Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1903-06-04
Especial washington letter.

- OM1 tliuG DelOrc cUllSEeSS du-
- journed Mr.. Speaker Hender-
son appointed me one of the
visitors to the closing exercises
Of our Naval academy at Annapolis.
Messrs. Adams of Philadelphia and
Watson of Indiana were my colleagues
from the house. We were to act con-
jointly with Senators Daniel of vir-
ginia and McComas Of Maryland and
were to rendezvous at Annapolis June
|, which we did
1t was pleasure to discharge this
duty, to perform this function.
Our Naval academy is great train
ing school for sea fighters. When it is
completed as now planned it will be
the greatest naval school in the world,
bar none. This is altogether meet and
proper, for is not this the greatest
country under the sum- Being the
greatest nation, we are entitled to have
i'm fact, it is our duty to have-the
best of everything that's going. Con-
sequently we are preparing for our
selves a naval academy the greatest
ever, and we are doing it regardless
of expense, for are we not the richest
people beneath the stars, getting rich
er every day, every hour, every min
ute, every second? If we want the
greatest naval academy or the greatest
anything else who shall say us nay?
There is one thing in which every
citizen of the republic without regard
to political affiliations and without re-
gard to age, race, sex or previous con-
dition can take an honest pride-the
American navy.
From the day when John Paul Jones
humbled England, startled the world
and wrote his name on the scanty list
of the immortals to this good hour the
navy has been the pet of the American
people.
Nature made us inevitably a mari
time people by giving US more coast
line than is possessed by any other
country.
Our first and surest and easiest de-
fense is upon the sea. This was dem
onstrated thoroughly in the war of
1872, from which without our triumphs
upon the water and without Andrew
Jackson's astounding victory at New
Orleans we would not have been in
strictly prime condition to do much
growing; quite the contrary.
One of the best results of that war
and one of the most enduring was
that it caused Marylander, Fran
els Scott Key. to write the immor-
tai song, 1The Star Spangled Banner"
which never fails to stir the hearts of
an American audience.
While the events which gave it birth
and Of which 1t is descriptive were en-
tirely local, it girdles the world ss the
favorite martial air of the most war
like people on the globe-for that is
precisely what they are notwithstand-
ing all our eulogies upon peace. That
fact was thoroughly demonstrated dur
ing our great civil war, when at the
first throb of the war drum an entire
people sprang to arms.
When Napoleon had sorrowfully
signed the title deeds to the Louisiana
purchase he said, "Now / have given
England rival upon the sea-" and
that was the chief satisfaction which
he derived from that stupendous per-
formance-the greatest transaction
proposed in real estate since the devil
took the Saviour to the top of high
mountain and offered him the domin-
ion of the world to fall down and
worship him.
Could Napoleon on that April day
in 1903 have looked forward to 1912,
1918 and 1914 he would have seen that
he had given England not only rival,
but conqueror, upon the sea.
The American people are not jealous
Of large navy as they are of large
standing army. They are not stingy
toward the navy. OF course, they do
not want congress to squander their
money, but they do want the country
to have navy adequate to its wants,
and they are willing to foot the bills.
They understand the wisdom of the old
saying that an ounce of prevention is
worth a pound of cure. and they be-
lieve that an ample navy is a guar
antee of peace rather than an incentive
or provocation to war
Our new navy is a matter Of such
pride that two men-William G. Whit
ney and William e. Chandler-a Dem
ocrat and Republican-claim to be its
father 1t may take a new Solomon
to decide the question of paternity as
the old one solved vexed question of
maternity.
No Sailor President.
But there is one strange thing about
the attitude of the people toward the
navy that nobody has ever explained,
and that is this: While they are in
tensely proud of the achievements of
the navy and cheer battle ship or
Jack Tar wherever seen they absolutely
refuse to bestow political honors upon
their naval heroes. This is perhaps the
greatest mystery connected with Amer
ican history or American politics. They
never weary of elevating successful
soldiers to the highest political posi-
tions, but they draw the line absolutely
at naval victors. They will have none
Of them in office. Wherefore? Per-
haps nobody can tell, perhaps nobody
ever tried to find out. 1t is a problem
worthy of the profoundest cogitation of
the psychologist.
The Revolutionary war made Wash
ington president and helped Colonel
Monroe very much in his prolonged ef-
fort to reach the White House. Not
sea fighter of the Revolution was ever
mentioned for the place.
son and William Henry Harrison presi-
dents. No sea hero of that war was
ever mentioned for the position
though they achieved most of the tri-
umphs.
The Mexican war made Taylor and
Pierce presidents, but no sailor got p0-
litical Office
The civil war sent Grant, Hayes,
Garfield and the younger Harrison to
the White House and helped Mckinley
and Arthur to reach that goal. No sea
fighter seems to have been thought of
In that connection.
The people made George Dewey an
admiral and Schley and Sampson rear
admirals for the victories of Manila
and Santiago, but Colonel Theodore
Roosevelt of the rough riders is the
chief magistrate of the republic.
VIII it always be thus? No man can