The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1888-10-18
SUPPLEMENT-.
THE POLITICAL ISSUES FAM
" DISCUSSED.

IL DICIOCCED.
BY Hon. Reuben Noble,
At North McGregor, October 9Th, 'SS.
The circumstances that surround us
to-day are different to those that con-
!ronted US four years ago. Then we
were charged with inaugurating .
dangerous experiment. Then It was
claimed that our candidate for presi.
dent was. to say the least, an unknown
and an untried quantity, in the ele-
ments qualifying him for the chief
magistracy of sixty millions of people.
Thoughtful democrats at that time
tried to, but could not disguise the de-
pressing influence of that argument.
While they knew that Mr.. Cleveland
had been a success in all the positions
he had filled, still the fact remained
that his career In craftsmanship h&d
been short, and we had learned to loye
him more for his honesty and the ZEN
emies he had made" than for his
tried craftsmanship. Now all is
changed; We have had four years Of
the experiment and it has been . sue
cess. All intelligent and truthful re-
publicans admit that his administers.
ton has been fairly good one. What
presidential term has passed for six
teen years prior to his advent to the
presidency in which there was so little
scandal and corruption in high places !?
What administration existed during
that time in which there were not men
high in the confidence Of the admins.
tration OF whose health great Sound
rels and thieves first enquired, before
going forth to rob and plumber? 1t
is impossible in single speech to re-
fer to all the waste, extravaganza and
corruption of republican mismanage-
ment for the sixteen years proceeding
the Inauguration of Mr.. Cleveland. /
will mention few incidents occurring
during that dark period of American
history and for the rest / must refer
all inquiring friends to their own re-
collections and to the excellent speech
es of my estimable personal friends,
Crosby and Updegraff, during the
memorable Greedy campaign.
From 1865 to the advent of the pres
ent administration, the government.
paid out over seventy FIVE millions
of dollars in the construction, repair,
equipment and ordinance of war YES
sells, which, with the exceptions of
three or four millions used in the con-
struction of Il few sloops aud a very
small sum expended on ships In the
process OF construction. was substan.
italy thrown away. See Mr.. Whitney's
report to the president. December, 1885.
One instance of navy management
is sufficient to illustrate the way the
seventy-five millions was disposed OF.
Look at the facts Of the history Of
that magnificent ship, the Tennessee
For once the navy department,
through contract with that eminent
engineer, John Erickson, obtained q
magnificent war vessel, one that was a
credit tn her builders and to the gov.
eminent. but alas, she soon fell in the
hands of thieves who murdered her.
Her history is AS follows Her hull
was built and she was equipped in the
New York navy yard. Her machinery
was built and she was equipped by John
Erickson, costing seven hundred thOus-
and dollars. Her total original costs
was one million. eight hundred and
iifty-six thousand seventy-five dollars
and eighteen cents. In January, 1857,
she made her trial trip and ran one
thousand miles; she encountered a
perilOus storm, a real hurricane, which
continued for twenty-four hours.
During the trip she attained sixteen
knots an hour and maintained fifteen
knots an hour for four hours.
After her return her commander
said. 1.-THE engines moved off finely and
worked perfectly during all the storm.
Her machinery is as perfect as it needs
to be. 1t has undergone the severest
test and not once found wanting. She
is the fastest ship l have ever seen."
The chief engineer said III the
strength and workmanship of the ma
chinery cannot be depended upon then
no reliance is to be placed upon the
performance of any steam machinery
with which am asquainted.'
Now see what became of this splel-
did war vessel; two years afterwards
she underwent what was called repairs
and the sum of five hundred and sew
enty-six thousand seven hundred and
ninety-nine dollars and sixty-One
cents was spent on her. All Of that
sum except sevtnty-three thousand
dollars was put on her hull and equip
ment. 1t was the price of y new
wooden hull of her size at that time
This was from 1859 to 1871. She then
made cruise of three months and
then went into the hands Of John
Roach to enable him to take out her
machinery and boilers that Erickson
had placed there. aud to place others
Of alleged superior character. 1t was
claimed that the ship would be able to
make fourteen and u half knots per
hour for twenty-four hours. When
she had her trial Of this new machih-
cry in 1875, her maximum speed was
1914 knots, and she had had put upon