The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1886-07-01
WASHINGTON LETTER.

WASHINGTON, June %, 1sS6.-Bridal |
receptions at the white house are things |
of the past and the presidential BRIDE |
groom is again defending the public |
treasury by vetoing pension bills. In |
the twenty-four veto messages just sent !
to congress he vigorously rebukes the
legislators for extravagant, ill-consid
cred and bungling legislation. In some
cases the president says the proposed
benefciaries are manifestly unentitled
to government aid; in others they do
not require much aid in others the ev-l
idence is insufficient and the passage of
the bills careless. Seine of the senators
looked surprised when the president in
formed them that they had passed 600
private pension bills since last Decem-
Der, a record which has not been equalI-
ed by any congress in 20 years.
Unexpectedly the house found itself
plunged in tariff debate of the warm
est character ON Tuesday last. The
galleries filled up rapidly as the discus
sion proceeded and many senators left
the dull routine of their chamber to
hear the battle of words. There was
weeping and wailing and crashing of
teeth among the republicans over the
proposition to raise the amount of mon
ey necessary TO pay additional pensions
to Union soldiers and sailors by impos-
ing graduated tax on incomes. This
is denounced as scheme TO check the
granting of additional pensions.
The new administration has had
much to do in the way OF setting the
governmental house in order. The re-
publicans did not, as is the custom OF
conscientious, departing tenants, leave
their place OF abode in a condition mt
for the newcomers to inhabit. And
, perhaps the most striking evidence OF
the necessity for the strengthening out
of things was furnished by the navy
department.
Its acknowledgement had become pro-
VerbialIand in despite of all the millions
that had been expended on it the naval
: armament was ridiculously ineffective.
| The party in retirement, which is re-
sponsible for this, is now asking sarcas-
tically, "Where is that navy 2" The
debate on the naval bill furnished the
friends of the Dolphin another oppOrtu-
nifty to defend the record of John Roach
} Representative Gaff OF West Virginia,
D who, you remember, was for two
months secretary of the navy under
Hayes, made an attack upon Secretary
Whitney for rejecting the Dolphin. He
said he would rather spend an eternity
with John Beach under these circum-
! stances amid the wreck of lifetime
2 and the destruction of a fortune thar
3 an hour with the young reformer il
: his gilded palace at the other end o.
the avenue. The republicans applaud
ed this nonsesne, and Mr.. McAdoo o.
S New Jersey arose to say that Secretary
s Whitney needed no defense. He hRC
O an overwhelming popular decision il
his favor that the case was c-.Sed anC
no passionate appeal to the sensIbilitie
o OF the people tor John Roach coulC
make them forget that the facts haC
been demonstrated to be against hin
q and in favor of the present secretary o
/ the navy. Mr.. McAdoo then proceed
# ed to dwell upon the necessity of build
G ing up navy and declared that if thi
n congress failed to take steps in this di
y rection it would be derelict in its dutl
. to the country
l. There has been much criticism of tn,
0 delay that has occurred in the con.
9 struction of the four new ships author
= lied by the Last congress. a clear un
Outstanding of the practical situation il
{ probably all the answer needed 10 tina
It class of complaint. When Mr.. Whitne,
a took charge of the navy department h
took it as he found it. There were de
II fects in its organization, and lack o
: practical experience in modern ship
5 building crippled the efficiency of SONS
q of the bureauf in dealing with thu
l, problems presented by the new work il
o hand. A department which has neve
built modern ship could not jump a
- one bound into successful competition
= with the English and French admiral
> ty who were the authors and architect
e of the new system,
b The secretary, who is naturally in
b clined to the extreme of caution, founC
himself charged with the construction
of four new ships to cost over three
million dollars. And he incurred thil
responsibility at particular point in :
o transition era, when the problems o.
type, design, armament and equipment
, were at their most crucial stage. Rea-
Z LIKING that it would take at least two
years to build the vessels, and unwill-
Z ing to commit his administration to
plans which the development of the
! period might make absolute before his
ships were afoat, the secretary chose
the least of possible evils. He deter
mined to exhaust current knowledge
and contemporary experience before he
: settled upon plans which, under the
r law, must receive the seal of contract.