The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1896-05-09
Letter from Washington.
From our Regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON, D. c., May 6, 1896.

| WASHINGTON, ID. u, May d, 1890.
Senator Germans amendment to the naval
appropriation bill reducing the number OF
battleships provided for from four to two, in-
| volving saving of $4,000, 900 to the Treas
ury, gaze rise to good deal of discussion in
the Senate of political, economic, and inan-
cial character, but was in the end successful
| by close but f1attering vote This three
| dsys' discussion elected by this important
economic proposition, coming from the Dem
ocratic side, was one of the most interesting
episodes at this session of Congress- and has
attracted widespread attention throughout the
| country. Mr.. Gormans speech IN support of
4 his amendment is generally conceded to have
been one of the ablest delivered in this Con-
gress. 1t attracted the thoughtful attention
of both branches of the national legislature
and has received liberal attention from the
leading press of the country. Mr.. Germans
great power in these politico- economic debates
is due to his thorough knowledge of the af
fairs of the Treasury and the country. This
he has acquired by thirteen years of close at
tention to his senatorial duties Joined to a
natural capacity and aptitude in mastering
these Details for during that entire period he
has been, as Thomas H. Benton wrote of
himself, IAN active business member, attend
ing and attentive 1t is estimated by old
officials here that during his long period of
service Mr.. Germans average record for
punctual attendance has exceeded that of any
other individual Senator.
Commencing in the early period of Mr..
Cleveland's first administration, when Whit
Dey was Secretary of the Navy, the Navy De-
partment, acting in conformity with congress
sional appropriations and authority, has
steadily pursued grand policy of building up
for the United States a great modern navy.
In the inauguration and pursuit of this policy,
Mr.. German, as an influential member of the
Senate Committee on Appropriations has
been one of its leading friends and advocates
in Congress- His valuable service in that
capacity was attested time and again by Sec
rotary Whitney and his Republican success
sor, Secretary Tracy, the latter making it a
feature of his discourse before Baltimore
audience. 1t was therefore becoming and
with influential voice that Senator so thor
oughly identified with the progressive idea Of
a modern and formidable navy called atten-
ton to the indiscreet excesses in that policy,
at critical time in the Federal finances. pre-
cipitated by the present Secretary and the
House Naval Committee under the color and
impulse of the unfounded war scare.
Heretofore, since the incipiency of this ma
val policy, appropriation has been made an
nually for two battleships, with a correspond
ing accompaniment Of lower-class vessels,
such as cruisers, gunboats, and torpedo boats.
The burden of Mr.. Germans argument was a
demonstration of the fact that the proposition
to double this appropriation at this time is not
only unnecessary and ill-advised, but exceed
ingly inopportune. Unnecessary, because
there is no danger of war; ill-advised, because
it is period of fertile experimentation and
improvement in the construction of armor and
of ships; and exceedingly inopportune, be-
cause the appropriations already made and
necessary to be made by this Congress exceed
the estimated revenues by about $65, 000, 900.
Under such circumstances he urged that the
unnecessary expenditure of $4,000, 900
would be matter for which Congress would
find it difficult to Justify themselves before the
people So well did he demonstrate this i'm
portant proposition that the almost solid Dem
ocratic membership of the Senate Excluding
a few members of the Naval Committee and
one or two others who felt under some kind
of obligation to vote differently and the
leading Republican Senators stood with him
in cutting the House appropriation in half
and so absolutely convincing was his argu
ment and so thoroughly has it received the
approval of the public opinion of the country
that at this writing formidable effort is be-
ing made in the House. led by prominent
Republicans as well as Democrats, to have
the House recede from its excessive appro-
priation and accept the Senate amendment.
Whether the movement succeeds or not, pri
marily, it has already assumed sufficient pro-
portions to warrant the Senate conferees,
should it go to conference, in insisting upon
the Senate amendment so that it is safe now
to predict that the proposed economy viii be-
come law.
Your correspondent feels sure your Demo
cratic readers will not find fault with the lib
eral attention recently given to Senator Cor |
man in these letters, in view of the fact that |
he has been so censpicuously in evidence in |
Congress of late. The mugwnmpiau press of |
the State have without excuse filed SO many |
columns with pure fiction in relation to him, |
intended for his injury, that it would seem
hardly necessary that the Democratic press
should make any apology for giving publica-
ton to important public matters in which he
bears conspicuous part, even though it
should inure to better public appreciation
Of his services.
1t has often been said that the Democratic
party never fights so well as when it is on its
back. The truth of this proposition results
from the fact there is more regard for unity
and discipline among Democrats when they
are in a minority. The Democrats in Con-
gress are more united and in more aggressive
and effective fighting trim now than they have
ever been since the commencement Of the
present administration. This is due in part,
perhaps, to their being in the minority, but
quite as much, no doubt, to the fact that the
unfortunate policy Of disorganization and dis
sension fostered by the administration no
longer cuts any figure in Congressional cir
cles. The party is making great record in
Congress lust at this time and the yaIue of +