The Irish standard., 1896-04-18
PAINTING THINGS GREEN.

aHkIAN0S
Much ado has recently heen created by
the action of the assistant secretary of
the navy, McAdoo, In causing the yes
sells of the navy to be painted green. All
kinds of suggestions have been made
concerning it, some of them ignorant
and most of them absurd. Of course the
practicable, sensible side of the question
never entered the minds of the critics
that the vessels were so ordered painted
Tor the purpose Of avoiding detection,
the subdued form Of green adopted be-
ing in harmony with the color of the, sea.
The subject, however, was taken up by
our able contemporary, the San Fran
cisco Nation, whose editor disposes Of
the matter in this breezy way:
On the morning of the 18th Of March.
IN the navy department. peace reigned
supreme. The serenity and leisure that
SO become the dignity of a government
office, 10 a well trained ear, were posi-
lively audible. No presentiment of evil
retary McAdoo sat at his desk, a con-
tented man. His salary was coming in
with perfect regularity. Neither as to-
the size of it nor as to the amount OF
labor required Of him to earn it, had he
serious cause of complaint. Before
him lies paper awaiting his signature.
1t is an order to paint the new torpedo
boats sea green. He glances through it
listiessly With careless hand ne
picks up pen. He dips it in the ink;
he dashes off his official signature. I'm
happy man. He knows not what he
does. But it is not yet too late. win
some deus ex machina ward off his fate?
Alas, no! He calls clerk and hands
him the paper. 1t is borne away and all
is lost!
1t was St. Patrick's Day. He has made
q direct bid for the Irish vote. The a.
7. a. s are upon him. The bolt darts
from clear sky. Memorials of protest
shower thick and fast Like the little
old man Of the woods black care sits
clingingly on his shoulders. Vain all
excuses and explanations The green
color will enable the boats to approach
the enemy unseen. Danish the unpatri-
otic idea. LIE them be smeared red
white and blue in stars and stripes. with
a steam calliope and an A. P. A. lecturer
warranted never to become silent, ON
each quarter deck! So say they all.
Now that Secretary McAdoo is about
TO be brought to justice for his treasona-
bic act we judge it proper time to draw
attention to some facts which have long
been grating upon our American patriot
ism The park commissioners have
been spending the peoples money Upon
Q park in which nearly every blade Of
grass Is green! We hereby call upon
President Huddleson to make note of
this. Is there no whitewash in San
Francisco with which to coat the lawns
and trees in our Irish park? Surely DR..
Browns judges did not use it all. We
know that the lecturers of the templa
have generously refrained from applying
The mixture to themselves. This is no
-rifiing matter.
But there is even a more serious abuse
of the freedom granted by the constitu-
ion. There are among US men claiming
% be loyal and honorable, who are en-
ragged in the manufacture Of paris green. |
They seem to think that the French half
1f the name Of the stuff viii excuse its
IRISH half. But let them not be deceiy-
I'd. Let not temporary prosperity lull
hem into false security. The watch
logs of the constitution are upon their
rail.
Again, regarding green backs. It is
rue that the criminal court records raise |
! presumption that the open exhibition
# the long green is more direct bid I
or the A. P. A. vote than for the Irish /
fote. But let all true American 'Patri- [
ITS vow never to ease their itching
palms with the crisp bills while anybody /
s looking on. If they can take q gift |
without causing scandal, Of course the
Association will not condemn them. But I
ct not the right hand know what the left I
S up to.
We are not SO much arerse to the old /
scheme of the politicians to gain the /
English vote. We refer to the operation