The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-03-24
Painful Accident 10 . United States
Senator.


battery, the Arrogante, has drawn our atten-
ton to an accident ON this side of the At
lantic, in which one of the parties, through
his own imprudence, sustained severe in
juries. We refer to a recent collision
between Senator Blaine and the Secretary
Of the Navy; and the case is so instructive
to mariners attempting to navigate our diff
ficult political waters, and so well inculcates
the importance of extraordinary care and
skill, that, for the benefit of other Senators
and political navigators in general, we pro-
coed to recount the particulars below
On the 23d Of January last, the day being
fair, with clear skies aud moderate wind,
ceeded, with guns double shotted and crew
standing at their quarters, to open an at
tack on the American navy. In plain words,
he offered in the Senate two amendments
to the Navy 6ill-one of which was to estab-
lish a board to report what number OF
officers were necessary ''for a navy with
seven thousand FIVE hundred men" and
stopping promotion above the grade of en-
sign until further orders. The board was
also directed to inquire whether any navy
yards can be dispensed with and how the
expenses of the naval establishment may be
decreased. The second of Senator Blaine's
amendments was in these words 81
That from and after July l. 1885, only such num-
Der of the graduates OF the United States Naval
Academy in any one year shall be entitled to APP
pointment as midshpmen in the navy as arc re-
quired to fill vacancies of that grade existing on
the 1st day of July in each year; those entitled to
appointment to said vacancies to he determined by
the Academic Board the basis of their standing in
the graduating class. And II the number OF mid
shipmcn shall not have been previously fixed and
limited by law it shall be the duty of the Secretary
to SO fix and limit it on or before July l, 1888.
These resolutions the Maine Senator pro-
ceeded to defend IN speech of some
length, in which, unfortunately, he COM
mitted himself to quite a number of posi-
tive statements of what no doubt he had
been led by some one to believe facts. The
Naval Committee, doubtful, perhaps, of the
extent and accuracy OF the Senator's infor-
nation on this subject, asked Secretary
Thompson for his opinion of the amend
mcnts and the accom- panying statements,
and a comparison of the two documents
leads us TO the belief that Senator Blaine
will not touch the navy again-at least
while Secretary Thompson is at its head.
We do not remember a more painful &C
cident to United States Senator than has
rash collision with Mr.. Thompson.
AS to midshipmen Senator Blaine said:--
'.From the Naval Academy for the last four
teen years since the war we have added an
average of fifty officers per annum to the
navy, and we are continuing to do it. You
are liable to add from fifty to seventy-five
officers annually to your navy, and there is
no limit fixed by law at all to the lower
grade. We fix the limit down TO ensigns,
but for midshipmen there is no limit at all.
and you may pile in midshipmen until they
are there by the thousand, for that matter,
If you take time enough, and ut the rate at
which retirement or death thins out the
upper grades of the navy you will find such
a disparity between the incoming and the
outgoing as must lead to steady annual
| increase in the officers of the navy" The
| Secretary replies calmly that twenty-five
graduates annually, not fifty or seventy
five, is liberal estimate, and adds
There does not seem to be any danger of
there being a very large number of mid
shipmen on the navy list. On the contrary.
reduction may be expected. In 1872
there were 113; in 1873, 113; in 1874, 1903; in
1875, 81, and in 1876, Ga. There are at
present only Al He adds:-"rhere are
constant applications for this class OF Off
GERS from commanding cffi:ers OF ships at
sea, and very lew vessels have been fully
supplied with them, owing to their small
number"
So much for Senator Blaine's "midship-
men by thousands !" but he pretended also
TINT the navy was in other grades i'm
| mensely over-oficered. The Secretary re-
and fifty-three more officers Of all grades
now on the naval register than there
were in 1841, when we had only four
steamers cruising, aud the general introduce
ton of steam abundantly accounts for this
small increase. He adds that "besides the
service at sea, officers of the navy Of oil
grades and corps are employed on 'other
duty not less important and responsible,
though not in immediate command of men.
They perform duty at the navy yards. where
the care aad distribution Of stores and ma-
terial, valued at millions of dollars, require
professional knowledge. Also on the colst
survey, for which Congress, recognizing its
value to the country, appropriates annually
the necessary amount to carry on the work,
the photographic portion being conducted
by naval officers. Also at the Naval Acad-
envy, where the officers who have completed
their places as professors, to train and edu-
cate the young men who are hereafter to
take their places. Also at the Hydro
graphic Office, Naval Observatory and Nau-
teal Almanac, officers are employed in
work which not unfrequently brings nc