The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-06-14
SiNtY-One More.

on Tuesday thrty-eight cadet mldship-
mon and twenty-three cadet engineers were
graduated at the Naval Academy at Annap-
oils, and turned over To the people 10 sup
port for the remainder Of their natural lives.
Sixty-one young men Of exceptional phys
ical soundness and vitality, who ought
10 DO especially we'll able to earn
their own living, after having been
maintained by the people for four years,
during the period of their education,
paid by them at the rate Of $500 a year
each, and trained at the public cost, with a
corps Of officers and professors TO instruct
them, doctors to physic them, and pay
masters TO pay them, all drawing large sal
aries from the Treasury. and numbering
about one hundred In total, are sent forth
with loud huzzas to continue a charge on
the people at an increasing scale OF expense.
All Of these slxty-one young men, with
the exception Of four only, who Mt once go
to fancy duty, are now at their homes
awaiting ordcrs-that is. waiting for the An
ciont Mariner TO scare up the scmblance Of
something for them 10 do. While they are
lOallng away their vacation, they will each
draw from the Treasury the handsome salary
OF 5000 year, more money than they could
make in these days il they worked from
morning until night at trade or profession.
1t will thus cost the people to keep them
the pretty sum Of $4,000 Il year, though
they do nothing more in return for the
money than show their PAGES at tho water
ing place hops. When the Ancient Mariner
Ia able TO make room for them on ships,
even now loaded down with officers, the pay
OF these boys will be raised To $1,000 q year
each, or SCI 900 In total.
What do the people think about this Do
they feel themselves able to undertake such
a charge In addition to the millions laid ON
them for the support Of the crowd OF officers
already in the navy, who are treading on
each others toes in the few wardrooms
allOat, or jostlng one another in the useless
navy yards
They must bear In mind, too that these
siXty-one pampered boys are only the
graduates OF single year. Next June we
shall have another lot turned out at An
napolis. and the expensive mill will keep on
grinding. Lot it work long enough, and
Instead Of one navy officer TO three or four
seamen we shall have three officers TO a sea
man. making our maritime establishment
something unparalleled in history. With "A
bNplN Va pD VI etAAlia ~ ~ ~ W a'tti w 81
ready have officers enough 10 nearly I'LL
all the space they afford for the slowing
away OF human cargo, and II the Annapo-
lis mill keeps grinding, we shall be called
on before long 10 build vessels TO hold the
steadily increasing surplus, When the OK
ecutiye officer bawls out his orders they will
be repeated along II solid epauletted line
which will stretch from the poop to the bow,
while the engine room will need TO be spa
rious TO hold the machinery doctors.
Judge DURHAM Of kentucky delivered the
address 10 the graduates on Tuesday, but
he omitted 10 call attention 10 the obvious
fncts we have presented Speaking on be
half OF the Bonrd Of Visitors, he called the
Annapolis Academy the best naval institu-
ton in the world Has the Judge seen
NIL the others There are none IN Ken
tucky that we know Of, and man must
have travelled far aud made the inspection
of navy schools business to justify hi
having "nO ho-ltancy in making such II
comparison, Undoubtedly the Naval Acad-
omy shows we'll, but We assure the Judge
that the most famous 5raluen ~ our history
mover sat ON It's benches. and that the sea
inauship Of our navy does not stand SO high
to-day as IL did before this institution was
founded. The best naval Institution in the
world IS a ship at sea, not n land school like
that which surprised the eyes OF the Ken
lucky Judge.
But, good or bad, we do not need tho Ma
val Academy. We want no more navy Off
ccrs. for wealrcady have too many of them
ii we stopped the costly business Of turning
them out at Annapolis for II quarter Of II
century, we stlll should have a full supply
But the sound ~ drums, the glitter OF
epaulettes, the flashing OF swords, and the