The sun., 1873-10-27
Cnrruuttnn in tho NAVY.


than the navy. What was once an arm Of
national defence, which challenged respect
over the civilized world, and was the pride
of our own people, has fallen into discred-
table decline, and become utterly demor-
allied. There are MS brave, honorable, and
gallant mon in the navy now rs Mt any
former period Of its glorious history, but
they are exceptions TO visible decay in
tone, spirit, and discipline.
This change Of character In the service
has been most marked during the last four
years under the incompetent, dishonest,
aud extrayngant administration OF Nj.
RonrsoN. Us personal example Of neg
lect OF duty, his disregard of law, his gross
fayoIiiisn, aud his venal transactions.
have al contributed TO let down the
morc'c oi tho navy at home and abroad,
AMI 90 al.cuate tie confidence Which II
formerly inspired everywhere,
The navy yards are little else than mere
partisan machines, used 10y the Ad.aiui.-
tratiou 10 elect suhsorviont tools to Con-
gross. aud to fuluicate votes for carrying
state elections. Mechanics employed in
them are subjected 60 the most degrading
political bondage. aud the vast machinery
Of contracts unl Jo's t. used openly as AN
instrument of corruption. Costly iuaG-
rou- ara kept az in foreign waters without
the least ut.i.ty, for ,hc double purpose OF
providing "a mulitude OF useless au.i c.u-
s,autlv 0u-u,riiu- admhnls Win pom-
rous ,oiAm.nl,, .ad .lu.ui,rirg millions
of money IA Maintaining a parade wholly
..sN. a . ftsts
or the simplicity of our institutions.
Tho T. .rop,un command, which oIdi-
nariiy consists oi seven OF eight slips OF
war, j. nothing more than AN official
pleasure cruise or yachting expedition,
kept up ~ a cost OF several millions year
80 Cloufy the consequence Of - succession
OF freshly il,iecd adnirBls, and 90 iurui h
uayma-tcrs ana their confedointcs with
tho opportunity 10 p'udcr the Treasury
.u contract. aud purchase. The last Ad-
mirul. Alden, spent about half the time
on land, visiting all the capitals of Europe
and making his command the instrument
Of oNtortiug social recognition from
crowned h,gl'.
The total est Of The navy in th, year
preceding the civil wnr is stated 10y Score
tary Borrw FIJI at Sl2,5,1,15G. lie certainly
had mo- wish 10 d,uiui-h the figures of that
period ia maNlg ,t tUpali,ous With IT."
subsequent administration. More than
eight years llye oaN'ol since the pro,ln-
nation Of peace, Hud now the outlay foI
the navy is 100000 for the prcsru. year.
That is t. say, SlsW0O0o for the regular
service and - l,Ounc eco n round numbers ton
/ the first installm, nt OF new ship. that have
/ been ordered.
Under Mr. Ropre0V the service ha'
avenged more than twenty millions ,
year, and tho prediction may now be ven
tured safely that there will be a large dc
Hcicncy 10 supplement- the erhtceil mil
lions for the current fiscal year. That ha
become as regular ms the appropriation
hill, which in the first instance Is cut dowI
80 the lowest figure 70 mislcad the publ,
and then au0m ut,d by n deficiency bill
By this means the Secretary can nlway
add two or three millions 30 the appro
prIation, because Congress stands ready {,
register his edicts. Supcrnddcd to thes
huge appropriations, tens Of millions hnv
been acquired by the sale Of ships, materia
Of war, stores, clothing, medicines, supplies
and the like, not n dollar of winch was eve
returned to the Treasury until ConGros
ordered the balances to he covered IN
Even then MIR RoBEsoN contunaciousl
refused TO obey the law and 70 nnswc
satisfactorily resolutions Of inquiry Oh Ia
subject.
And whilo this enormous increase Of III
naval establishment has been made bC
tween condition OF peace in 1860 and
condition Of peace m 1913, the navy itsol
according TO the confession of the presor
Secretary, IS in q far worse state now tina
then. The ships are rotten ana wort,
less. Al the experiments have faile,
We have nothing but old hulks and cl
> pludrd theories to show for the hun
drcds OF millions expended on fayori
contractors aud visionary projects.
the sterling sense of the term there
no navy. AAd yet we are annually e.
pending twice rs much as when it was
y the most efficient condition, aud able
y confront the great powers over which
had achieved its greatest rcnown in Il
infancy of IFS strength
The total expenditures for tho navy
tho last war with ENGLAND, when it "
a advanced to the highest position aud cha
" lcngod the admiration Of al nation
, reached only Opc-hdit of what ~ now Il
y manded 10 cary il ON for n single Bca
" when tNcrc is not ripple to disturb or
- foreign relations. Here are the oflici
figures, ana they may well be conttast
~ with those of RoBEsoS;
-. FOR VI ~
y Tor lh SllJ
l- foI l'l4 bHit
Toiol for three years Of war footing ......s2 23d,
nj ono of the direct causes for the ncrea
pi Of these annual expenditures is the IL
n mcuso personnel of the navy, and the co
IN ly grades which have been created in /
lls Inst ten years, In the war of 1912, VIII
OF III" hest lauTcls were won, no officer h,