Connecticut western news., 1898-06-02
SBe Ne Ready.'

of some newspapers to ask why suoh and such thing is not done, in our war with Spain. A fire in the rear is not the best way to remedy existing evils. Undoubtedly it would have been an ex- cellent thing to have immediately rein forced Admiral Dewey at Manila. with both ships and men. Undoubtedly that would have been done had the country had either war ships or warriors to send to bis aid promptly. The coun- try did not have them, and so could not send them. They had to be got ready. before they could be sent, and it takes time to get an army ready. Why were they not resdys Because the peanut politicians in Washington, for quarter ofa century have steadily pursued a mean. niggardly policy with both the army and the navy, in voting appropria- tions to build decent navy or to sup port fair sized army. The navy of the United States, had it been what it ought to have been in the number Of its ships. at the beginning of this war with Spain. would have ended this war in short order.
 Thanks to the little seuled politicians who have in twenty-five years squander- cd $25O. GOO. 900 in digging out mud holes and creeks in their congressional districts, and in erecting post office buildings at home, so as to keep them- selves solid with their constituents, the navy was allowed to grow at sloth's pace. the army was choked to death, and the work of fortifying our harbors, even, was allowed to drag along at snail's pace, year in and year out. These men sat in the halls of Congress with their brogans up on their desks, and year in and year out, cut down the appropriations asked for to safeguard the Nation, and te protect the great sea-board cities, reckless of the fact that foreign fleet could in three hours batter down g great city, and do mora damage in money value than it would have taken to have made that city invulnerable. People laughed at the idea of foreign war, and plumed themselves upon the boast that "No nation dared to tackle Uncle Sam" Even the newspapers that are now bang ing their pop-guns with their fire in the rear, were only year ago demanding that the regular army be reduced still further than it already had been.
 Now comes "the tug of war;" No one wants the regular army reduced, bat everyone now regrets that instead of 8 few. skeleton regiments, the regular army does not consist of at least 100, 900 we'll armed and equipped, and we'll dis ciplined men. No one wants the navy appropriations for ships reduced, but everyone realizes that we need moro ships, and stronger Notifications. and all is hurry and push all over the land, to provide proper ships. proper guns, proper equipments, proper Qualifications, and proper army and naval force. It takes time to build modern war ships, and to create modern guns, and to build modern Qualifications that will withstand the fire of the artil- lery carried by modern fleets. Where would this land have been now, had our antagonist been some European nation with vast army and formidable navy at it's beck and call.
 The question is easy of answer-this great nation would have been down up on it's marrow bones, supping sorrow from the cup of grief. the laughing stock of all the world-and all because it neglected, through long series of years of peace and plenty. to put itself into defensive condition.
 Every newspaper. that is, every news paper that is imbued by patriotism or whose publisher has an ounce of love of country in his composition, ought to say to every congressman in this land, no matter what his politics, "Unless you are ready to sustain, generously all efforts to increase the army and the navy of the United States, you may count on the opposition of this paper to your election. You shan't make this country football for Europe to kick hither sud thither at it's pleasure, with my consent" If the newspapers of the land did this, the men who are seeking place as congressman would tumble over themselves in their haste to do justice to the country in this matter.
 In the face of the tremendous arma- ments of Europe. ready at any moment to belch forth at any object that stands in the way of their encroschment. either in South America, or Asia, or Africa, it behooyes this nation to be prepared for any emergency that may arise. Its very existence may depend upon its ability to protect itself. The United States may be peace loving, it may be slow to anger. slow to seek a quarrel, slow to seek even justification for inter- fering where long continued injustice has been prscticed, and get the day and the hour when the tocsin of war may be sounded by foreign nation may come so quickly that no time can be allowed for preparation.
 Be ye ready then, is the watchword, for in the midst of the profoundest peace that this country has ever known, when the skies looked promising, when and declaring that there could be no war, aR American battleship, in the har- Dor of an ostensibly friendly nation. up- on friendly mission, was blown into chaotic mass of curled and twisted iron and steel, and three hundred of it's gal lo nk