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

maue Dy tue hePu"l'chh parry 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 to the people at large. with
brozen cheek and efronttrY, the Demo
cfat3 calmy claimed all the credit as the
ofiginators OF the movement or policy -
RI win be remembered that when Spesk
et Reed, during tile session Of the Fifty
frs, Congress. ruled, according to 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
isIation, he was bitterly and vindictively
Denounced throughout the country b,
the Democratic press as more tyrauical
than the Emperor Of Russia, and was
sarcss,ically dubbed by bis Democratic
nonents as the Gar; yet, strange as
y appear, not two months after the
Journment Of that session Of Congress.
"Artful DOlger," David Is. Hill, then
Governor Of New York, clarned credit
for originating tho plan Of counting mem
hers present in legislative body. he
saying that he never had aught to say
against the great Speaker. as he himself
had counted members present, when not
voting, in the New York Legislature to
prevent the breaking of a 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 Socre-
rary Whitney. Clrvelqnd'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 a more impudent flsiti-
cation than the claim that "the Demo
cratic traditions are all favorable to a lib
sral support Of the Navy" or that Sec
.etary Whitney is entitled to al! the
credit for its present strength. lnas
much os the history Of the United States
for the past quarter Of century is toler-
ably familiar to intelligent American
voters the folly Of such transparent at
tempt to delude the public is evident -
II is true that there have been some pa
triotic Democrats who have favored the
creation e rospeefable navy. Their
action has been squarcly opposed by the
great mass of heir party Asin the re-
cent instance Of Senator German they
have been denounced and yillifed by
their own party for daring to forget that
they were Democrats and to remember
that they were Americans. As shown
by actual vote the number Of Democrats
in the Senate who favor liberal sup
port Of the navy" is exactly FIVE. In
the House, with 1870 Democratic MAORI
~, just twenty-five Democrats had pa
triotism enough to woe against the dss-
tardly Holman scheme for Gripping the
work Of naval construction.
The "tra 1ltions" of the Democratic
party are all against the maintenance of
strong navy. When an attempt was
made by Holman to reduce the number
of those battle ships to enc, a 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 70 gain credit for the
Democratic party on occOunt Of the ships
authorized during the Clevslaad admin
is,ration is without foundation in fact
The re construction Of the navy began
under the administration Of the Republi
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. H. Chandler, and the Republican
shipbuilder Jbhn Roach. The building
of the Chicago, Boston, Atlanta and
Dolphil 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 has been practical
" unit FROM the FIRST to last The
Democracy as a pnrty has fought its de
velopment constantly 1t is fighting it
to-day. On this, as on every question
affecting the NATIONAL honor and the ma
tional defense, the Democratic parry has
been on the wrong side.
~ J. ,tt1.e.il a. Eaf-