The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1880-02-14
Washington Letter.
THE PRESIDENTIAL OUTLOOK, OUR
NAVAL WEAKNESS, THE UNITED STATES
HAS NO FIRsT-oLAss SHIP OF WAR.
.lFrom Our Regular Correspondent

4 (From Our Regular Correspondence
WASHINGTON, ID. c., Feb. z, 1880
1T seems to be pretty generally con
coded by Presidential prophets il
II Washington that the race for nomina
ton is now between Grant and Blaine
/ on the Republican side, but very few
predictions are Ihazarded as to Demo
cratic presidential prospects. There
have been so many turns in the politi-
cal Kaleidoscope that the views are
somewhat bewidering. 1t is the opin-
ion of many that Senator Bayard has
a more solid support than any other
man named for the position. He is
the choice of majority of Eastern
democrats and of many influential men
of the South-such men, for instance,
as Jones of Florida, Gibson of Louisi-
ana, Hampton, Lamar, Butler, Gordon,
and many Others. Bayard's friends
only hesitate to organize aud push
him aggressively for the nomination
because of one thing. His state has
been classed among those of the
."South," and some of his most ardent
friends fear this might hurt him in
the North. Northern Democrats who
favor Mr.. Bayard insist that this fear
is groundless, and say that the indie
pendent conservative vutres Of the
North have more confidence in the
Senator from Delaware than any other
public man. Tilden is still prom
inently mentioned in connection with
the nomination, but if the Democratic
meGbers of Congress reflect the SEN
tinent of their party on this subject
he is not strong. The agitation of.
Seymour's name developed the fact
that he was a favofite, but his recent
emphatic declaration that he would
not accept the nomination if rendered
to him seems to remove him from the
race. Should the convention return
to the majority rule it is quite prob
able that Senator Bayard will have
strength enough to give him the nom
ination early in the action. Should
the two thirds rule be retained, how
ever, there will, very probably, be al
long and perhaps bitter struggle over
the nomination. The Democrats who
favor Mr.. Bayard are honest and ear
nest in the belief that he is the best
and the strongest man that can be
chosen. In this belief they will stick
together, and that will give him, pos
sibly, an advantage over other candi-
dates.
The present condition of the Navy
is in a general way appreciated by
probably every newspaper reader, but
few persons will be prepared for the
particularly unpleasant exposure Of it |
made by Mr.. Harris to the House, in
presenting q bill TO provide for a per-
manent construction fund. The re-
port sets forth that small as the num-
Der of ,onr naval vessels is, compared
with the force of European powers,
Infinitely smaller in the real fight
ing power; that the five 'sfirst rate
vessels we have are to be classed
obsolete and as stnon fcombatants.."
That ofthetwenty 'second rates.
there are eleven unfinished on the
stocks, rotten, and worthless sevenIl
are probably not worth repairing, and
only nine are in condition for service;
that of twenty7nine third rate steamers
six should be broken up, and only fif-
teen are now fit for service; that theII
six fourth-rate steamers arc Hof really 4
no account as vessels of war; that ,ofl
the tMenty-four iron-clads four are
'srotten and worthless number OIL
them unfinished, and the fourteen that
are servicaable are all ssfourthgates,,n
and carry only two guns seach-
of ive-inch calibre.
s'llhere is not say the report "a
single rifed gun on our iron-clad fleet
afoat." This state Of affairs is only
less ridiculous than it is melancholy, |
of course, and can be defended onlyl
BY those who see no necessity for even
tile satirical semblance Of q navy that
we possess. The bill looking to al
moderate and gradual reform which
has been introduced by Mr.. Harris
ought to receive considerable atten-
tien.