Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1884-04-23
KNAvIsH NAvAL BILL.

lUlo DSORAO hCOa
doubt about that. The argument there
for is plain and has been presented SC
often that it need not be presented again
In order to get the required navy,
money must be Experimentation Of
money. The expense must be enormous
even if the money is honestly disbursec
and made to go as far as possible BY
economical handling.
Which suggests that money enough
has been spent already to have guaran
teed us a toIerably fair navy, and yet oul
naval armament is contemplate.
1t is a patent fact that the funds ap
propriated for building wal vessels have
not been put into ships, but rather intt
the pockets of the ship-builders and con
niving Government officials.
This being the case, it seems like an
impossibility, the way affairs are man
aged now, for the United States to OBJ
tain a respectable navy, except at such
an expense as will almost bankrupt the
nation. 1t is a serious question whether
we had not better risk the devastation
of our sea coasts than venture upon al
most certain robbery at the hands Of the
Washington pirates. These buccaneers
we can hardly hope to escape, If we try
to get the navy we need; while, per-
haps, we may not be forced into wal
with any foreign nation for a long time.
The apprehension Of such a war, in
our present defenseless condition, is
startling; but its horrors are scarcely
more to be dreaded than organized rob-
berry at the capital of the Republic. A
Scylla and a Charybdis. If ever there
was a more dangerous straight for a ma
tion to pass through, we have never
heard of it.
The House OIL Represents tives, how
ever, choosing between the two evils and
hoping for protection to the people in
unusual checks put upon the men who
are to expend the money, passed a bill
recently making a prodigious appropria-
tion for naval purposes. The bill got
into the Senate, and this body added On
some 1876, O0O, 900 more. When it is con-
sidered that about $40, OOO, 900 of this
would have to be used to secure the
legitimate expenditure of the SIG, 900, 600
balance for the purposes proposed, it
seems we'll that the House, as tele-
graphed Monday, refused to accept the
amendment making the margin for piracy
SO much greater.
The New York World discusses the
situation sharply in the following manner
The Naval Appropriation billhas passed
the Senate after having had as much
steal crowded into it as the liberal con-
science of the Republican majority could
stand. If it should not be checked by
Democratic honesty and economy in the
House, the Chandler-Roach jobbers will
be in clover !!
The Senate amendments include both
grand and petit larceny. For the pro-
posed new cruisers the sum of 81, 500, coo
is appropriated, and the miscellaneous
expense item is increased from 1915, 00O
to $4I0, 900! For continuing work on
the monitors the amount of 81, 600, 900 is
added, and the general expenditure fund
of the Bureau Of Equipment is swelled
from $7O7, 900 to $3.50, 700! Halfa mil.
lion dollars is given for ordnance of the
boats in course of construction, and a
sort of sneak theft of $780, 900 is added tc
the incidental expenses OF the Bureau Of
NavigationS Then an additional $270,
600 is clapped on to the general expendi'
lures Of the Ordnance Bureau, the Blu
reau Of Repairs is increased from 81, 900,
600 to ST, 800, 900, the Bureau of Steam
Engineering from S760, 900 to 81, 1850, 00t
and so on through the list.
Not a dollar of these various sums ii
needed at this time, and scarcely a dollar
will be honestly spent if it should be put
at Bill Chandeliers command.
The p~retense that to resist the steal ii
to oppose the improvement of the navy
is a trick of the lobby. We have ex
pended on the Navy Department sinc'
the close of the war over $507. 900, 900
exclusive of the sums received from tn,
sale of old vessels, and what have we t.
show for il? Little else besides the Seco
claims, the regulations of Robson ant
Chandler and the rotundity of Johl
Roach.
As we have managed to get along TO
years with a rotten shell of a navy, W
need not mind twelve months furthe
delay, and il is just as well not to Civ
Bill Chandler these ~extravagant appro
priations on the eve Of a Presidential
election. LEAD us not into temptation
is a wise prayer.
John Bright is described as ''perhap