The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1886-07-01
Washington Letter.
WASHINGTON, June 25, 1SS

are lnlES5 Oh the past, anu Inc IIeSA-
Dental bridegroom is again defending
the public treasury by vstOing pension
bills In the twenty -four veto messages
just sent to Congress he vigorously re-
Dukes the legislators for extravagant
ill-considered and bungling legislation
In some cases the President says the
proposed beneficiaries are manifestly
unentitled to Government aid in 9TH
ers they do not require much aid; ia
others the evidence is insufficient, and
the passage of the bills careless. Some
of the Senators looked surprised when
the Presidentinformed them that they
had passed 900 private pension bills
since last December, a record which
has not been equalled by any Congress
in twenty years.
Unexpectedly the House found itself
plunged in a tariff debate of the warm
est character on Tuesday last. The
galleries filled up rapidly as the dis
cussion proceeded, and many Senators
left the dull routine of their Chamber
to hear the battle of words. There was
weeping and wailiRg and gnashing of
teeth among the Republicans over the
proposition to raise the amount of
money necessary to pay additional
pensions to Union soldiers and sailors
by imposing q graduated tax on in
comes. This is denounced as q 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
Republicans did not, as is the custom
of conscientious departing tenants,
leave their place of abode in a condi-
ton fit for the ew-cOmers to inhabit.
And perhaps the most striking evil
dence of the necessity for the straight
ening out of things was furnished by
the Navy Department.
Its mismanagement had become
proverbial, and despite all the millions
that had been expended on it, the
naval armament was ridiculously in
effective. The party in retirement,
which is responsible for this, is now
asking sarcastically, Where is that
Navy ?" The debate on the Navy bill
furnished the friends of the Dolphin
another opportunity to defend the rec
ord of John Roach. Representative
Gaff, of w. Va, who, you may re-
lNnr for fxun hS ntar
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 Roach under these circumstances
amid the wreck of a lifetime and the
destruction of a fortune, than an hour
with the young reformer in his gilded
palace at the other end of the Avenue.
The Republicans applauded this nom
sense. and Mr.. McAdoo, of New Jer-
sey, arose to say that Secretary Whit
ney needed no defense. He had an
overwhelming popular decision in his
favor that the case was closed and no
passionate appeal to the sensibilities
of the people for John Roach could
make them forget that the facts had
been demonstrated to be against him
and in favor of the present Secretary
of the Navy. Mr.. McAdoo then pro-
ceeded to dwell upon the necessity of
building up Navy, and declared that
if this Congress failed to take steps in
this direction it would be derilict in
its duty to the country.
There has been much criticism of
the delay that has occurred in the
construction of the four new ships
authorized by the last Congress. A
clear understanding of the practical
situation is probably all the answer
needed to that class of complaint.
When Mr.. Whitney took charge of
the Navy Department, he took it as
he found it. There were defects in its
organization, and lack Of practical ex-
perience in modern shipbuilding Grip
pied the efficiency of some of the Bu-
reaux in dealing with the problems
presented by the new work in hand.
A Department which has never built
a modern ship could not jump at one
bound into successful competition
with the English and French Admir-
atty, who were the authors and archi-
tects of the new system.
The Secretary, who is naturally in
clined to the extreme of caution, found
himself charged with the construction
of four new ships, to cost over three
million dollars. And he incurred this
responsibility at particular point in
a transition era when the problems of
type, design, armament and equip
ment were at their most crucial stage.
Realizing that it would take at least
| two years to build the vessels, and un-
willing to commit his administration
to plans which the development of
the period might make obsolete before
his ships were afioat, the Secretary
chose the least of possible evils. He
determined to exhaust current knOwl-
edge and contemporary experience be
fore he settled upon plans which under
the law, must receive the seal of a
contract.
A Political Machine.