The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1892-05-07
ELKTON. MAY Z. 1892.
CONGRESS AND OUR NAVY.

Possibly the most popular feature
OF the National Administration at
Washington is the construction of a
new Navy.
Every movement that has been
made in this direction under both
the Cleveland and the Harrison ad-
ministrations has met with the warm
approval OF the great body of the
people. Next to Mr.. Blaine, the
most popular OF the members of the
Harrison Cabinet IS General Tracy,
and the reason is not difficult to
find. 1t is because he took up with
such sagacity. vigor and patriotic
spirit the work which was so admir-
ably begun by Secretary Whitney in
providing our government with a
modern navy. The American peo-
pie will not be satisfied until this
work has reached that stage when
they may be able to regard without
alarm the possibility of a naval war
with any of the great maritime pow
ers of Europe.
Although we have greatly streng-
thened our naval system in the past
six years. there is hardly a country
in Europe which is not our superior
IN the number of its men Of war.
The great fleets OF England are
overwhelmingly powerful. We can
scarcely think of calling ourselves
match for one of its squadrons.
France, Spain, Germany, Italy, even
Russia, are all far ahead Of us in
fighting ships. The United States
might cope with country like Chile
or Portugal, but she would be at a
frightful disadvantage in a naval war
with Great Britain, France, Spain or
Italy. We cannot, therefore, afford
to rest content with the achievements
of Secretaries Whitney and Tracy,
and trust to luck hereafter. We
must continually bear in mind that
with our ever increasing foreign re-
lations and interests we are likely at
any time to find ourselves suddenly
obliged to go to war. Within less
than a year we have had the Italian
incident, the Chilean rupture and
the Behring Sea dispute as distinct
warnings of what may happen soon
again with less amicable results.
! Unfortunately, there is a consider
Vie number of members of Congress
\cannot be made to recognize
conditions. They look upon a
as the parent of waste and ex-
.agance. They are willing to
= AXE the chances of foreign war
rather than pay for the construction
of vessels. Their chief is Judge
Holman, who is opposed to any
navy at all, and who evidently 1e-
CARDS every ship as synonymous
with a job. They are all Democrats
who either have been brought up in
the back woods Or who have been
taught to believe that the central
government is a IN onster who must
be kept in chronic starvation. Then
there are other Democrats who will
not go to this extreme but who are
willing to vote enough money to
build one ship year. They are a
majority of the Navy Committee,
and they have reported in favor of
building an armored cruiser. The
Republicans, on the other hand,
advocate the building not only
of various vessels suggested by
Secretary Tracy, but particularly of
at least two battle ships OF 10000
tons each that will be able to fight
anything that has ever been put
ahoat.
Whether this moderate increase
in the navy-a policy which should
be maintained every year until the
government has taken its proper
rank as a maritime powers to be
santed by Coszs7ss7- MI; denand
<ether upon the Democrats of
ne House. 1t is a question into
which there should not enter any
party feeling or any cheap John
considerations of economy. The
people OF the United States certainly
do not look at it from either OF these
standpoints. But there are just
enough Democrats in Congress who
fear that President Harrison and
Secretary Tracy may get glory or
Capital" our of this work, or who
are afraid that the country may go
into bankruptcy if it spends a few
million dollars on ships, to make the
result doubtful. The country should
admonish these men in sharp
terms that the subject is not to be
dealt with in this fashion. 1t may
be doubted whether there is State
where the majority of the people are
not heartily in favor of strong navy
and where the paltry tactics Of
the cheese-parers will not be re.
garded with general disapproval.
There is no expenditure of public
money in which the country takes
more delight, when it is conducted
as honestly as it is under this adj
ministration, than in the appropria-
tons for the protection of our coasts
4 the increase of our fleets.