The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-12-24

occasionally referring to Mr.. Stewards famous
purchase Of 81, 900 worth Of 'cebergs,
polar bears, and sterile mountains" "T.
W." regards this course on the part of GER
tain Republican papers as eminently ridicu-
lous, for the reason that Republican Senate
ratified the purchase, and Republican House
Of Representatives appropriated the money
required to consumm ate it.
But the very fact that Republican House
of Representatives did make the appropriation
is one of the chief causes of complsint of GER
tain Republican jour nails. Not that we we're
opposed TO the appropriation Of the 81. 200, 600
by the House, for, as we have repeatedly
argued, there was no alternative after the
Senate had once determined to set Mr.. Seward
up in the ice business. But during the past
month the telegraph wires leading from Wash
ington have been loaded with certain ugly
looking rumors as to the manner in which the
House was persuaded to make the appropria-
tion in question. Mr.. Seward has declared
that, for himself, he knows nothing about the
truth or fasity of these rumors, and we are
bound to believe him, for we cannot be con-
vinced that statesman who devotes whole
volume of diplomatic buncombs to the state
ment of a fact which could be readily en-
braced in half dozen lines, would waste
enough of his Invaluable time to give cur
renoy to anything that verged upon fslsehood.
Yet Mr.. Seward took the initiative step which
led to our acquisition of the icebergs and polar
bears and to all the ugly rumors about the
manner in which they were acquired aud
this feet can not but recall to our minds
the circumstance that the investment was
about as unsatisfactory as was that of tn.
man who took chance in an Oriental lottery
and drew white elephant as prize. In.
deed, the family resemblance between the
white elephant and the polar bear is so strik-
ing that we are inclined to get at loggerheads
with the naturalists by regarding them as
merely different species of the same genus o.
quadrupeds. Therefore we greatly fear tha,
the head of tn firm of Weed, Seward & Co.
will have his equsnimity disturbed by these
ridiculous Republican journals, whenever the
icebergs and the polar bears creep into print
on any pretense whatever.
Bat we wish more especially to note, in this
connection, the circumstances that, in the same
number of Mr.. Weeds paper, the New York
Commercial AdcertiSer, we find "The Philadel.
phia Lobby paraded in startling headlines.
in conjunction with ''The League Island Pro
ject." The special Washington despatch over
which these clap trap lines are displayed
merely refers to the visit Of Mayor McMichael
ard delegaton of the City Council of Phila
delphia to Washington for the purpose of pre-
senting the title-deeds to League Island to the
Government. The insiuuation that the gift Of
League Island to the United States by the CITY
of Pbiladelphis was "lobby" project is
about as reckless an insinuation as could be
made. Believing that the site was, in all re-
spects, the most desirable on the Atlantic
coast for the purposes of great iron clad
naval station, the city of Philadelphia pro-
cured clear and upip l1mbered title to the
island and its surroundings, at an enormous
expense, and offered it to the Government as
free gift. The Government hesitated
long before accepting the proffer.
All the competing sites were examined
by disinterestsd commissions appointed by
the Navy Department for the purpose, and so
overwhelming was the evidence in favor OF the
eligibility and economy of League Island, that
Secretary Welles, a Connecticut man. who is
naturally supposed to favor, to a reasonable
extent at least, the interests of his own State,
was forced to throw his influence into the scale
in favor of its selection, as opposed to the
New London site, and all the other projected
sites. In this view of the case, the lobby in
sinuation appears extremely weak; and when
it is remembered that the favorable action of
the Senate in the matter was notoriously the
result of the advocacy of Senators Grimes of
Iowa and Hendricks of Indiana, it grows
a lmost too weak for notice at our hands.
Both League Island aud Alaska are the
property of the United States, and she must
make the best of her bargains in both cases.
To what earthly use the latter can be put we
cannot Imagine, unless it may be made to
serve as summer resort for Mr.. Seward, Mr..
Robert J. Walker, and Mr.. D. C. Forney
Happily there can be raised no such perplex-
ing question about Lssgue Island. 1t is the
duty of Congress to provide at once the money
necessary for commencing the improvements
which will BE- required TO render its great
natural advantages available. This outlay, or
at least the greater portion of it, will not be a
permanent ore; for, as soon as the improve
ments are fairly under way, the old Navy
YaId can be dismantled aud abandoned, and
the site and buildings disposed of by the
Government for a handsome consideration
And the sooner the permanent improvements
II non LPa0ue Island are cOmmAncad nv tina