Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1892-06-23
OPPOSING A NAVY.
THE DEMOCRATS REMAIN TRUE
TO THEIR COLORS.
Millions Of Dollars for River and Har-
Dor Jobbing, but Nothing to Speak
of For "a Great American Mayfair
if and Reciprocity.

In his last annual report the Secre-
tary of the Navy recommended the
construction of two armored battle
ships of 200 tons each, of the In
diana, Massachusetts, and Oregon pat
tern, one armored cruiser like the New
York, one torpedo cruiser, one river
service vessel, and as many torpedo
boats as the condition of the finances
might afford. The estimate of increase
in the naval appropriations was, Sl2,-
$50, s55 and the estimate of total APP
priations S27, 1914, $50, or more than
1000, 900 less than the appropriation
by the Fifty-first Congress. AS an an
swer to the Secretary 5 recommendation
the Democratic House, following the
lead of cheese-paringH Holman, who esti-
mates the needs of the naval force of the
United States from the point of view
of navigation on the Maumce river, has
passed the bill reported by the com
mittee, which provides for the con-
struction of but one new vessel of the
type of the armorcd cruiser New York,
at cost of S3,2SO, coo. One after the
other amendments of a reasonable de-
scription were voted down by the
cheese parcrs. Mr. Boutelle offered
two amendments, one for the cOnstruc-
ton of two additional battleships and
torpedo boats and the other for two
steel gunboats and ten torpedo boats.
Mr. Cummings Democrat also offered
two, one for one battlcship and five
torpedo boats and another for four
torpedo cruisers, two light-draft gun
boats, and two first-class torpedo boats,
As final effortMr. Boutelle moved to re-
commit the bill with instructions to the
committee to report it back with pro-
vision for the construction of two bat
tie ships and ten torpedo boats. but all
the amendments were rejected, The
MaumCc naval authority even sought
to rule out the one cruiser and substi-
tutc four little torpedo boats, but this
disgusting exhibition of parsimony and
rcarness was more even than the
Democratic cheese-parers could stom-
ach. 1t WAS rejected, and then they
passed the committees bill. SO during
the next year the naval power of the
United States, the greatest republic on
earth, will be strengthened by one YES
sci, which Holman would have cut off
if he could, and will continue in its
present condition of infcriority even to
second-class powers, from the naval
point of view.
The encouraging progress which the
government has been making during
the last few years in building up a
navy is thus brought to standstill.
The recommendations made by Secre-
tary Tracy could have been carried for
ward without turdening the treasury
and would have strengthened materi-
ally the naval force and brought it up
to conditions where patriotic Ameri-
cans could have been proud of it. They
have been defeated because of the de-
termination of this small, narrow
guage Indiana demagogue to keep eX-
pcnditures down and pursue a picayunc
policy for the political benefit of the
Democratic party. He is not only
willing to leave the navy weak and I'M
balanced, without coast defense
pedO boats, which are now an
essential in every navy, as third-rate
powers can boast, but he would be
willing to sink the countrys interests
entirely, provided he could help the
democratic party He is by nature a
cheese-parer and by profession a po-
lItical demagogue. But he has carried
his purpose and the country is now
left unprotected by coast defense YES
sells or by resources of torpedo warfare
which every nation, even to the small
est, is developing to its utmost. And
the Democrats in the House have sup
ported him with few honorable excep-
tions, and have given their consent to
a measure which not only leaves the
United States powerless to resist n
/ naval attack from even second
class powers, but unable even
to do its duty with other pow
ers in helping to police the seas. In
this plight has the Democratic party
left the largest and richest nation on
earth because of parsimony which
never before has been equaled in the
records of any country! 1t is to be
hoped that we shall not get into any
quarrels with Italy or Chile or any
other little power pending the time
when Republicans will make the naval
power of this country something to be
respected, not only by the small ma
tions, but also by the big powers.
| The picayunish niggardliness of
these demogogues will not be lost sight
of in the coming campaign. They have
declared in substance that any nation
may trample upon American rights
and the Americans shall be left with
out the means of enforcing their de-
mands. When the proper time comes
the American people will have some
thing to say on this subject. They
may be relied upon to express their
opinion of this pig-headed Bourbonism
in no uncertain manner Chicago
I Tribune.