The Savannah morning news., 1901-12-29
Mr.. LONG ON WEALTH
DISTRIBUTE THE SURPLUS SAYS
SECRETARY OF NAVY.
THE MISSOURI LAUNCHED.
A DISTINGUISHED GATHERING AT
TENDED.

LAC HNeht Cohuucted with Great
EcInt-Five Hundred People Sat
Down to the Banquet Which Fol-
observation-disclosures Made by Secre-
tary Hitchcock, Senator CockreII
Gov. Tyler of Virginia, Secretary
Long and c. II. Spencer-Mr. Long
Told How to Make Everyone Hap
Ply by Spending Public Money,
Especially for the Navy.
Newport News, Va, Dec. 2S.-The
battleship Missouri was launched at the
shipyard here to-day at 11:12 o'clock.
Fully $4,000 people, it is estimated, saw
the big defender go overheard. The
launching passed off without a hitch
and none prettier or more successful
was ever accomplished here. Miss
Marion Cockrell, daughter of Senator
F. M. Cockrell of Missouri, was sponsor
for the ship, and she performed the
duty assigned her with the traditional
bottle of champagne, using a bottle of
Missouri product for the purpose. The
number of distinguished guests gathered
christening
platform was larger than ever seen
here.
Among them were Secretary of the
Navy Long, Secretary of the Interior
Hitchcock, Rear Admiral Melville,
chief of the Bureau of Steam Engineer
ing; Rear Admiral O'Neill, chief of
ordnance; Judge Advocate Lemly,
Lieut.. Gov. ]. A. Lee of Missouri, act
Virginia, Corwin H. Spencer of st.
Louis, representing the Louisiana Pur-
chase Exposition; Congressman Rixey,
representing the House Committee on
Naval Affairs; Senator CockFell and a
number of army and navy officers. Mrs.
Roosevelt, wife of President Roosevelt
came up from Old Point on the United
States dispatch boat Dolphin, with her
the steamers deck.
When the big ship had glided off the
ways into the water the crowd on the
guests platform gave three cheers for
Miss Cockeell, three for the navy ana
the army, three for Secretary Long and
then three for the shipyard.
After inspecting the various depart
ments of the plant, the guests went
to the shipyard wharf. where they
boarded the steamer Washington, go
ing to Old Point. At the Chamberlain
Hotel this afternoon the customary
post-launching banquet was given, the
guests mentioned above being on the
programme as the principal speakers.
The Guests Banqueted.
Five hundred guests sat down at the
BANQUET. President Orcutt of the
Newport News Shipbuilding Company
acted as POSTMASTER. A toast to the
President was drunk standing, to
which Secretary Hitchcock responded.
Applause greeted Senator Francis M.
Cockrell as he arose to respond to the
toast, Missouri" The senator said
Missouri had taken prominent part
in every controversy, civil and foreign,
that has taken place since her admis-
sion into the Union. The Senator
aroused great enthusiasm when he
said that the state had sent $4,000
men into the Union army and nearly
as many into the Confederate army.
Gov. Tyler responded to the toast
Virginia"
The speaker said he loved to talk of
Virginia, her blue mountains and green
hills, her spirit of resistance to op-
preston. For her Lee, her Stuart and
her Jackson; for her lowlands and her
tangled forests; for her splendid his
tory, for her unselfishness, her great
soldiers and statesmen, for what she
has been, is now and ever will be-
the mother who has instilled into the
children the principles of truth and
chivalry-for the noble sons and daugh-
ters she has given to every state and
cline.
Secretary Longs Address.
The speech of Secretary of the Navy
John D. Long, was as follows:
81 have been interested in the circular
signed by many eminent citizens, my
beloved friend E. e. Hale at the head,
in which they regret the estimate of
500 000, 900 for the increase Of the navy.
The size of the navy, If there is to
be a navy at all, is a question like the
tariff-of adjustment rather than of
principle. OF course it is rather a
taking thing to say that as a matter of
theory, as this circular says. that $780,
000. 900 for the navy means a tax of
Sc on every family in the United States.
And yet, on the other hand, as mat
ter of practical fact, If that sum is
spent. there is probably not family
in the Urited States whose future in
come could be shown to be Sc less, and
there are a good many families whose
income would be Sc more, and still
more families whose income would be
many times Sc less II ii were not spent.
"It is also rather "a taking thing to
say that 800, 100000 could be better
Ill, ff.fa TtFn nj
vet on the other hand 100000, 900 spent
in the employment OF labor is the very
best use to which 1t can be put.
Mr.. Longs Philosophy.
1.-THE great question Of the day, as to
wealth, is it's distribution. While few
would say that the community should
be taxed for the sole purpose OF dis
tributing the proceeds OF taxation, yet
n Is some comfort TO know of tax
which. when 1t is laid on the commu-
nitv. all returns again to It. If $780,
600 900 shall be appropriated for the
navy by the present Congress, a small
mart will go for the purchase OF raw
mo terial and something for salaries,
hut the great bulk OF 1t for labor in
every part of the union.
somehow II just happens that with
larger revenues than we have ever had
before in time OF peace ana therefore
,,,jtb more direct and indirect taxation,
there is more prosperity and more
money in the pocket Of the citizen than
ever before. Students may speculate
over the economic causes, but II Is the
'demnition total.
sTYndoubtedly Uncle Sam ought 70
rsauce taxation wherever he can. On
ths other hand. II IL wise In him 70
r,,n things so as 10 keep business good
and n as a result his income is large
ai'e - -. ,.,,,ch ,,,oro hone0t bv amend