The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1886-07-10
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our Regular Correspondent.

WASHINGTON, June 25, 1886.
Bridal receptions at the White
HoLse are things Of the past, and the
Presidential bridegroom is again de
Tending the public treasury by vetoing
pension bills. In the twenty-four veto
messages Just sent to Congress he
vigorously rebukcs the Legislators fol
extravagant, ill-considered and bung,
ling legislation. In some cases the
President says the proposed beneficial
ries are manifestly unentitled TO Gov.
crnment aid ; in others they do not re.
quire much aid !; in Others the evidence
is insufficient, and the passage of the
bills careless. Some Of the Senators
looked surprised when the President
informed them that they had passed
six hundred private pension bills since
last December, a record which has not
been equalled by any Congress in
twenty years.
Unexpectedly the House found it.
self plunged in o tariff debate of the
warmest character on Tuesday last.
The galleries filed up rapidly as the
discussion proceeded, and many Sena-
tors left the dull rotine oil their Cham
Der to hear the battle of words. There
was weeping and wailing 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 graduated tax on in
comes, This is denounced as a 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 tho newcomers to inhabit.
And perhaps the most striking evil
dence of the necessity for the straight
cning out of things was furnished by
the Navy Department.
Its mismanagement had become pro-
verbal, and despite all the millions
that had been expended on it, the
naval armament was ridiculously inef-
fective. The party in retirement,
which is responsible for this, is now
asking sarcasticalIy, "Whero is that
Navy ~ Tho debate on the Navy bill
furnished the friends of the Dolphin
another opportunity to defend the
record of John Roach. Representa-.
tive Gaff of w. Va, who, you may re-
member, was for two months Secre-
tary of the Navy under Hayes, made
an attack upon Secretary Whitney for
rejecting tho Dolphin. He said he
wonld rather spend an eternity with
John Roach under these circumstances
amid the wreck Of a lifetime and the
destruction of q fortune, than an hour
with the young reformer in his gilded
palace at the other end of the avenue.
The Republicans applauded this non
sense, and Mr., MeAdoo, of New Jer-
sey, arose to say that Secretary Whit
ncy needed no defense. He had an
overwhelming popular decision in his
favor that the case was closed and no
passionate appeal to the senaibilities 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
II this Congress failed totake steps in
this direction, II would be derelict in
its duty to the country,
There has been much criticism OF
the delay that has occurred in the con-
strnction of the four new ships au-
thorized by the last Congress. A clear
understanding of the practical situa-
ton is probably all the answer needed
to that class of complaint. When Mr.,
Whitney took charge Of the Navy De-
partment, he took IL as he found 1t,
There were defects in its organization,
and lack Of practical experience in
modera shipbnilding crippled the eff.
cheney of some Of tho Bnreaux in
dealing with the problems presented
by the new work in hand. A Depart
ment which has never built modern
ship could not jump at one bound into
successful competition with the Eng
lish and French Admiralty, who were
the authors and architects of the new
system,
The Secretary, who is naturally in
elined 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 a particular point in
q transition ora, when the problems Of
type, design, armament and equipment
we're at their most crucial stage, Re-
alizing that II would take At least two
years to build the vessels, and nnwill
ing to commit his administration To
plans which the development Of the
period might make obsolete before bis
ships were ahoat, the Secretary choose
the least Of possible evils, He deter.
mined TO exhaust current knowledge
and contemporary experience before
he settled npon plans which, nndeF the
law, must receive the seal of q con-
tract.