The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1906-06-01
LAMAR REPLIES
TO BLISS'S
LETTER
Says He Has Not Been DeTsIiCt
in Duty Toward Pensacola
Matters in House.


! Editor Pensacola Journal:
The following letter from Mayor
Bliss appeared in your paper a day
or two ago, viz
Editor Pensacola Journal:
The following taken from the
Congressional Record of May 3rd will
prove interesting to many FensacO-
lians. 1t occurs to me that this was
al: excellent opportunity for some one
to say something for Florida and Pen
sacOla in particular. With our 3G
feet of water on the bar there seem
ed to be no one present to inform
Congress of the fact and the state
ment that there was no harbOr in
Southern waters capable of accOmmO-
dating battleship of % feet was
allowed to go unchallenged.
CFpAS. H. BLISS"
The head line above it was ''Pensa-
sacOla had no champion in the
House"
This letter and headline would nat
urally create the impression that
had been derelict in my duty. /
have been assiduous in discharge of
my duty to Pensacola ana its inter
ests and Of all parts Of the third con-
gressional district.
Every request made of me by
Mayor Bliss in behalf of Pensacola
land he has made several lately)
have been promptly complied with
and effected by me.
l did not leave Washington City the
latter part of April to enter upon my
canvass until it was positively de-
cided by the Committee on Naval At
fairs in the House of Representatives
not to place Pensacola in the Naval
bill for this session for a stone graV-
ing dock. / appeared before the Ma
val Affairs Committee while they
we're making up a bill and showed
the merits Of Pensacola for a stone
craving dock showed its great water
depth on bar and in harbor | quoted
the testimony to the Naval Commit
tee Of Admiral EndicOtt, placing Pen
iacola first in the list above all other
places, as deserving a stone CRAVING
dock. But Secretary Bonaparte
placed a steel floating dock first for
Maryland. And Maryland has on the
Naval Affairs. Committee a member
Hon. IS. E. Mudd The Committee
placed a craving dock on the Pacific
coast second in the list, and then de-
cided not to appropriate any money
for a third craving dock. In this
manner was Pensacola cut out.
L have devoted much time in tho
past three years to this stone gray
ing dock and / was deeply disappoint-
ed at the action of the Naval Com
mittee. ..-.
Before leaving Washington for
Florida to enter upon nay canvass, II
had the satisfaction to believe that
the Committee on Military Affairs
would report in favor of building the
military road from the navy yard toI
the reservation line. l am sorry theyl
coupled any condition with the appro-I
pTiatiOn for the military road, but feel
sure that is the best that Committee
will ever recommend. I did not leave
for my canvass until
both of these important matters to
Pensacola were fully settled before
the committees.
The debate in the House of Repre-
sentatives that Mayor Bliss alludcs
to was over the propriety of building
a great proposed battleship of deep
draught. And incidentally to that
particular discussion, the question of
deep harbOrs on our coasts came in /
for reference. That was ALL The
Navy Department and the Committee /
on Naval Affairs know the fact of /
deep water on Pensacola bar and Pen /
5acola harbor. The craving dock for
Pensacola had at this very tine been
or IF h.
val Committee and l had been as
sured before / left Washington, a few
lays before that debate. TO- my can
Vass, that the committee would not
give Pensacola a stone CRAVING dock
his year.
l was on my canvass in Florida on
Nay 3rd when the debate happened in
lhe House of Representatives over
he proposed construction of a great
,attleship The Dreadnaught" Had |
,een present and stated that Pausa-
ola harbOr had 80 feet of water on
he bar and I would have done so. l
would have only stated what all the
members of the Naval Committee
new already. The discussion was
bout constructing a large battleship
lot over PensacOla's immediate inter-
SITS, those had been attended to byl
ne before the Naval Affairs Commit
ee before that debate. The Naval At
airs Committee, with full knowledge
f fPensacola's deep water bar and
arbOr. rejected the Pensacola grav-
ng dock placed before that COM
littee on a hearing given me before
eaVing for Florida, both Admiral En-
icOtt's opinion in favor of Pensacola p:
no the great depth of water on her
ar and iE her harbOr /:
Very truly yours,
w. B. LAMAR. !