National Republican., 1884-02-28

be able TO sustain the national honor. There was
could compare fsvorabiy with one OF the naval |
vessels even Of Brazil. Undoubtedly this was |
great republic, with great moral power, but what |
did the other nations Of the earth care about |
moral power7 When an emergency should arise |
all that they would care about would be the ele.
going going " to i0' invade thiS p country, " for they
knew. that they could not destroy II,
but they could seriously tarnish cur national
ever brought upon us through foreign feet the
American people would never forgive the public
condition Of reasonable efIiciency. There were
things that were more valuable than dollars and
cents, and one Of the most valuable OF the possess
sions of the American people was their national
honor. The United States had become the place
of refuge of oppressed millions from all parts Of
the world. Under the insp ration of liberty, the
people OF every land had sought protection under
the Gag OF this republic. The consequent excep.
tionsl position which the United States occupied
toward other nations might at any time lead to
international complications. He would therefore
favor the development Of our navy, not for the
purposes of war, but as greater guarantee OF
peace.
Mr. Mcpherson said that his amendment merely
proposed TO- suspend for the time being the du;
which will be finished in December, until we
have opportunity to test them. ,
Mr.. Hale said II would be delay OF at least q
year, and the vessels (the large crusers) which
the senator from New Jersey MR. McPhersonl OBJ.
jeoted to were precisely those on which most
stress was laid by the naval advisory board with
its strength. Those were the only vessels pro.
vided by the bill which could pretend to cope
with the vessels of the great powers and the time
might come when every senator who contributed
to delay in this matter would roget that attitude.
Mr. Cockrell inquired II the country had been,
Mr Hale replied that It was easy to ask such
questions The country has been going along for
which, MIR. Hale presumed, suited the gentleman
from Missouri [Mr, CockrellL but he thought IL
hardly probably that 1t would be able to get along
well in the next twenty years, This measure
was not meant TO invite war, but to avert 1t. A
respectable naval force on the waters OF the globe
was one of the best means OF avoiding interna-
tonal difficulties.
Mr. Beck said he expected to vote for the amend
ment, and did not on that account propose TO be
characterized as an opponent of the naval develop
ment Of the country He criticized severely
the past policy OF the navy department, espe-
cially with regard to the management of the navy
yards and insisted that as long as the govern.
ment could import material at an average Of 40
yards should, and under proper management
would, be able to build naval ships more cheaply
than private individuals could possibly do. Re-
ferring to q statement OF Admiral Porter to the
effect that 1t was impossible to tell what a ship
cost to build in a navy yard, and that ON one oc-
casion $4,000 had been charged to the wrong ship,
Mr.. Beck said no one could tell but what that
money might have been given to Dorsey to take
to Indiana 1t was shame, he said. that with all
the advantage II had, the government could not
build its own ships, but had TO give the work to
favored contractors, who had to pay duty on the
Mr. Butler stated that so far as the tariff ques.
ton involved was concerned he would join Mr..
Beck in his regret, but we were dealing with
things we found them.
Mr. Jones, of Florida, inquired of Mr.. Beck
whether he would favor sending abroad for the
ships.
MIR Morgan said we did send abroad for almost
everything we put into them-our guns, our
Mr. Beck stated that tho great majority of the
American people were willing that we should get
things wherever we could get them best aud most
chespy. We had right TO send to Germany for
machinery, If we could get those things most
cheapy there than elsewhere, aud we had our
own mechanics, whom we paid as well as any
body else did. All other nations bought their goods
whore they could get them most cheaply. Eng
land used the kr9pp guns made in Germany
and got everything else where she could get it
most cheaply.
MI. Jones, Of Florida, remarked that, notwith-
standing this, England had always had her ships
constructed at private navy yards.
Mr.. Beck replied that that was because the
81 navy yards IN ah@s ntS country dd mot
terial. They got it as cheaply as the government
could. 1t was vice in administration, dishonesty
In management, conniyance and collusion be.
tween contractors and officers Of the government
that was our trouble in the United States.
Mr. Butler thought Mr.. Beck was setting up
man Of straw in order to knock him down.
Mr.. Beck replied that he was knocking nobody
down. and was only glad 4 he could keep from
being knocked down himself.
==Mr. Butler said he would knock him down with
tue very pertinent suggestion that these vessels
were not 10 Do COnstruCteu IN u navy yard.
Mr.. JONES' of Florida, thought we could not
neglect our obligations to provide a navy merely
because of the delinquency of some officer not
named. or some underlined or imaginable defalca-
ton of persons employed by the government.
The people of this country would never permit
proposals for those ships to go outside Of the
country. The man who should undertake to send
across the Atlantic for bids 10 build these ships,
or furnish their materials, would meet the uni
yersal condemnation of our people.
Mr.. Vest stated that to his mind the debate had
proceeded upon a false basis. There was no
danger of war there was no public sentiment
asking for 30 large an outlay. Aud because in
had suggested that we should wait for test Of
the steel vessels now constructing, they were
taunted with indifference to the national honor.
The public sentiment that gentlemen imagined to
exist was in the secretary of the navy and officers
corridor, he [Mr. Vestl, while in the company of
the gentleman from Indiana, had been appealed
to-an officer Of the navy, and old personal friend
OF his [Mr. Vesps had appealed 70 him, saying:
For Gods sake, Vest, vote for this bill" Mr..
Vest had told him that he was mistaken; 1t was
for John Roach's sake he meant-the Almighty
had nothing to do with 1t. John Roach had been
here Tor twenty years. assailing every man who
did not put money into his pocket, When the
there were but tT o bids in response-one Of
Mr.. Cramp and one of Mr.. Roach. Nobody else
in the country. under the terms OF the bill, could
bid for them.
blr Hale said that happily for himself he had
not lived long enough TO believe that everybody
holding All office under the government was cor
naval affairs was the sponsor of this bill and that
committee had never seen or heard of John Roach
in connection with 1t. He had made no approach
to the members OF the committee or the committee
room, and Mr. Hale had not seen him. Referring
the bids crit2ed by Mr.. Vest, Mr.. Hale said thar
other bids mad been put In, but the bid of John
Roack WINS In the aggregate s3OOO00 lower Than
the bid of any other builder Mr.. Hale deicd tho
senators from Missouri or Kentucky to flud in the
administration of tho navy department for the
last TWO or three years tho expenditure of single
dollar njudiclously or for which value had not
been received. There had never been so clean
and incOrruptbe an administration of the navy
yards or the navy department. For mis- part, If
there were democratic administration he Mr..
Halel would not be raking around among Rll tho
muck heaps of the past aud iusinuatiny that
everybody who held government Office was cor
rupt.
thing of an Grafton, in which epithetN shot like
melcors from the northern skies. "WhO," he in.
quiTed, drought in this question of the ineti
cheney of the navy yards Was IL not the ally If
the senator from Maine, his assistant ndjutanL
geuCr ~" aluding to Mr.. Butler,l "WhO did not
know that these navy yards were hot0eds Of po-
litical corrupion?'
Mr.. Butler with great warmth Of manner, re.
PEELED the assertion that he was the ally or tho
adjutaut general of anybody on this question, IL
am here, said he "dlscharging what believe to
be public duty, and viii say, TO the senator
from Missouri [Mr. Yes that he had better call Il
had better state in plain terms, and not in flights
Of rhetoric from the northern skies, what his
real opposition to tue b II Is. 1t is tuat he has no
gnunIpnpa n hOne.tV the Drespnl nulniuiR-