Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1884-04-29
nancasrrr .9ntelligenccr.
To SsoAv FvwnrNo. ApRI. 40. 1854.
Mnnex for the NAVY.

The Democratic congressman seem
not TO be unanimous as to our present
want OF new navy and a new tariff. A
majority OF them want a new tariff and
q minority are In hurry for new navy.
We are disposed to think that this mi
norlty and majority are both wrong, and
that the country can profit by waiting
for Democratic administration before
IL undertakes to tinker the tariff or the
navy. The Republicans are in favor Of
heavy naval appropriations very natur-
ally, because they will control the dis.
bursement OF The money, which will be
help to them In the campaign.
The Democratic representatives who
are in favor of voting money
for Mr.. Chandler TO spend have
not this inducement, and seem to be con-
trolled wholly by high patriotic consid
erations, which prompt them to set ahoat
big navy, although they admit that a
big share of the money is likely to be
s,olen by Mr.. William Chandler and his
pals. Mr.. Chandler Is not regarded as
30 honest man as to be a safe custodian
OF a big appropriation. This is the main
reason why the majority OF the Demo
cratic representatives object to voting 1t
into his hands. He was the hired lobby
Isl of Mr.. Roach before he became sec.
retary, and it is reasonably certain that
II he gets any money, Roach will get it,
and he will be silent partner.
Since the treasury is flush, and there
isa general feeling that the United States
ought to need navy, it is probable that
IL the naval department was in honest
hands it would get the money 1t wants,
although it is by no means clearly dem
onstrated that we do really need a
navy. IL ia said that we have none now,
notwithstanding we have spent very
many millions in building ships, and it
has always been said that We have been
without an adequate navy and yet it has
always been adequate. We have never
visibly suffered because of our deficiency
We never needed one much until in
the civil war, and then we picked
one up which was good enough
for the occasion. II is true that this was
because our opponents had no navy ; and
We are asked where we would be If a
great naval power should pounce down
upon u.s. Doubtless we would be nowhere.
But then the great naval power has not
pounced, and there are no immediate
signs that it will. There is All
old saying from very wise source,
which declares that sufficient unto
the day is the evil thereof" Il is
true that another equally wise man
says "in time OF peace prepare for war"
But we need not be in any hurry about
it when the war is not disceruble We
cNn go about the business deliberately
and intelltgently. At present it is not
easy to build u navy intelligently, be
cause we do not know what manner of
ships We want. A little while ago we
thought we wanted Imperyious iron
cladS but now we are getting guns aud
torpedo boats and dynamite arrows which
these cannot resist. And So, maybe, we
don't want iron Clads at all. And elsc.
tricity is coming so much into fashion
that mayb we will not long want steam
boats. At any rate we will lose nothing
by waiting for the honest intelligence of
a Democratic administration to deter
mine what we need in the shape Of "A
navy and n Iavgl