The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1882-12-15

much painful attention and pro
vokinq much angry comment here
The claim made by the French
that on account of the utter Impotence Of
our nayy that of T ance could ruin every
American sea nort is felt to have much
ground of shameful truth. And here is q
fine opportunity for Mr.. Robinson. ef New
York, and othe doughty members of con-
gress whose pleasant duty it has hitherto
be to periodically twist the tail of the
British hon. 10 turn their attention to cut
ting the comb of the Gallo rooster. which
c VS. so Justify The farmer and the rler-
chant of the inland TO sns may often fluid
it difficult to appreciate the need for a
powerful and effeetive navy, and yet II
enters closely as powerful factor into the
question of his daily expenditures The
navy of any mercantile and maritime
nation is at once the pioneer and protector
of It's foreign trade, and when either of
The citizens named has to pay few cents
more fer his teas or coffees. for example.
because some foreign power has monopoliz-
ed the trade. he begins to find that great
navy is useful after all.
We all had chance to look upon the
we'll known pnysiognomy of Gen. Butler
during his late visit to the capital His ex
preston is simple blissfal In spite of the
fact that Mrs Julia Ward Howe refuses to
let him be presented to her. But he was
rather cross one daywhile attending to some
basiness in the land Office. An old gentle
man went up to him as he was writing
with furious rapidly with stub pen and
congratulated him. expressing wish that
his administration would be success.
The governor elect of Massachusetts did
not stop to answer, but growled
between scratching Ct The pen Ill en-
a csr afah- To- NOD
scratch, -opinion-scratch." The
President had him out TO dinner at the
Soldiers Home while here. He likes the
genial epublican-democratic independent
politician. and the governor elect is said to
he a tolerably accomplished diner out
Somebody asks What does this intimacy
with the administration mean?" Simply
that BuccaueeT Ben is our with afis@hiss
war paint on, bowling for the scalp of
George F. Hoar. The adm nistration will
help bin. Dick Worthington, the collec-
tor at BostoH. will assist in the ''downinz
process. If Mr.. Hoar lives through this
combination he is much stronger man
than any of his friends at present estimate.
Taking with Mr. Spofford. the able and
learned librarian of congress yesterday,
oncerning the new library building, that
gen tietnan said: 1T is the first want of
Washington at the present time. Over
450. QUO volumes are now heaped up at the
national capitol in shelf room and other
space which cannot accommodate 800, 900
vast collection of great value, including
over 10000 volumes of bound newspapers
are piled away. and literally hidden in dark
rooms down In the crypt. Every year
s.'me 10000 publications, books, maps,
charts, engravings, music, photographs
and chromos come under the copyright
Il
cessible rooms where it is utterly impossi
BILE to arrange or classify themss In fact.
said Mr.. Spofford with great warmth, the
neglect of congress to provide suitably for
this magnificent and rapidly growing col
lection of literature and art is beginning
TO assume the proportions of a national
disgrace" Dom PEDRO.