The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1891-10-22
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
Reform Needed in Our
Navy
in the Ohio Cam
,paign-
SIoNAL's Paid Corressondent.

Washington, u. Y. Oct. 10, 1881
If it could be done without any
invasion of the executive prerogatlve,
the secretaryship of the navy should
be held, like certain judicial offices.
during good behavior. Each new !.
secretary has set of new and highly
original ideas concerning onr much
talked-of new navy; and lack ef con-
tinuity in the policy of the department
is the result, Secretary Tracy, it
must be admitted, hiss been no laggard
in pushing tie business of his depart
ment, and is undoubtedly one of the
most Efficient caicers who has
occupied TIE chair for mary admins
trations, yet his views are not in
harmony with those of his recent
predecessors. His idea IS that such
vessels as the Chicago, Baltimore,
Charleston and San Francisco, are
poorly adapted for any purpose, con
suming enormous quantities Of coal,
CARRYING crews OF several hundred
men, and being comparatively slow
in their movements. We have been
in the habit of pointing with pride
to these vessels, yet the secretary
doubts il any chem could steam
from Nevs to Liverpool at
speed in ext 10 o.. en miles an hour,
and they hP tes'no defensive qualities
for combating armored ships. He
thinks our navy should consist Of
three distinct kinds Of craft: heavy
battle ships, swift commerce destroy
ers and small gunboats for police duty
> A half dozen of the latter will be re-
y commended in the secretary's forth
=" coming report to Congress. If he
" would introduce the needed reform
- of manning our ships with Ameriea
u crews instead of Heterogeneous
} rabble from every cline and nation,
IL we would wish him an indefinite
lease of power.
:, The completion of the new Con
~ gressional Library building is looke'
u forward to with much interest by tn
L residents Of the whole city particular,
ie those in its immediate vicinity OF
~ Capitol Hi. About 800 men are q
~ present employed on this building
~ but the work seems to progres
., slowly The dignity of the Federa
~ Government is in no way show
~ more forcibly than in the majesti
slowness of its employees, and thos
,o engaged in the erection of the ne
NV library building contribute at prcscr
40 the largest amount of this pecuiia
a'' .' type of dignity. 1t is expected th'
.N' the building will be completed
III 1896. The stone used is Ne
Hampshire granite; and the size
= the structure $40 470 feet, with
Tue m capacity Of 5000, 900 books. The
'ue are at present in the library of Co
- gress $50, 600 books, and about 2OC
=, 900 pamphlets and periodicals.
''' Interest in Ohio campaign increas
wy as the days go by, and the predictio
y " of visiting statesman who make fiyi
ie.e trips to the city vary according to
A- party to which the particular STATE
man owes allegiance. Allare agree
N'' however, that the organizers of
'eio peoples party precipitated an
'''i' know quantity into the campaign,
H9' Importance of which cannot be ey
approximately estimated before
'e'o ballots are counted. For aught
INC know the hard handed farmers N
'reo rise up and o'erwhelm the minions
q, the two old parties, and lick I'll
CHOPS lOl hl)lC JtlbiSS " "-P~
anu The Bohemian oats men are larg
aer responsible for awakening
VIII agriculturalists from the bliss
lethargy wherein they had lain fro
will time when the memory of man r
.ong meth not to the contrary, and charg
ring. their minds with suspicion
ears serpentine vigilance that cyerta
eayv party dynasties like the idols
ad- false god.
note The proverbial "oldest inhabito
fairs feels like total stranger these 9
izen. in walking through the Capitol W
the building is undergoing its am
iei'e' rennovating. The repairs and al
h huol ations this year are much more
nau tensive than usual, some of t
DC much needed. Walking carele
sting through the great building few
y the since | found myself unexpected
the senate chamber, but Tom BE
would hardly have recognized