The herald., 1898-10-27
BOSTON RECEIVES LONG
WITH GENUINE NEW ENGLAND
WELCOME
WORK OF THE NAVY PRAISED
The Secretary Pleads for Place on the
Floor Of Congress for Cabinet
Officers
Associated Press Special Wire.


BOSTON, Oct. 26.-Secretary of the Navy
Long received genuine New England wei
come at Music hail tonight, on the occasion
of the annual dinner of the Republican club
OF Massachusetts. Secretary Long was the
principal speaker. When he rose he re.
ceived tremendous ovation. He said:
My experience in the cabinet has con-
tirmed the impression that l have long cher.
ished, that a cabinet officer, with or without
vote, should have place on the floor of
congress, where he shall be subject to ques-
ton in all matters of his administration and
have the opportunity to present in person
the needs and demands OF his branch of the
public service. So might he best get larger
growth.
"The almost entire freedom of the navy
during the war from loss of life or sickness
or disease, and from even ordinary casual
ties, is the best evidence of the thorough
ness of its preparation, the intelligence of its
direction, and the skill, efficiency and thor
ough training of its officers and men. Let
me bear my testimony that all this has been
the work of the navy itself, and not of any
man at its head; of the completeness of its
system and the competency of it's personnel
highly. The commandant at the navy yard,
the chief in the bureau, and no less the
grades and every one below these--line and
staff, superior and ubordinate-have all
worked with matchless fidelity and ability
and in harmonious cooperation, and de-
serve equal honor.
"The glory of the navy, and the glory OF
the war which it shares with the army, is
not, however, in battle alone; or, rather, it
is not in the brutal elements of battle. 1t
is rather in the fine instinct, the heroic cour-
age, the splendid devotion the intense pa.
triotism, which nerve men to endure what
otherwise were the objectionable horrors of
a.o%f f,, = tha cnlyN 49, kEno Gov
which the battles are fought.
"The war through which we have just
passed was not waged for the exultation OF
victory. 1t was for the looseninH of the
yoke of bondage, the elevation Of an op-
pressed people, the divine visitation of the
coming century.
at was a revelation to the Spanish prison
ers when they found themselves received in
their encampment. rather than. prison, at
Portsmouth with Christian kindness, their
wounds bound up and every want provided
for.
'The lesson was not lost on the civiliza-
tion of the time, when Cervera, returning to
his seat in the Spanish senate, proclaims the
humanity of Americans and suggests to
Spain that she benefit by our example.
awaken from her bondage to old limitations
and follow the lead of American enterprise
and American institutions.
eff | NAV say one word more concerning
the navy, L agree with the evident propose
ton that. with the extension of our terri
tory, the new duties that are on us and the
now enlarged Importance of our sea power
the increase in our naval force should go on
But l am not one of those who would have
it extravagantly expanded, and would pre-
fer reasonable increase, commensurate
with the increased need. Too rapid devel-
opment will surely lead to a reaction in the
popular mind and a tendency to the ex-
treme, as happened after the war for the
union. Nor must we forget that the in
crease in the army and navy is necessarily
attended with great increase in expendi-
ture, and therefore in taxation; and in the
zeal of the present moment we may stand
on the old fundamental principle that under
no circumstances should this be country
where the military arm is burden instead
of a defense. and the military arm must be
subservient bv long interval to the edu-
cational and industrial
eff ever there was man who loved his
country, servant of the public whose pur-
pose was to do his duty and who was guided
by praverful sense of accountability TO
God and his fellow-men, it is President Nc
kinley For two wears I have sat at the
cabinet table. and I recall not one instance
when in the discussion there was any ques-
tion. one word has been uttered with regard
to its effect or hearing on the personal or
political future of the president or anv mem
her of his cabinet or of the party of which
he was the choice two years ago, as today he
is the choice of all the people"
Senator Wolcott and Senator Lodge also
spoke.