
| when the winter pork had to be packed. the
| winter fuel cut. and when all summer was
spent in getting ready to spend the win
| ter? Didn't they have enough TO do down
| in the Southern mountains before any rail.
| ways were made there, in building los
| houses-naking little corn and meat
weaving butternut clothing and distillins
moonshine whisky? What had such peo-
pie to do with abroad? What did they
| know about 1t, anyway?
Anybody but an ignoramus can see thai
all these cities are a mistake-all these
modern appliances a blunder-all our har
| bors a trap to make and keep us poor. anc
all the money we spend in improving then
| a waste.
But" interposes another fellow Of quit:
! different head. I'VE can give you better
way to defend the harbors and keep then
open. Build up the cities and make goot
homes of them and protect our commerce.
| with only few cruisers
Well, that is to be submitted to the peo
pie.
We make flour enough to supply every
body in this country with barrel of fiou'
| year, with hundred million barrels ovel
for anyone who wants 1t.
We make cotton enough to supply all ou
own needs, and almost the whole worlt
besides And we are the real manufactur
ers of iron and steel; We supply over hal
| the world.
Our best customers are the English, thu
French, the Germans and the Dutch. The,
can't do withou; US, and We cant do with
out them. We feed them. else our fooc
would rot. We ciothe them, else our FAB
RIGS would waste.
Let the other nations raise all the armie:
and navies they wan. to and fight amont
themselves as long as they are such fooi'
as to fight each other. No other nation o.
state except England, perhaps. has an!
navy that could do US any harm. and wher
they are fighting among themselves the,
need our supplies more than at any othe'
| time.
And while We are at it. suppose we reall!
make treaties OF arbitration, abolish priva
teer,ng, and unite our cruisers with thos'
of other nations 10 put down piracy ant
to keep the peace upon the ocean.
The true defence Of the country. then
seriously. is TO be found IN the service
commerce. Commerce lives and moves ant
has its being because 1t benefits all VIII
share it. The way to defend our HORRORS
and our commerce Is TO have confidence
the principle OF liberty and to maintain goo
will with all the nations who we serve Wit
our abundance and whoi benefit us IN tn
exchange Of products that we make Wit
S. RAYMOND JOCELYN.