The daily gazette., 1879-01-30
OUx WASHINGTON LETTER.
SENATOR BLAINE AGAIN.


ONE OFFICER TO THREE AND A HALF
MEN-sEvES NAVY YARDS IN THE UNI
TED STATES WHILE TWO SUFFICE FOR
ENGLAND-cIPHRR INvEsTIGATIoN-
THK BATTLE BETWEEN MR. coNKLING
AND THU PRESIDENT LIKELY TO RAGK
IN OPEN SESSION.
From our regular correspondent.
WAsINGToN, Jan. rs, 1879.
When Mr.. Blaine speaks he awakens
echoes, no matter on whstsubject. Some
says 1t is because of his peculiar Henry
Clay magnetism, but l apprehend his
magnets IN has but little effect on the
press that reechoes his speeches. |
think IL is rather his address in selecting
subjects of broad interest. His last speech
was on subject of the broad est interest;
II was In favor of encouraging American
commerce. He argued that the vast
sums Of money annually expended ia
keeping up a useless and expensive navy
were wasted; and that if a portion Of this
money were appropriated to building up
| a commercial marine 1t would do much,
indirectly, to give us real naval strength
in thousands Of trained and hardened
sea men. who would be available in time
of war. He urged the looping of of the
many useless and ornamental attach
ments of the navy, the marine corps, and
| superfiuous officers, and he showed by
statistics that our navy had large ex-
cess Of expensive officers as compared
with the British and French navies He
sho wed that we had in our navy one Of
| ficer to every three amt a half men, that
this ridiculous di.proportion was annu-
ally increasing by the addition each year
of so graduates from the Naval Academy
to the already overcrowded ranks of the
officers. He explained that we paid the
officers of the navy over So 100000 an
nually awhile the pay ofthe seamep, CON-
manded by them, amounted to only ST.
500, 900; that we maintained five expsn-
sive sailing squadrons, composed of
harmless old fashioned ships, to protect
a commerce that had long since depart
ed. In further comparison with the
British Navy he showed that two navy
yards answered for that gigantic estab-
1ishment, while We had navy yards at
Portsmouth, New York, Philadelphia, a,
Washington, Norfolk, Charleston, Pena-
scoa and Mare Island.
J The navy influence Is powerful in
Washington, 1t has rami fications in so.
ciety, II has lfriends in Congress, 1t Is
supported by political Interests for Ger.
tain Eastern members of Congress hold
their seats by virtue of the navy yards In
their several districts. Others have sons
and sons-in-law, fathers and fathers-ir
law, mothers and mothers-in-law, who
derive their subsistence and social posi-
tion directly or indirectly from the navy
| Observe the reply of Senator Beck to
Senator Blaine. Senator Beck's son-in
law is paymaster of the Marine Corps
salary $1,000 per annum.
Any child must know that the strength
OF our defence is In the sea. We have
absolutely no one to fear In this hemi
sphere. Combined Europe would mo-
think of attacking us on our own sol!
But either the British, French, German
or Norwegian navies would make it yer,
uncomfortable for our seaport cities, /
they would sail down upon US before W,
had time to plant torpedoes in the ap
proachcs to our harbors. Against th'
. Lavies of foreign powers We can only op
Ipose 800 seamen, 40 comparatively
harmless ships, aud 2,0l0 officers. Wba
policy can be more palpably pruden
than To strengthen our navy. But as MI
!. Blaine clearly showed this cannot be ef
Y fected, was never effected In the nistor,
of any navy, by building from the tol
downward, BY graduating astronomers
v French scholars, and accomplished par
i lor knights for the command of ships
Ii Sailors must be made of sterner stuff
long acquaintance with the watery ele
ment, with its mysteries and variabl
lmoods, nerves strengthened and brace
by long familiarity with danger can onl
!, xualfy men to go down to tho sea 4
ships.
Just now the Potter cipher investiga
ton Is attracting more attention tina
Congress, and while 1t Is not believe
that any thing of startling or sensation
al character will be- discovered, 1t IL q
= ready apparent that the investigatio
will not be without interest. and that
will result in disclosures of some hereto
10 fore hidden things.
Conkling and the President has at Ia,
resulted in a pitched battle. 1t was ca
ried on yesterday IN an executive sessio
n of the Senate, but, In all probability,
o. will be conducted in open Senate to-da.
Yesterday afternoon the Senate wer
r into executive session for the consider;
o. ton of the appointments in the Ne
>. York Custom House. 1t was general
supposed that there would be an interes
ing time, and the reporters fingered nei
the sealed chamber anxious to catch tl
first whisper of the result of the battl
r When the doors was opened 1t W,
learned that the replies of Arthur an
" Cornell to Secretary Sherman had bee
, read Thesewer voluminous and occupie
considerable time in reading, and whe
4 they were concluded note from IL
Secretary of the Treasury was read, asl
ing that copies of the letters be furnishe
= him. A motion that the injunction I
secrecy be removed as far as the lette
y were concerned was agreed to almost III
animously, and copies for the Secretar
President and members Of the Sena
were ordered. Senator Thurman the
J. moved that the matter be trasferred frol
the executive to open session. This m
with some objection, chiefly from M
= Hoar, but Mr.. Conkling approved
J. Before conclusion on this was reacht
the Senate adjourned. The fight vi
certainly be rene wed in executive sessio
to-day. A caucus of Democratic Sen
tors has been called this morning, and
is understood that they will agree {
some line of action to be pursued in T
gard to the New York appointment