The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-05-15
RECORD OF RorrENNEss.

| - 49,, for discussion In the House Oh
,,,,.o.on,a,ives. Mr.. Boutelle. OF Maine,
,,,o "a a member OF the Committee on
Naval Affairs, opened this discussion with
a hitter partisan attack on the Demo-
cratic party for niggardly appropriations
10 the navy during Harrison's admins
trauon. Mr.. Cummings. Of New YORK.
chairman of the Committee on Naval
Affairs. replied to him, and we make
some extracts from his reply. as 1t ap-
pears In the Congressional Record. lie
said:
Mr.. Chairman, / recognize the TACT
| that the naval appropriation Dill IN near
| ly every Congress seems 10 be the Jump
| ing ground for all kinds OF speeches., eA-
| cept those pertaining TO the I'LL peloie
| the House, and / had hoped thdt the
| time would have been spent In generous
| discussion, without the partisan oHtS
which has been provoked by the other
side If the bill itself was referred TO.
| have listened with much interest TO
what has been said by the gentleman
| from Maine (Nlr. Boutelle) in regard 10
| the attitude Of some Democratic mem
| bers on this floor toward the Increase OF
| the new navy. Whether what he said Is
true or not, may be able to suggest to
him an explanation Of the causes: In
most Congresses the majority OF the
Democratic members on the floor OF this
House come from the South.
The South had thoroughly tested Re-
publican rule in carpet-bag days. South
Carolina was looted by carpetbagging
4 ,g;r Dor q VI
Of Mississippi were torn by these vul-
lures; the thieves used their jimmies on
Georgia; Florida had a taste Of the rob-
beers. and the Old Dominion, the mother
Of Presidents torn in twain by the
civil war. was gagged and plundered by
these political banditti. Is il any won
der In the world, sir. that men In those
States should hesitate to put millions OF
dollars into the hands of Republicans
who upheld these scoundrels to build
new navy? Look upon the Robesonian
DAYS Of the navy-days that ought 10
bring the blush of shame 10 every man
tramping under the banner of Republi-
canism. Let us see what condition the
navy was in those days. I quote from
the report Of the Whitthorne committee:
The committee found that the average
yearly appropriations for the Navy De-
partment for the six years between June
80 1869, and June 80, 1915. were over
so, s92. 497.
This is under the rule Of Secor Robe
son. As nuch appropriated each year as
Democratic Congresses have appropriated
yearly since William Z. Chandler and
William c. Whitney began to iaugurate
the new navy.
What was the navy at that time? The
laughing stock of the nations Of the
world 1t was a national humiliation
The committee visited the navy yards
and examined hundreds Of witnesses
They reported that in these six years
Secretary Robson had expended in
money about Sl7O.000.CoO. They also al
legged that he had used or disposed Of
the materials Of more than seventy ships
Of war minus any proceeds paid into the
Treasury. besides other material. amount
ing in all TO nearly $3.50 100000 expended by
this Republican champion; and still men
wonder why Democrats on the floor Of
this House refuse to trust Republican
administrations with the exper diture Of
mOnry for the building Of the navy.
Think Of that. people OF the United
States. Three hundred and fifty mil
lions OF dollars spent on tho navy by
Grants Secretary Robson IN the six
years between 1853 and 1915. and what
sort Of navy did We nave I'm 1875? Not
orc single ship that did not disgrace us
wherever she appeared There was not
one single thing TO show for a dollar OF
the money, though enough had been
wasted or stolen to build us seventy or
eighty first-class modern ships. The rot
tenness and corruption of the Republican
rule of this country exceed anything
known 10 modern times. Where did this
money go? Leaving out Of view that
which was stolen bodily. some further
remarks Of Mr.. Cummings will account
for much of it,
The navy yard at Portsmouth. New
Hampshire, is Immediately on the border
Of Tom Reeds congressional district, and
Rittery is actually in it. In the fall Of
1850 he had the great struggle for re-
election on his hands which followed
his despotic and tyrannical course as
Speaker Of the billion dollar Congress.
Republican voters in the navy yards AT
Portsmouth and Kittery were OF supreme
importance TO Tom Reed, and IL was
within the power Of Harrisons admins
tratlon TO furnish them. 1t had to be
done at the Governments expense, it is
true. but a trine of that sort counted
nothing with Harrison when Republic
can partisan was to be helped.
Even Secor Robson, in his report as
Secretary of the Navy, in 1873. had
this to say of the old dilapidated ship
Lancaster:
"Rotten at Portsmouth. Probable cost
of repairs. $4,000. Not worth it,"
But, when it was necessary for Reeds
reelection that there should be Republi-
can voters at Portsmouth and Klttery,
Harrlson's Secretary OF the Navy had
the following advertisement published in
the Portsmouth Chronicles:
(Certihcate)
July %. 1890
In compliance with the act Of Congress
approved June 80, 1876, l hereby certify
make IL necessary 10 increase at this
time the force employed at the navy
yard, Portsmouth, ~ H., for the pur-
pose of reconstructing buildings numbered
10 and IS. destroyed by fire in January
last, OF completing the gunnery-ship Ian
caster; of making necessary repairs and
alterations of the training-ship Monon-
gahela; increasing the water supply: com
81 H.rI-