Los Angeles daily herald., 1886-12-15

omce of nublication, 75 North Spring
.tyoat i. I.os Angeles Telephone No. loo
The Benefit of n Fair Federai
Policy.
When recently the Naval Depart
ment called for bids for the construc-
tion of ships of war, there went up a
cry from the Republican claque all
over the Union. that at length the
memory of John Roach would be
avenged on Secretary Whitney. The
ground assumed was that the Reaches
being driven to the wall by Whitney
there would be no firm able to con-
struct the new ships. If we remem Der
Alright one OF the partisan on sheets
of this city whose marrow acquaint-
ance with affairs is equalled IN lts
circum scribed area only by its mar
row adherence to its party right or
wrong, joined in this small triumph,
as it was supposed to be. The
Reaches went to the wall when
Chandler and his gang went out OF
Office. Whitney called for bids in
the open market without favor to
any one, and received tenders upon
the five new vessels from six several
firms. These bidders were the Har-
Ian & Hollingsworth Company, OF
Wilmington, Delaware The William
Cramp & Sons Company, OF Phlladei-
phia; The Union Iron Works, OF San
Francisco; The Columbian Iron
Works Company, of Baltimore !;
Charles Reeder & Sons, OF the same
city, and H. A. Ramsay & Sons, also
of Baltimore.
The results OF the bidding were that
the California firm was the lowest
bidder for one OF the largest OF the
cruisers, The Newark, OF 1000 tons.
But, as this bid was s32, 900 above the
limit fixed by the act OF Congress, the
contract could not be let. An effort
will be made to so amend the law as
to allow the letting OF the contract,
and thus San Francisco would secure
it at 81 132, 900. For the next cruiser,
The Charleston, very similar to the
one previously mentioned, the same
California company is the lowest bid
der at 81 OH 800. This contract has
been awarded and the vessel will be
built in San Francisco. The third
cruiser, The Baltimore, will be built
in Philadel phia by William Cramp q
Sons, they being the lowest bidders
at 81 1926 ,00O,g ,gthis being $23, 900 less
than the figure of the San Francisco
builders. For Gunboat No. l also
the Cramps get the contract at $780,
600, which is $4,000 less than the
bid of the California men. The RAM
says of Baltimore get the last vessel
in the list, Gunboat No. 2 at
$50, 600. The San Franciscans
did not bid on this.
Secretary Whitney congratulates the
country on the fact that these vessels
can be built here, and at a rate only
about rs per !cent. higher than they
could be got on the Clyde. The firms
bidding are...thoroughly responsible,
and will give ample bonds for the per-
formance of their contracts.
1t will, therefore, appear level to
the comprehension of the most hide
bound partisan paper that just as the
nation is getting along so excellently
without Chandler and his gang,
and without The whole party which re-
duced the American navy to mock
cry among the nations of the earth,
80 it can flourish without aid of the
Reaches, whose success in business
depended on their alliance with the
Robesons, Chambers ct ais. of the
defunct party. Just as soon as the
gang and its jobbery was at an end,
the Reaches and their ilk came to the
wall.
Nor is this said in any wholesale
condemnation Of the Republican par
ty. The old leaders and founders
had purpose and policy. They
were possessed of the important vir-
tue of common honesty. All true
Americans must honor it for many of
its great achievements. But, in its
latter days, it fell into evil ways. 1t
lost purpose, policy, conscience. 1t
fell into the hands of practical politi-
ticians. That is, men who were in it
because it controlled the Offices.
These men wanted the offices solely
for the emoluments attaching thereto,
and used them SO as best to secure
these emoluments in their most en-
HANGED phase OF development. 1t
was on such methods of government
and under such men that the Reaches
fattened. When the methods of gov
ernment became reformed, and the
Robesons and Chambers and their
gangs were gone, the Reaches had to
go with them. Their places are taken
by honest business men, whose busi-
ness is carried on in proper business
ways. No one firm "hogs" all the
government patronage, at its own
prices, to do the work in its own way.
The work is done on the Chesapeake,
on the Delaware, and on San Fran
cisco Bay. If our own city gets two
Of the big vessels to build, and dis
burses over $4,000, 900 among the me-
chanics in their employ, Californians
of all shades OF political faith will de-