The Waco Daily Examiner

DECEMBER 14, 1884.

The Army and Navy.

Now that we have again a democratic administration we sincerely trust that some earnest steps will be taken to put the army and the navy both upon a better footing than they are now or were ever likely to be under republican policy. Since the close of our recent unhappy domestic strife our navy has rotted down to a few old and almost unseaworthy hulks, and the army has less than twenty thousand men on its roster.

In times of profound peace such an establishment is perhaps sufficient for the guard duty daily devolving upon the military arm of the government. But when the war cloud begins to thicken we feel at once the helplessness of the government either for offensive or defensive operations. By the time the census of 1890 is taken we will have over sixty millions of people. While in the main our population is orderly and law-abiding, yet from its very heterogeneous character there must needs be a heavy infusion of socialistic and communistic sentiment. Indeed, we have had practical demonstration of this fact in many ways and at many times.

There is nothing upon which we can rely when the evil day comes but the strong arm of military power. The army ought to be at least sixty thousand strong and so distributed that we would have a force sufficient to maintain order near each of the great centers of population in the nation, with enough to spare for the garrison of the strong posts on the water line which would be open to capture upon a sudden declaration of war, even by a fifth rate power.

We have a vast coast line, and in case of war with any maritime power we would be compelled not only to defend that, but maintain the strict integrity of the West Indies as well as Central America and Mexico. The Monroe doctrine contemplates all that, and more. To do this duty effectually we must have not only an army the equal of any other establishment of a like character in the world, but a navy second only to that of England, and superior to Germany, Russia, Italy or Austria. The situation in the east to-day is such as to excite the liveliest alarm. The chances for a general war are better now than they have been for many years. A respectable naval and military establishment is therefore necessary now more than ever, or else we will be placed at the mercy of every petty despot who takes it into his head to deal a blow at our yankee man of straw.

We are strongly in favor of economizing largely in other matters to enable us to work out these reforms without placing too much of a burden upon the shoulders of the tax-paying people. We have a country worth a vigorous defense. Our experiment with the principle of self government is of far too much practical importance to humanity to be placed at hazard for want of adequate means when the struggle does come. In addition, the establishment of a naval force by the government would be a most powerful incentive to the resumption of ship-building and ship-employing by the commercial interests of the people. We have no merchant marine worthy the name to-day. Twenty-six years since we were second only to England in the carrying trade of the world. It ought to be the leading measure of policy of the new administration to restore this. It can only be done in the way we point out, and the increased revenue of the government consequent upon our resumption of the carrying trade would pay all the costs of a military and naval establishment such as we speak of.