Arkansas weekly mansion., 1884-03-22
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our Regular Correspondent

WASHINGTON, d. G., March 10. 1884.
The debate in the House upon the Naval
appropriation bill has furnished both sides
with splendid opportunities for opening all
of the old political sores and fighting over
again the old battles, in which crimi nation
and recrimination are the chief weapons.
The slashing out of the estimates of nearly
eight millions of dollars by the Committee
on Appropriations, which leaves the new
war vessels now being constructed without
a gun for defense, and without an engine
to propel them, is a sample of that Demo
cratic forethought that seizes upon econo-
my as it's campaign watchword. In fact,
it is apparent that the committee has
sought, in cutting down the various items
in the bill. to strike blow at every branch
of the naval service. They would weaken
the already weak enough service by elimi-
mating from the list of officers the men
whom the country had educated in the
arts of war, and strike from the rolls the
men who had served the country in its dir
est hour of daL ger. In excuse for this ac-
ton Tennessee member, who evidently
knows all about it, said upon the floor of
the II >use that we were perfectly safe from
the attack of any foreign power, for should
an American citizen set himself adrift upon
two logs pinned together, and have the
Stars and Stripes floating over him, that
But after all, there is something that is
more than humiliating in the fact that
since the year 1867 we have expended in
the naval service $370,OOO, 900, and have no
vessel entitled to be called war.vessel in
our whole feet OF 81 craft-goOd, bad and
Indifferent. This amount of money ex
pended in II years, is larger than that eX-
pended from the time of the organization
of the Government to the close of the last
war. although we had established our SUI
periOr prowess upon the water on almost
all occasions. If the exigency arises we
may do so yet. for among Americans there
is. as there always has been, a latent genius
equal to the occasion that calls for it,
A bit of testimony not calculated to star
tie anybody out of propriety was given by
ex-Postmaster General James on Wednes-
day before Mr.. SprinSer's committee. 1t
was 10 the effect that President Garhelds
determination to push the Star route thieves
to conviction and punishment. was the dl-
rect cause of his assassination. 1t may be
that Mr.. James was in position to know
who did thus murder than anvbodv else
hut it is a little queer Inat ,s~ither MIR,
James or anybody else has ever before this
expressed like opinion. At all events.
the public sentiment has long since settled
down to the ascription of another and en-
tirely different cause, which neither the
testimony Of Mr.. James nor the publicly
expressed opinion of Mr.. McVeagh can
effectually change.
Besides the work of President making,
in which Congress is specially engaged,
Washington is just now the Mecca to
which political pilgrims from all parts Of
the country are cOngregating. The hotels
ale swarmin% with these Oracular states
men from Bangor to Frisco, and therefore
il any knowledge OF the drift of public
sentiment as to the identity of the comin 9
man can be gathered anywhere, it is here.
OF course among these political visitors
there is diversity of opinion. as well as a
diversity of ability to form a correct judg-
ment, but the weight of opinion is decid.
edly preponderatng for the chances of Mr..
Arthur. Mr.. Blaine NAV he considered out
of the question, and yet he may not. 1t is
when the convention may get down to its
fine work that Mr.. Blaine's opportunity
may come, though Mr.. Logan and one OF
half a score of other candidates may all AT
once develop their availability, as did Gen
Garfield. Concerning MIR. Arthur, it If
enough to say that he has put himself and
friends. and it cannot be denied that he
has a following that appears to be insreas-
ing in strength as the days toward the
convention roll on He has been remark.
ably fortunate in rducting an admins
tratien that has encountered no obstacles
or been compelled to antagonize public
sentiment as every one of his Vice-Presi.
dental predecessors have: and for the first
time in our history. the President. whe ethel
reelected or not, will close his administra
tiOn with that prestige of public satisfac
ton that never was yOuch> afed to one who
had been exalted from the second place.
JUNIUs.