The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1912-02-16
GREAT NAVAL HERO REMAINS uNBUR|EO
Remains of John Paul Jones, Founder of American
Navy Lie Six Years in Annapolis Neglected
by Congress.-Natonal Disgrace

BY ESTHER griffin WHITE.
republics are ungrateful."
The United States VIGOROUSLY SO.
See how we treat our heroes.
The sad spectacle Of Dewey.
The lamentable figure of Hobson.
Both these men rendered, at a criti-
| cal period, unexampled service to their
country. Their compatriots toasted
them to the echo.
Their appearances created a frenzy.
Then. suddenly, one day, just be-
cause Dewey did what every chival-
| rous-Or more or less interested
American does. namely, decided his
property to his wife, he was derided
and ridiculed from one end of the
land to the other.
And because a silly woman kissed
the unguarded Hobson one day-and it
proved, later, to have been a feminine
relative-his name became a byword
and a signal for outlaws and cat calls.
Thirteen years elapses before the
Maine is raised. During that time it is
allowed to remain in the harbor of
foreign city-a national reproach, buff
feted by the waves, a derelict. some Of
those who manned it buried in it's
wreckage-heroes, martyrs to their
country.
Whose Is one of the great names in
the history of our country?
Who was 1t came to the rescue in a
critical hour and blazoned us a path
OF naval glory?
h0 hok
by the French and Russian govern
ments. being made a Rear Admiral by
the latter. and who received a gold
medal from the Congress?
Was it not John Paul Jones, a citi-
zen of this country?
And where, now, are the bones Of
this celebrated patriot?
In a hallway in the United States
Naval Academy awaiting action by
Congress to appropriate a sum for
mortuary chapel.
| In 1905. General Horace Porter,
United States ambassador to France.
after great trouble and at considerable
personal expense, discovered and iden-
tilted the celebrated Americans re-
mains and they were brought to this
, country for honorable interment in
one of the nations battleships.
That was in 1906.
| 1t is now 1912.
! And the body of the famous naval
commander, who was the hero of one
of the greatest battles ever fought on
the ocean, which gave this country
prestige among the nations and made
it's navy another name for efficiency,
daring and courage. still lies in an OBJ
scure corner of the Academy at Anna
polls waiting. the while politicians
squabble over the wool schedule and
play politics in the national Capitol.
When you pin 1t right down to the
line, what the "dooce" is it that Col,-
gress does anyway.
To get 1t to accomplish the things
1t was especially expected to do when
it convened a time or two ago, Presi-
dent Taft had to call an extra session
and keep it for months.
Congress acts like q country school.
II We can't play leap-frog over the
desks and make faces at the teacher
We won't study. We won't get our les
sons. Wen sit and sulk and talk back
and kill time.
| II the country were given a rest
from the sessions Of Congress for Ave
or ten years we'd never know the diff
ference.
What do they do anyway!
Make a tariff bill and then unmake
it.
Fuss over the rules of the house.
| bubble about technicalities of ex-
preston.
Sass" each other back.
Does the gentleman from Alabama
insinuate-"
The gentleman from Ohio lays him
self liable to"
Order, ORDER" cries the Speaker,
who may be Cannon or Clark or any
body else. pounding with his gaveL
Il move we adjourn" shouts . gen
tleman from some place else.
Then they all go home for Sunday
after voting themselves mileage.
What has prevented Congress from
looking after few important matters:
Why don't John Kern. In instance.
get up in the Senate some day and
suggest that the national treasury be
depleted to the extent Of some thous-
ands to build q suitable monument to
John Paul Jones. whose body remains
above ground while he, and some 9TH
iers Of his ilk. make solemn resolutions
to investigate other senator's records.
Why 10 Kern put on all the senator
ial bribery investigating committees?
Why doesn't he say something about
these celebrated charges he made
lagainst his own party when they sent