The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-05-20
THE NAVAL STATION.
why should Charleston object to a
Fair Field and no Favor.

Fair Field and no Favor.
Editor Morning News: The dyspeptic
editor of the Charleston News and Courier,
who is always barking and snarling at
everybody, takes umbrage at your we'll
meant congratulations and well wishes at
the probability of Tillman's realization of
his assertion, reiterated by him at the
Democratic Convention held at Columbia,
on the 18th, namely, that there is lot Of
good stealing going on in Washington and
that he. Tfllman, was getting his share
of IL for South Carolina. part of that
stealing, it is fair to assume. is the one,
among other jobs, for the removal of the
naval station to Charleston, for which you
extend the hearty congratulations. Time
will surely prove the truth of Tillman's
candid and frank admission that it was
a steal.
Why should Charleston object to the
suggestion made by you that If the naval
station has to be relocated on the South
ern coast there should be "a fair field
and ne favor shown? That city, in her
extreme modesty, now claimed to possess
the finest harbor on the Atlantic coast, If
that be the case 1t would be supposed that
she would court competition with her
neighbors and demonstrate by official proof
before board of officers, to
be appointed, to examine into
the location of the station,
that her harbor possess all the advantages
alleged, and If in truth the river leading
to Savannah is, as the News and Courier
claim 1t to be, "a narrow, tortuous, shall
low or muddy one, 1t does seem a little
strange, as well as suspicious, that that
paper should evince such abject fear of
competition as is indicated by its editorial
of the nth instant That Charleston en-
tertains such fears is proof positive that
her claim to superiority for her harbor is
not we'll founded.
II stands to reason that Charleston
should avoid as much as possible a too
close investigation into her harbor's natu-
ural and artificial advantages. There are
those who remember that citys frantic
solicitations during the Spanish war to
have 1t made a depot for the embarkation
of troops to Cuba, and how two vessels
were sent there, the Harvard and Yale,
and how they had to anchor al magnifi-
cent distance at sea and the soldiers sent
aboard on barges. How on other occa-
sions vessels of the navy had for the same
reason, to view Charleston from the same
magnificent distance, and what was the
fate of the small Raleigh, drawing only
eighteen feet, when lately she entered in
side the bar and there got aground, and
Notwithstanding the efforts of steam tugs
stuck for twenty-four hours.
In spite of the official maps, bold indeed
would be the navigator who would under
take to steer one of our naval vessels
through the channel to the city Of Charles
ton
The News and Courier relieves Its mind
nv insiuuations as to the health of Savan-
nah. We venture the assertion that not
a merchant in Charleston, with a due re-
gard for his health, would care to spend
a night. during the malarial season, on or
near the site proposed for the contemplate
ed navy yard.
Your state may not have senator, who,
like our Tillman, knows all about "the
good stealing that is going on" neverthe-
less try for the navy yard, unlike the
Charleston people. we know you will tote
fair Victimized.
Beaufort, S. c.. May IS. 1900.