The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1885-07-09
OUR NAVY.


navy there was and failed to build
another. Did they have the money?
The Republicans have wasted three
hundred millions since the war over
the navy. "Secor" Robson, the New
Jersey political proaigate, expended
$182, OOO,O 900, and yet, in 1885, the
American navy consists of one war
vessel worth the name. The New
York Evening Post is one of the
oldest and ablest of Republican pa
pers. 1t says:
ssThe Puritan. which cost the Govern
ment 1,974, 1922, was sold to John Roach
for S43.22S. The Amphitrite. which cost
e1,156,32 was sold to Harlan. Holdings
worth & Co. for 1923. 1872. The Terror,
which cost the Government 81 ,06, 071, was
sold to W. Cramp & Sons for 49,, 345. The
Miantonomoh, which cost 81 $40, 773, was
sold to John Roach for $27,9S4. These
vessels were broken up, and the cost OF
demolition was charged to the Govern
ment. John Roach's bill. for instance,
for taking the Miantonomoh to pieces was
s24,667, and so he paid really but 1897
for the material in ship which cost the
Government sl,slj,778. The material in
the four monitors just named, which cost
s5,457. 79s. brought the Government net
only SIS, 600. STAR.
Then you observe that five millions
of the peoples money dwindled
down to $4,000. That IS, that GER
tain Republicans swindled it down
to that amount. You observe more
over that Mr.. John Roach favored
the United States with his patronage
in buying one half of the above
named ships. This gentleman is the
great American contractor for build
ing ships, especially for the Ameri>
can navy and under Republican adj
ministrations; you might guess that
be has grown rich, and you would
not be mistaken. There are huns
tireds of other big fellows who have
been nothing less than INSCRIPTIONS
parasites upon our treasury and now
ARE fat. Well, you can blame them,
but not very much, because anybody
almost will take good bargain when
it is offered, any man almost will
take the biggest price offered from
the public when he has chance.
Well whom must you blame then !?
You can receive but one answer
Republi IAN administrations, Repub-
lican corruption and Republican
carelessness for the will OF the peo>
pie. To-day our grand nation has
no navy in comparison with the ma
Vles of the first rate, even of the
second rate powers of Europe. We
are opposed to keeping a standing
army numbering its tens of thou
sands in times of peace, because in
60 days there could be called out a
million Of true men who would make
good soldiers, in time of the approach
of any great war. But vessels can.
not be called forth unless they ex>
list as U. S, ships. They cannot be
constructedin short time. If our
country were a petted spot in the
eyes Of all ether nations, if it we're a
real certainty that these United
States would ever exist in friendly
relations toward all nations, if We
knew that peace would always be-
and war would never come, then VIC
would raise one voice against having
any navy at all. But we have nc
grounds for such wild suggestions
Judge the future by the past. His
tory repeats itself. And it is just tt
suppose that in less than TWENTY-FIVE
years hence this country shall be in
voived In war perhaps with Russl.
or some other Of the Representative,
powers of the old world. We have
had no war of any magnitude witt
foreign government during til,
last forty years, and add twenty
i've years to this number and theu
reflect if any nation in modern time
has lived in peace and in friendshi,
with the remainder of the world TO
such period. If not, then two
generations of Americans will hav,
had their times in piece with foreig
countries. England, France, Rus
STA, the German Empire, and ever
Italy might either. if fatal war shoul
be suddenly declared between GU
country and one of these powers
with her powerful navy capture GU
seacoast cities within two months
You need not sheer at the ide:
1t would be hard to convince the ay
erage American that all Europe CON
bined can thrash America but not
outstanding this, without muc
superior navy than we have we woul
stand poor chance on the SC
against any of the above named n.
tiOla IT ia more than nrohahlo ~.