Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1894-07-10
NO CAUSE FOR PRIDE
ver " We KEEP ON WE WILL SOON
HAVE A NAVY.

wv 1ht'G OIt u itADb
, vGT " VIZ KEEP ON WE WILL SOON
NAVE A NAVY.
Osr War vss.sis Csatrastsd with Thess ef
Other Gr~ss Power. -s.ms cuvss~s rs~ss.
ssss.ss Fisssussss~s In A~ssss.a ship
piss-A Remarkable Desiiss.
ESPECIAL coue.pondsnos.I
wAsHINoroS. June 2s.-When the nv.
erage American citizen walks through
the beautiful halls Of the naval depart
ment and sees the fine models of our war
vessels. when b. notes the activity there
and at the navy yards. or even when he
reads Of the magnificent record for sreed
made by our new ships. his hear, swells
with pride. and he anticipates aspcciy
return Of the glorious days Of our navy
the days of Paul Jones. Hull and Law
renee. of Perry. Decatur and the heroes
Of our civil war. National pride IL good
thing. but lest u becomes eKoessiy. let
US look ut the actual facts Ani contrast
our navy with that % other nations.
st the close 20 the fiscal year. In his
frst message to congress, Decembsr.
issJ. President Cleveland says. IAN
must admit the Importance % an effect.
iys navy to a nation like ours having
such an sti.-ldei s~acoast to protect
And yet W. have not Q single v..ssl q
war that ooali k.'p the ses. against .
hr-t elias yr-ssl a any importan, pow
90.
Ao-~',s.s win o'ns, s.s,....
A. the otsuing of tls- prv-eui congr.-.
s-crvtsry llsrl-rt quoted that siaismsui
and .sid that we bal MT sysn yst IN
commission single vessel a war that
ooald icsp the "a. against Q hrst Clasa
,.--sl - any itn.-ortsni power. bot that
four such wsrr In pruo.-- q oonsiruc.
ton. In l->3 thsr- wa. No establish.
msnt In thi. coaniry that o,ah turn out
srmor for noisrn s---sls. nons that
e0ali forge . Ino.srn gun % mars usn
siH inch calil.r. nous that Cuui make
saiomsblls taftelo.-. uao.isTu ravid mr.
gun. 90 powder &c ths Highest power
gun. SsyI.is ~ Wkifbsy IL unos lsaau
N. wufs &c -. and many othsr usssi.
81 thing. sBsi 90 arr ju.i h ginning %
r~aliI- ths rssnii. sans - ths Con.
trA.,s sr. astaui.hing. We still have
bat thr,e tou.slo bats pru.sr. Ails
England has 20. France 80. Italy i5y.
Rnssis TED. .nd - ga down a. ltils
Portugal. tie lowest IN iir lit. Which
hs. o Even China has ~ and japan
~. sn,. Ia all foryi.n ooant..e. ,.Isrv are
NV ig' In Ir,c.ss q construction. all q
sr,aily increased sis. and sp.s.i. Thcss
sh0uh not - confOundsd with the tor.
t.-lo cruissrs O. L. named hrrraftcr.
We have cumplei~l. aparUy~l ani In
commission ~ full Annor~l vessels -
which We are Justly proud. beginning
with the famous Puritan, built by John
Roach. ltisspi,y that no general sys-
tem was adopted Ia naming our vessels,
a. 4. shown by such let As the Man.
tonomoh. Amphitri,e. Monterey. Ka,ah.
din. AjaI. aud - ON. five languages bs-
ing laid under contribution aud the gods
and heroes of every age from Agamem.
non to Erics-on. striking balanc. on
tho-e SON "a H. completed and the old
ones barely dc for use. IL may b. said
We have ~ single turret monitors, %
unarmorcd steel vessels 81 every class,
iron steam vessels. 10 wooien steam
vessels. q wooden sailing vessels and u
steel. iron AMI wooden steam tugs. Ofthe
~ war vessels of every kind In process Of
construction at the beginning of this
congress six have l-en completed. and
the secretary says that all will H. In ac.
tive service by the Close ~ the h,cal year
is,5. The total appropriation for the
naval department for the year now end
Ing was 81. iOi .O5i .3s. while that for the
coming ycar-at least, as II passed the
house--is 81, ,?so. .9s5s'.
what 0, C.,s tn Let Ns,y Rot.
A glance over the figures since the
foundation II our government presents
some very curious contrasts aud empha-
sizes some Joints which have been the
subject ~ much scandal. but have never
been explained. A satisfactory history
Of the naval department for the 10 years
Succeeding the war has never becn writ-
ten, and u IL too sOon Ia write IL. The
government In is65 ownc,i over 90 ves-
sells II all kinds. and naval movements
necessarily ceased nj once. anil yrt the
naval appropriation for the fiscal year
isSS was elJ, ,2sj Ca. and for th. four
years ending with 1868 the aggregate
Was ti.0,OoO.Oc0 Much % this !. ~
course accounted for by the payment "
retiring sailors and officers ani l-.ss
claims II wai therfOr prOlni.el and
Confidently expected that naval sspsnse-
wouh L. rapilly r-iuce'l. In fast. thsy
rapidly incrrssei until the appropria-
ton Tor tie hscal year 1874 was 81. "a.
Ss.. All this time the navy was run
ming down So rapidly that u h.came .
subject for jc.rs and laughter. And to
the enormous appropriations shou!d In
justice lie ai,le.l the amount realized 10y
the .ale of oil material. To- r.aliEs the
contrast take notice that for the fiscal
year isg., when the Harrison adiniuis-
tration was s,raining every nerve to
hasten the completion Of the vessels an.
thorire,i. the appropriation was but s3i,.
5li. .0i5. or but a tribe more than for
is,l. The people can easily understand
why u should take over SO.Oo0.000 pr
year To buili asplsndid navy. but why
Il took as much To let y navy rot Il as
yet unexplained.
The figures for the early years of our
history are laughahle In COMPARISON:
In 1874 the total appropriation was but
l3i, ,iOs. and when tn Feleralisis got
excited over the prospective war with
France and became. a. the Jefiersonians
said. perfectly reckless, they expended
for the year 100 ouly t3,tts,1i6.
Twelve years passed before that sum
WAS reached again. and Ia the glorious
year Of isii-l5 the expenditures were
only ts.6so,c00. Thiity.three years
passed before this SUN was again reach.