National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1886-05-29

Our esteemed neighbor, the Post, In re-
cent article exhorting its party friends in
the House to do something for the Ameri-
can navy, makes this pertinent admission:
To bc perfectly candid, It must be admitted
that up to this time the Democratic party in
Congress has not been primarily responsible
for any expenditure Of public money toward
rebuilding the navy.
This admission was certainly "caniid,"
so far as II went; but II was by no means
the whole truth. It was, perhaps, as much
Of that article as our neighbor could reason
ably be expected to employ in an exhorta-
tion to its party, but II was not enough for
the uses Of current history. The truth is
that the Democratic party ns now con-
stituted and represented, not only "has not
been primarily responsible" &C., but 1t
has bitterly and even savagely antagonized
every effort the Republicans have made
toward naval reconstruction. The 81, 100000
appropriation OF 1888, which has now taken
shape In the Chicago, Boston, and Atlanta,
was resisted at every step in its progress
through the House by the then Democratic
minority under the active personal leader
ship Of the then and present actual leader
Of that body, Mr.. Randall.
So far as our memory serves us, but two
Of the Democrats on the appropriations COM
mittee In that Congress favored that appro-
priation or had anything to say in its be-
half, either in committee or on the door.
These were Ben lie Fevre and E. John Ellis
All the other Democrats on the committee
opposed II vehemently as did also Mr. Ran
dali, who was not member Of the appro-
| priations committee in that House.
Again, the $4,000, 600 which Mr.. Whitney
now has in hand wherewith to build four
more vessels was given to him by the Re-
| publican Senate Of the last Congress in the
form Of an amendment to the regular naval
| bill as IL came from the Democratic House
OF that body. OF course this was done
after the result Of the presidential election
had been announced; so that we had the
remarkable spectacle of Republican Senate
forcing a Democratic House to give Demo-
cratic administration money to build naval
| vessels with.
THE fact is the Democratic party In
| Congress, with q few individual excep-
lions, is instinctively hostile to the whole
American shipping interest, both naval
and commercial, and blindly committed
to the British interest in that regard.
This fact is so notorious that 1t
has ceased to excite remark, and has
passed into n matter Of course. If they
could get in proviso not merely author
iziSg, but requiring, Secretary Whitney to
buy his ships.of-war in England, all the free
ship Democrats in Congress would vote
millions for new vessels without a MUIR
muir. But the laws and traditions OF
the republic inaeXibly prohibit such
an outrage upon national decency and
patriotism, and for that reason the Anglo
Democrats Of the House are naturally OPP
posed to the reconstruction Of the American
pavy. 1t is understood that Mr.. Randall
himself favors appropriations for new ships
reserving the right to oppose certain
features of Mr.. Herbert's bill. But with
the exception Of Mr. Herbert, Mr. Sayre,
and the other Democrats belonging to the
naval committee itself, every free trade and
free ship Anglo Democrat IN the House
who will vote for Dunn's bill to destroy
American shlpbuilding will also vote against
Herbert's bill to revive the American navy
That is the whole truth Of the matter, ant
our neighbor missed brilliant opportunit,
when It failed to tell it.
1t is not all improbable that whatever ap
preparations Secretary Whitney may get To-
new ships will be given to him by the Re
publican Senate, in spite of the Anglo
Democratic House, now as heretofore.
he doesn't get 1t in that way he is yer.
likely to 20 without any. The Democrat,
party cannot serve the national interests o
the United States and promote the scheme
of the English shipbuilders at the same time
In the future Republican Senate ma!
conclude that Democratic House and
Democratic administration should have suf
fcient sense to ask for necessary appropri
, ations and let them determine the amount
as they have facility for making up an.
want OF calculation by deficiency bill.