Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1892-06-10
Cheeky Claims.

with bitter earRestness every movement
made by tbe Republican party looking
to the greater prosperity Of the country
But when the object sought to be attain
ed BY the Republican party was accom-
plished. and It was seen that good was
bring done tn the people at large. with |
brozen cheek aud eHronttrYs the Demo
Gratis cslmy claimed all the credit as the
ofiginaiOrs Of the movement vr policy =
II win be remembered that when Spesk
et Reed, during the session Of the Fifty
FIRST Congress, ruled, according t6 the
rules adopted by that Congress. that
members should he counted as present
though they refrained from voting. to
prevent the enactment Of important leg
islatiOu, he was bitterly and vindictively
Denounced throughout the country b,
the Democratic press as more tyranical
than the Emperor Of Russia. and was
sarcas,icslly dubbed by bis Democratic
sOneuts as the Czar; yet. strange as
appear, not two months af'er the
,oarnment Of that session Of Congress.
"Artful Dodger," David B. Hill, then
Governor Of New York, claimed credit
for originating the plan Of counting mem
hers present in legislative body, he
saying that he never had aught to say
against the grea, Speaker. as he himself
bad counted members present, when not
voting, in the New York Legislature to
prevent the breaking Of quorum, when
he was presiding officer over one branch
Of the Assembly Of tiat State.
With the same audacious cheek have
the Democrats in the past few years been
claiming, "tbat the traditions Of the
Democratic party all favored a liberal
support Of the navy" and that TO Secre-
Tary Whitney. Clrvclsnd's Secretary of
the Navy. is all the credit due for the
present respectable number Of fine class
battle ships and cruisers. 1t would be
difficult to form more impudent falsifi-
cation than the claim that ''the Demo-
cratic traditions are all favorable to lib
eral support of the Navy" or that Sec.
rotary Whitney is entitled to all the
credit for its present strength. mas
much Ss the history of the United States
for the past quarter Of century is toler-
sbly familiar to intelligent American
voters the folly Of such transparent at
tempt to delude the public is evident =
It is true that there have been some pa
triotic Democrats who have flvored the
creation e respectable navy. Their
action has been squafely opposed by the
great mass of :heir party. Asin the re-
cent instance Of Senator German they
have been denounced aud villied by
their own party for daring to forget that
they we're Democrats and to remember
that they were Americans As shown
by actual vote the number Of Democrats
70 the Senate who "favor liberal sup
port Of the navy" is exactly FIVE. In
the House, with $50 Democratic majori-
". just twenty-five Democrats had pa
triotism enough to woe against the dss-
tardly Holman scheme for crippling the
work Of naval construction.
The "tra litions" Of the Democratic
party are all against the maintenance of
strong navy. When an attempt was
made by Holman to r,duce the number
Of those battle ships to enc. vast ma
jority of the Democratic Representatives
voted for the reduction. Carlisle,
Breckenridge. Bynum, Crisp. Mills,
McMillin and Springer all voted against
the battle ships; and their attitude was in
full accord with the sentiments of their
party.
Any attempt 10 gain credit for the
Democratic party on occount of the ships
authorized during the Cleveland admin
istration is without foundation in fact
The reconstruction Of the navy began
under the administration Of the Repnbli-
can President Arthur. 1t was sane
toned by Congress Republican in both
branches, and carried into effect through
the sagacity and well directed efforts Of
the Republican Seer ,tsry Of the Navy.
WIN. Il. Chandler, and the Republican
shipbu;lder B6hn Roach. The building
Of the Chicago, Boston. Atlanta and
Delphi, aroused the keenest interest
throughout the country and created a
popular sentiment in favor Of the navy
that Cleveland and Whitney, the. de-
stroyers- Of brave old John Roach. did
not dare to affront. All that was done
under the Cleveland admins ration in
building the navy. was under the stress
Of public opinion which was inspired
and directed by Republican energy and
patriotism In the support Of the navy
the Republican party h As been practical
ly q unit FROM the 6rst to last. The
Democracy as pir'y has fought its de-
velopment constantly 1t is fighting it
to-day. On this. as on every question
affecting the ltional honor and the ma
tional defense, the Democratic party has
been on the wrong side.
u p ~ ]