The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1888-09-19
NO. la
PARTIES AND DErENsss.
Dsnnoeratis rasrloels.l. Isi,....is m il,s'

Navy.
Our Republican contemporaries are in
dulging in the familiar pastime Of repre-
senting the Democratic party as hostile
to the national defense Tho Post ms
forms as that when the country elects a
Republican congress it twill have n navy
and coast defcnses and not before The
Chronicle announces that ToWhshend. of
Illinois. lied the Confederate forces
against the senate amendments TO the
fertilization bill
The latter amusing journal airily ro-
marks: .tNsithout looking the matter up
it would be safe 10 wager eitbei that
Townshend is n free trader and advocates
buying guns from England or Germany.
or that he thinks the United States ought
to get down and crawl rather. than fights
no matter what tho provocation may be.s
May we suggest to our esteemed contem.
poragy thar If it would occasionally .look
matters up before writing about them il
would not make such frequent exhibitions
of ITSELF
Mr.. Townshend, representing the house
commit tee on military affairs, desired to
have the senate amendments adopted.
Mr. Sayers. representing the committee
on appropriations, objected. becanse his
committee had matured q scheme of its
own. appr6priating three or four times us
much. 0nnekther side.-it Is needless TO
say. was there any proposition TO buy
guns abroad, or to crawl rather than
light"
As to tho navy, the case is oven
strSnger., The house naval committee.
composed of enthusiasts on tho subject.
bad prepared plan looking to the cSpen-
diture Of, 50. coo, goo q year ON new slips.
This plan was formed after careful study
and consultation with experts Tor tho
current year It authorized tho construc-
tion of an armored battlc ship of 7,5G9
tons. a protected cruiser of 5000 tons.
and two protected cruisers of 5000 tons
each.
The bill passed the house. and when 1t
reached the senate tho committee on np-
proprfatisns inutiiatcd IT by striking out
It's most essential feature. tho provision
for the armored battle ship The change
was Supported in tho senate By the most
Incredibly. ignorant speeches it hns ever
been our fortuiic; TO read :. Senator Hale,
the chairman of the committee ON appro-
priations. said that tho ship proposed
would be useless expense; that sho
would have TO be twice as largo to be of
any value; rthGt !. escopld mot fight tho
vessels of any European navy, or even of:
Chill. and that We might rs well confino
ourselves for the present to tho construc-,
tion of light cruisers. Apparently there
was not a senator present who know
enough to correct these absurdities j.
4hC 6Llp IEoFA0Guf ttOUSS Dtl1s
could knock the whole Gillian navy into
lsindling wood and scrap iron She would,
be a match for any three vessels ia he
German navy. There is,not a ship afioat,
which she could not fight with some hope
of success. and there are very few which
she could not attack on ut least equal
terms, 49,
The Republican senate. the friends of.
tho American navy, struck out tho
So. 500. 600 appropriated for this splendid.
vessel, and substituted S2.5G0. coo for
Some EIlIfboats.:
When tho administration eame into
power three years and half ago, $400. :,
600, 900 had been spent in reducing US to.
naval Impotence. We had nothing that.
6ould- resist even the fleets of Chill. China,
or Japan. Now, with appropriations;
nggregating $45. 600 900. We have vessels.
under way that will make ts' Tho lfth,
naval power of the world. When tho
ships which the house has already pro-.
vided for arc completed. only England,
Franco, Italy and Russia will be ahead Of
! MS; and If the plans of the house naval
committee can be preserved for few
years from the childish interference of.
the senate, We shall pass ali but, franco
and England. Francisco Examiner