New-York tribune., 1874-12-03

"tions, and little ones like Connecticut none,
"and this IS to be the policy OF the Govern
"ment, why the sooner we get rid OF the
"Yard on the Thames the better" This, we
take it, has reference to the uses to which the
Hon. Mr. Gooch put the Charlcstown Navy Yard
i'm the late Massachusetts, election, to which the
Hon. Mr. Platt devoted the Norfolk Navy
Yard, and To- which the friends OF tine best
"civil service on the planet" have habltually
applied all the Navy-Yards in the country
There seems tone of QuerlI,Ousncss In 1t
very much like that of the dissatisfied little
boy. who upon being refused green apples
whined out, "Brothcr Bilps got the mumps and
"Sarah's got the measles, and | can't have
"nothingn There's a certain frankness about
il. however, that in these times of economical
profession and extravagant practice IS qTltc
refreshing. Other States have Navy Taros;
why shouldn't Connecticut have one? Is she
to be imposed upon because she il small Z
That's the way to put it and really, since
there is no earthly use for any more Navy
Yards, the only way to put it,
The Ncw-L London Navy-Yard is not in New
London. II is in the town Of GrotOn, across
the river. Il consists Of n wharf, one or per-
haps two small brick buildings used as store
houses, flagstaff, and several acres OF land.
Two or three vessels lie at the dock, and two
or three more are employed to see that nobody
runs away with them. The whole establishment
Is a mile or two from any place in particular,
and looks so very lonesome that the two
towns in its neighborhool seem actually lively
by comparison. 1t has cost the town Of New
\ H., |l,o Of CnnupctIput
thing between fifty and q hundred thousand
dollars to get the land accepted by Govern
ment, and appropriations made for the i'm
provements upon it. For this outlay there
has been so far no appreciable return 1t
has not benefited trade, increased the po2u'a-
ton, or in any way promoted public or prl-
vate enterprise. The only satisfaction derived
from it is mild enthusiasm which the cltl-
zcns of neghbOring towns experience III look
ing upon its loneliness and contemplating its
possibilities for growth. The politicians OF
course use it more or less, in the way of
trade, as they do everything else, and we
observe indications that it will be drawn into
the next Congressional election in that dis
trict, it being very important to rcclect Mr.
S!arkweather, "who thoroughly understands
"it," and will make Il vigorous and doubtless
successful effort in behalf Of the Yard.
And Mr.. Starkweather will be running, we
presume, on a platform urging the necessity
Of economy, retlenchment, and reform. 1t Is
queer way the politicians have Of saying In
their resolutions that retrenchment is the de-
maid Of the nour, anu then nominating some
body for Congress who will make a vigorous
effort to get an appropriation for some en-
tirely unnecessary object. What they want of
Congress in general is that it should reduce
the appropriations, cut down expenses. re-
trench in all the departments and initiate the
reign Of economy. What they want OF their
own Congressman is that he shall "get some
thing for the deestrlct." Col. sellers repre-
sents the average politician. His is the
politicians theory Of government. What
they want is an appropriation That is
what government means to them. They are
in favor of economy, of cOurse-but in some
other dccstrctn A great many "sincere and
"thOughtful statesmen have confessed
within the past two or three years that
the Republican majority in Congress was too
strong; that il led to hasty and reckless leg
i.laton, and that it would be better for the
party and the country if there could be a
stronger opposition and parties be more evenly
balanced. We have never happened to hear
Of one, though, who wanted the balancing up
to begin in his district. :" It's q good thing TO
"evcn up,' they sly, "but there are reasons
"why it should not begin here" So too, "It's
"a good thing to economic, but not in this
"deestrict.' TIE TRIBUNE has heretofore
pointed out the danger that the majority in
this Congress will indulge in reckless and ex-
travagant appropriations, and make of the
three months coming "a short life and Il merry
zone" If they do, everybody will "get
" something for his deestrict," and none Of the
useless Nayy-Yards viii be abolished. But
it will not be wise or honest, and what is
more, it will be fatal to the party in power.