The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1878-02-08
wAsnrNaroN. D. q. Jan Il

ssSttNsSasS tvt tssItNiAi ia
veatigaticn, undertaken gigantic work,
and if it can be carried through in
proper unparLizan spirit, it will result
IN great improvement in the Military
| Naval and Civil services. That their
efforts will be seconded by The Presi-
dent and a majority of the cabinet is
concealed, and, altogether the outlook is
hopeful for cleansing the mstaphorical
ship Of some of the scaliess barnaele,s
and most destructive toredos, that ever
intelfered with safe navigation.
The branch Of the public service
with which the average voter il least
acquainted is that of the Navy. It's
operations are OF the terra fra,a with
which we are familiar, and on more IN
cogiitta. Navigation, naval warfare
and defence, are subjects of which the
average American citizen knows no
thing. Hence it is easy for those who
love the navy better than their country
Ia powerful class has been educated to
love their navy more and their country
lesa) to impose upon the untechnical
representatives of the people, and make
believe that our penderous, extlavagant
and practically useless naval establish
lnent is just as it should be. Naval
officers have less sympathy with our
Eform of government and all that is
peculiar TO our land aud institutions
than any other class Of citizens. This
is, perhaps, no reproaeh to them as cos
mopelitan gentlemen, and travelled
scholars, for they have had rnre sppor-
tunities for observation and compari-
son. But they love the navy, it is
their home and country, and the stars
and stripes that float at the masthead
are to them not typical of federation
Of states Arriving in painful, doubtful
throes townrd purer civilization,
wiser, iuster policy; but of an Alma
4sfer, they call her "Uncle Sam" that
c lueated and epauleted them, and made
thcm an Oligarchy of elegant pensioned
gentlemen. In all that characterizcs
an accomplished man of the world the
naval oiiicersis far superior to his cousin
IN the army. Tho army officer unless
he has sufficient influence to remain in
some garrison East, is sent TO our front
ier where he is smoothed by attrition
with the gentle savage, and surrounded
with opportunities for becoming refined
and polished equal to those of Dutch
skipper ON whale fishing. But the
naval officer commences his public ser
vice with pleasure cruise first to Eu-
rope and then to Asia, while at every
port he is received with naval honors.
and frequently feted and feasted by roy
atty. Unless lie is made of superior
stuff be will contract aa exaggerated
idea of his own Importance, and look
upon his plain Democratic fatherland as
an appendagc of the United States Navy.
No doubt these gilt-edged officers have
fought, and win fight, for their country,
but no better than the enlisted man
who swings his hammock in the hold
and spends his pittance Of 81 per
month in the brothels of the first port
he reaches. How have we such poetic,
exaggerated estimation of the common
virtue of fighting for our homes or lairs,
an instinct inherited from our progeni-
tors in the lowest animal forms But
our war is not ON the naval officer ipse,
so much as with the expensive estab-
lislment with which he is identified,
which he has in a peculiar manner built
up, and which he almost alone is de-
Tending in its wanton, wasteful extrava-
gance.
Before the war we had no naval Off
Ger of higher rank than Commodore, a
grade that corresponds with that of
Brigadier- General in the army bat now
We are paying | Admiral, Vice-Ad-
miral, and IL Rear-Admirals. Great
changes have been brought about chiefly
through the influence Of Admiral Por-
ter At the close of the war he and
Farragut were as conspicuous on the sea
as were Grant and Sherman on land ];
but the astute and willy Porter outwit-
ted tho plain and simple Farragut, and
got him out of the way by sending him
on gilded mission to Europe. Then
he sat down and, with the gigantic es-
tablishment of Great Britain for mod
el, he reorganized our navy and made it
the cumbrous puss in boots it is-very
imposing in officers, official titles, bu-
reaus, and pay-rolls; but, for all pur-
poses Of attack or defense, as may be
gathered from his own sworn statement
before the naval committee of Congress
tive years ago-as useless as tho gor-
geous galley in which Admiral Cleo
fatra navigated the Nile
1t is necessary only to look at tho
figures for proof of the expensive top
heaviness Of the navy. $7,600,000
ware raouived tn nav the of1icers and an