Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1876-07-28
One Hundred and Sixty Pages Devoted
to the Exposition Of the GrOSsest
Frauds and CorruptiOns of
Radicalism.
A Most Important Department of the
Government Surrendered TO Party
Purposes and the Aggrandize-
ment Of Personal FaVOrItes.
Chicago Times, 2jth.I


dred and sixty pages. 1t is 6
most mastery summary Of the evi
Gence taken, and is a fiattering result 0
some eight months of arduous labor
There is not a single dull page in thi,
| entire report 1t is as interesting as any
novel, and its varied pictures of com
plicated thievery will send a pang o
envy through the breast of every rasca
in the country. 1t is signed by all the
| Democrats of the committee, and by
Bmleigh, of Maine, a Republican, leav.
ing only Harris, Hays and Dsnford tC
wIite minority report. Whitthorne
TRIED TO GET HIS REPORT
in to-day, and was beaten back by the
| Republicans, q suspension of the rules
being necessary. The Republicans have
decided to keep out all reports Of inves
| tigsting committees, and they will have
| this power unless the house stays here
| long enough to have regular call of the
| committees. Tne action of to-day has
d,cided one thing-if the Democrats de-
| sire to get any practical re ult out of
| their Investigations, they will have to
| stay here until fall. A single copy of
| WhitthOTne's report was printed for eSch
member of the committee, from which
| the following most important feaures
are taken. The committee start out by
describing the onerous labors put upon
it, as the resolutions ordering the inves.
| legations directed an examination into
the affairs OF the navy for the Ia eight
years. They deplore their lack of tech.
nicsI knowledge, which, they say, would
doubtless have expedited their investi-
cation and made it more satisfactory in
detail, and in addition would have en-
nkl lnHf fEnt,n 70 nk1.l al
corporation which evidently surrounds
and controls the administration of the
navy department at the present time.
Pre- ably no officer connected with the
public service possesses as much power to
reward favOrite or
TO PUNISH A SUPPOSED ENEMY
as does the secretary of the navy. An
Objectionable officer is liable up0a the
mere order Of the secretary to be sent
to the coast of Africa or put upon wait.
ing orders, and the humblest mechanic
or day laborer in the nsvy-yards is
wholly dependent for the means of sup.
porting his wife and children upon the
pleasure of the head OF the department.
That the officers of the navy and me-
chanics and lsborers employed in the
navy-yards are conscious cf this power
Y.
made painfully evident to the committee
during the progress of their labOrs. Not
withstandiDg the difficulties encounter
ed, the committee have endeavOred to
discharge faithfully the duties imposed
upon them, and they thought it hest to
embOdy
IN ONE REPORT
a response to both resolutions under
which their lsbors have been conducted.
Under the head of the condition of the
navy they generally say that the first
inquiry in the regular order presented
to the committee was e5 to the past Gs
well as the present condition of the
United States navy. There has been ex.
pendad on the navy Fl ON the time OF its
organization up to the fiscal year ending
on June 30, 1875, as appears from the re-
ports OF the secretary OF the treasury,
the vest sum of 1858, 779 925 81, more
than one-third OF which has been eX-
pended between the year 1854 and tie
present time. By way OF
MAKING A COMPARISON
which will be ee3iIy understood by the
house and the country, the committee
call attention to the fact that the ex
penditure of the navy for the fOurtC en-
fiscal YER 1917 and extending to the
close OF the fl 3al year 1851, was $780,
456, S39 Is, while the expenditure for the
seven years extending from the close OF
the fiscal year ending on June 30, 1853,
to the close OF the fiscal year ending on
June 80, 1875, was, eJ appears from q
statement prepered in the office Of the
secretary Of the treasury, the sum of
$l60, 037, ,48l 49. The report comment
at great length upon the terrible fact
that we have
ONE OF THE WEAKEST NAVIEs
in the world and have expended more
upon it than almost any other nation.
Admiral Porter, in his testimony upon
this subject, says: 81 need scarcely say
that the Off 3eIJ OF the navy who expect
to take part in any conflict that may
arise between our count. y and foreign
power look with anxiety for an improve
ment in OnT ship, more particularly
since the West India drill made it APP
parent to the youngest Of them that our
combined force OF vessels YVES
INCAPABLE OF A SUCCESSFUL ENCoUN-
TER
with q fleet one-fouiGh as large built
on modern principles. Indeed, one such
ship ss the British iron-c clad Invinoible
ought to go through feet like ours and
put the vessels hCrS de cCnl6Gt in short
time, for she could run them down or
destroy them at long range with her
heavy rife guns.n There are pages Of
similar testimony from every officer OF
prominence in the navy. After quoting
from this evidence the report thus re-
capitulates. 1t appsars that in 1863, when
the present secretary took charge, the
pavy bore upon its register 203 vessels;
that by authority of law eight sloops of
war and two torpedo boats have been
added thereto, and that by purchase
three more, to.wit, the Dispatch, Red
Drave and Sea Weed, nave also been
added, making 216 vessels which should
now appear on the register, but in fact,
according to the secretsIy's last report,
there are only l47, 30 that II
VESSELS HAVE DISAPPEARED,
and counting up to the present tima it
is more, bsc use several vessels have
been sold since December last. The
committee have therefore 10 report to
the house the fact that the present sec
reiary OF the navy has expended IN
money about $4,000, ESQ; has used up
or disposed of ths material of more than
seventy ships Of war mi3us any proceeds
nut into the treasury, be sides other ma
terislI hsa contracted liabilities amount
ing to several millions OF dollars, and
hss to show ss a result navy whose
condition is described i'll the testimony
of its chief Officers already quoted. Un-
der head OF
.sPoLITICIANs IN NAVY YARDS"
the,reIe t says; IL is well known that
the principal items of cost in the build
ing of vessels OF war are in the purchase
OF materials and the employment Of Ia
Dor, being principally labor, and 1t is in
these itsms more particularly that there
hes boen eEtraVsgance and corruption
ON the part Of those who have adminis-
tered the sff,irs OF our navy. The use
OF the navy yards of our country as po.
Iiticsl engines is fact which, 1t is Rd.
mitted, has existed for q great many
years past. Their prostitution by poll
ticiaps of both pirties was carried to
such an exlrsme length that it became