Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1904-03-18
DoINGs IN CONGRESS.


President, have been provided with
good jobs, without undergoing the
examinations.
Senator Thomas S. Martin has
taken the very sensible position that
the United States having incurred
certain dangers and assumed certain
responsibilities must put itself in q
position at sea to guard against the
first, and live up to the second. We
do not see how any man of foresight
could take any other position. We
are in the Philippines, in Hawaii, in
Guam, in Porto Rico, on the lsthmus
rightly or wrongly, it doesn't mat
ter. We are there, ard honorably
we must retire volun tarily-which
we will not door be in position to
stay despite opposition. That is very
much a condition and not at all a
theory.-Norfolk Pilot.
Friends of Congressman Maynard
and Jeues, of Virginia, injected them
selves into the redistricting fight in
the Virginia Legislature. A promi-
nent ex-member went down from
Washington to pass the word that
unless the measure was defeated it
would injure the prospects for get
ting a national appropriation for the
jamestown Exposition. On top of
this about twenty kilograms were re-
ceiyed in Richmond by friends of the
Exposition and members of the Leg.
lslature from L. j. Wool, vice. presi-
dent of the Exposition, who was in
Washington in the effort to secure a
congressional appropriation for it.
The object was in defeat of the re-
districting bill, as Mr.. Wool thought
the influence of some members would
be lost if persisted In.
SENATOR MARTIN FOR STRONG NAVY.
The Democrats of the Senate did
not follow the example of their
brethren of the House of Represen-
tatives and oppose the naval appro-
priation bill. The bill was reported
from the Senate Committee after
having been considered but . short
time. But it was considered long
enough to enable Senator Martin to
have put on it an amendment pro-
viding for the erection of marine
barracks at Norfolk, at cost of not
more than two hundred thousand
dollars.
81 am opposed to the minority in
the Senate arraying itself against the
bill, said Senator Martin. 81 be-
lieve there is general feeling of un-
easlness in the country and among
the nations generally, because Of the
war in the far East. 1t is impossi-
BILE to predict the complications which
may result from that war. l was
strongly opposed to our entering
upon a policy of expansion and em-
barking In world power, but now
that We have done so, think it is
necessary to have a strong navy.
ave have passed the point where
a policy of retrenchment is possible.
Uncle Sam is walking about these
days with a chip on his shoulder.
We cannot say when there will be
trouble and navy will be badly
needed. An army can be had in
few weeks or months; it requires
years to build navy. Ours is not
yet strong enough to warrant our
economizing."
WHY WE NEED A STRONG NAVY.
Senator Thomas s. Martin spoke
the other day before the Senate in
behalf of strong navy, one oom-
mensurate with the dignity and the
responsibilities of the United States
under the lately acquired character
of this country as world power with
dependencies to be protected in other
parts of the world. 1t is gratifying
to know that the Virginia Senators
do not subscribe to the milk-and-
water policy advocated by Senator
Clay when he said that if we respect
the rights of others We shall have
no occasion for great navy. In
this the Senator stated but a half
truth. The other and more impor-
tant half is that we shall have need
for strong navy il others do not
respect our rights. The lack of such
navy is a temptation if not an in
centive to insult and aggression by
Others, and in wealthy nation like
ours it might almost be accepted as
an invitation to MISUNDERSTANDING
Inde1-Appeal.
BoMB-sHELL FOR REPUBLICANS.
Hon. James A. Hay, the able
Representative of the Seventh Vir-
ginia District threw a bomb shell
into the Republican ranks last week.
His resolution, causing full report
and probable investigation of how
postoffice plums. had been dished
out, has created such stir as was
never before known in Congress. Re-
publican congressman stamped their
feet and swore loudly that the
present Republican administration
was a huge fake. They are abusing
President Roosevelt and Fourth AS.
sistant- Postmaster Bristow with all
the lung power imaginable. The
Democrats are enjoying the fracas
and demanding unanimously that
there be full investigation and no
whitewashing. Tho report rendered
by Mr.. Bristow shows by what re-
quests postoffice appointments were
made and salaries increased. Con-
gressmen didn't object to this, and
there were good many Democratic
Congressman that had been success
full In securing places for their con-
stituents or getting increased salaries
for postotfce clerks in their districts. |
Among this latter was Congressman
Swanson who succeeding in getting
the salaries Of half dozen poorly |