The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1881-07-16
Secretary Hunt has scheme, which he

proposes to introduce before cong ress, o
reconstrucf;ug the navy of the Unite'
States.
We now have some twenty five hume 7et
officers, including those of the Marine
Corps, and about eight thousand sa' OR
and boys. The only real use for our ships
is to keepup the sham of a naval estab
lishment, and to furnish the pretext for &
pay roll of SIX m niops a yea. The 50
called navy consists of 10 first rates, 20 sec
ond rates, % third rates, 5 fourth rates,
and 2 torpedo rams, oil driven by steam
There are "a :-onclads (screw), and II
sailing sh 'ps of We ious classes. Here is a
tota' of 108 vessels, more than half OF
which are laid up on the stocks, uuder re-
pairs, or othe1y .se useless. And os the re-
naming number, over fourth are aporc-
priated to reeeis ,ng ships, framing sb ps,
and storesh;ps. The rest are scattered
over the world on five sta IONS and on
special service.
This is the reg 'ster of our wonde ri
navy aad it would be about as use1u3 in
time of war as a row boat and two wash
tubs The Niags-a is the head of The l'st
and she, who was once a good slip when
she was a sailing vessel, now that she IS
converted into a propeller IS so slow that
an Ohio liver ste nboat can sal s~oC1d
her. The civil war was an event which
necessitated change in our navy aud the
readiness of our people 10 meet emergen-
cies gave us navy, that While it was not
one to hold up as world wonder, yet
came out of the conflict with credit.
During the era of Grantism, beg ming
with 1869, -four years after peace was for
mally proclaimed, the Navy Department
was the officiel headquarters of audacious
corruption and of profigate expenditure.
Every valuable contract or purchase was
made to pay toll. Favor,tes and corfeder-
ates of Sccor Robson ruled the se.v Vice,
and at the end of eight years one hundred
and seventy-sx millions had been drawn
from the Treasury for tbs department,
with nothing to show for that enormous
sum but the sudden acquired wealth of an
organized Ring of thieves from Marie to
Gallon ala, and Naval Regis. ar of rotten
hulks and discarded machinery
This skeleton OF a navy was kept up by
peicing and patching and rebu ding du-lng |
Hayesis tei N, and now it has reacheddhe
condition when some II the Ships that |
were sent abroad are incapable of return
ing home. and others on this side can har"-
~ be kept afloat In fact the Secretary is |
confronted with the predicament that in a
short time his Adnirals, and Commodore,
and Captains, and Lieutenanss, and Mid
shipmen, and al the rest viii be compelled
to stay on shore for want of ships, and the
whole fraud will thus be exposed to the
taxpayers.
Secretary Hunt wants to build more and
better ships and If we are desirous of hay
ing navy of similar proper lions to that
of England there is no doubt that this
should 6e done But the question is, do
we want it? The likelihood of our b.
coming engaged in any serious compiler
ton with a naval power is so small hat
any navy we have is nothing but show
On the principle that ships built fifteen
years ago are worthless now on account o:
the improvements in naval mach merry, it is
safe to assume that ships built now world De
worthless fifteen years from now; and it
seems far the more sensible and chea, er
plan to build op'y so many ships now
as world do us in time of peace, and have
them a nucleus for larger end better
navy when we need it.
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