Guaranteed. Indicated horse-power. Guaranteed speed, 19 knots. Guaranteed speed, 20 knots. Estimated by bidder, 23 knots.

22% 6,800

This remarkable contrast between this straight forward business management and the wasteful, inefficient and corrupt policy pursued between 1868 and 1885 does not need to be enforced with "much speaking." It carries its own moral with it.

A SPECIMEN OF REPUBLICAN MALADMINISTRATION.

As a reminder of some of the old-time methods, the following extracts from Secretary Whitney's report for 1887 on the final disposition of the Tennesse is instructive :

Among the vessels dropped from the Navy Register and sold during the past year is the Tennessee.

The history of this vessel is quite interesting and most illustrative. She had a short life but, as a consumer of money, a brilliant one. Her hull was built and she was equipped in the New York navy-yard. Her machinery was designed and built under contract by the eminent engineer, Mr. John Ericsson, costing $700,000. Her total original cost was $1,856,075.18 Upon her trial trip, in January, 1867, she ran about 1,000 miles. She attained a speed of 16 knots and made a run of 15 knots per hour for four hours. She encountered a perilous storm, described as a hurricane, which continued over twenty-four hours. The ship suffered considerably. The report of her commander says:

The engines moved off finely and worked perfectly during all the storm.

Her machinery is as perfect as it need to be. It has undergone the severest test and not once found wanting. She is the fastest ship I have ever seen.

The chief engineer says:

If the strength and workmanship of the machinery cannot be depended upon, then no reliance is to be placed upon the performance of any steam machinery with which I am acquainted.

Two years afterward she underwent what was called "repairs," and the sum of $576,799.61 was spent upon her; all but $73,000 of this was put on her hull and equipment. It was the full price of a new wooden hull of her size at that time. This was from 1869 to 1871. She then made a cruise of three months and went into the hands of John Roach to enable him to take out the machinery and boilers of John Ericsson and substitute others of superior character. It was among other things expected to give the ship a 14% knot speed for twenty-four hours. When she had her trial of this new machinery in 1875 her maximum speed was 10% knots, and she had had put upon her an expense of $801,713.60 in addition to the value of her machinery and boilers taken in trade by Mr. Roach at $65,000. This machinery had cost $700,000; had not been in actual service six months; had never been surveyed and condemned by a board of Government officers, nor its value fixed by any Government board, but it was sold to Mr. Roach as oid iron.

That is to say, between 1869 and 1875 the Tennessee had had three months' service and had cost in repairs and improvements $1,443,513.21. This was largely in excess of a fair price for a new ship of her characteristics.

Twelve years afterwards (on April 4, 1887) she is condemned by the Statutory Board as unseaworthy and not worth repairing, and ordered sold, having had put upon her between 1875 and 1887 the additional sum of $577,716.17. She brought $34,525 at the auction sale. She had cost the Government $3,800,000 in round numbers and had done about ten years of active service, outside of repair shops and navy-yards.

It is often the subject of wonder what has become of the $70,000,000 spent upon war vessels since the close of the war, in view of the fact that there is now no Navy. This bit of history will serve as an illustration.

ECONOMY IN DETAIL MANAGEMENT.

For the first time in many years the ordinary expenditures of the Department have been kept within the appropriations.

A statement of these expenditures, with the surplus or deficiencies at the end of each year, shows the following results for the past four years:

In this statement there are not included the pay of the Navy, expenses of the Marine Corps and Naval Academy, and objects specially appropriated for, which are controlled by statute.

CHAPTER XVII.

THE PUBLIC LAND POLICY.

THE MARKED CONTRAST IN THE POLICY OF THE TWO PARTIES IN DEALING WITH THE PUBLIC DOMAIN.

How the Cleveland Administration has Restored Nearly One Hundred and Fifty Million Acres to Settlement.

The position of the President on the questions relating to the public lands has always been in full accord with that of the Democratic party, and the best thought of the people of the country. In his first annual message he said:

The public domain had its origin in cessions of land by the States to the General Government. The first cession was made by the State of New York, and the largest, which in area exceeded all the others, by the State of Virginia. The territory, the proprietorship of which became thus vested in the General Government, extended from the western line of Pennsylvania to the Mississippi river. These patriotic donations of the States were incumbered with no condition, except that they should be held and used "for the common benefit of the United States." By purchase, with the common fund of all the people, additions were made to this domain until it extended to the northern line of Mexico, the Pacific Ocean and the Polar Sea. The original trust, "for the common benefit of the United States," attached to all. In the execution of that trust the policy of many homes, rather than large estates, was adopted by the Government. That these might be easily obtained, and be the abode of security and contentment, the laws for their acquisition were few, easily understood, and general in their character. But the pressure of local interests, combined with a speculative spirit, have in many instances procured the passage of laws which marred the harmony of the general plan, and encumbered the system with a multitude of general and special enactments, which render the land laws complicated, subject the titles to uncertainty, and the purchasers often to oppression and wrong. Laws which were intended for the "common benefit" have been perverted so that large quantities of land are vesting in single ownerships. From the multitude and character of the laws, this consequence seems incapable of correction by mere administration.

THE PUBLIC LANDS SHOULD BE SAVED FOR HOMES.

It is nct for the "common benefit of the United States" that a large area of the public lands should be acquired, directly or through fraud, in the hands of a single individual. The Nation's strength is in the people. The Nation's prosperity is in their prosperity. The Nation's glory is in the equality of her justice. The Nation's perpetuity is in the patriotism of all her people. Hence, as far as practicable, the plan adopted in the disposal of the public lands should have in view the original policy, which encouraged many purchasers of

these lands for homes and discouraged the massing of large areas. Exclusive of Alaska, about three-fifths of the national domain has been sold or subjected to contract or grant. Of the remaining two-fifths a considerable portion is either mountain or desert. A rapidly increasing population creates a growing demand for homes, and the accumulation of wealth inspires an eager competition to obtain the public land for speculative purposes. In the future this collision of interests will be more marked than in the past, and the execution of the Nation's trust in behalf of our settlers will be more difficult. I therefore commend to your attention the recommendations contained in the report of the Secretary of the Interior with reference to the repeal and modification of certain of our land laws.

In his second annual message he still further enforced his views on the public lands as follows:

PRIMARY OBJECT OF THE LAND SYSTEM.

The recommendations of the Secretary of the Interior and the Commissioner of the General Land Office looking to the better protection of public lands and of the public surveys, the preservation of national forests, the adjudication of grants to States and corporations and of private land claims, and the increased efficiency of the public land service, are commended to the attention of Congress. To secure the widest distribution of public lands in limited quantities among settlers for residence and cultivation, and thus make the greatest number of individual homes, was the primary object of the public land legislation in the early days of the republic. This system was a simple one. It commenced with an admirable scheme of public surveys, by which the humblest citizen could identify the tract upon which he wished to establish his home. The price of lands was placed within the reach of all the enterprising, industrious and honest pioneer citizens of the country. It was soon, however, found that the object of the laws was perverted under the system of cash sales, from a distribution of land among the people to an accumulation of land capital by wealthy and speculative persons. To check this tendency a preference right of purchase was given to settlers on the land, a plan which culminated in the general pre-emption act of 1841. The foundation of this system was actual residence and cultivation.

Twenty years later the homestead law was devised to more surely place actual homes in the possession of actual cultivators of the soil. The land was given without price, the sole conditions being residence, improvement and cultivation. Other laws have followed. each designed to encourage the acquirement and use of land in limited individual quantities. But in later years these laws, through vicious administrative methods and under changed conditions of communication and transportation, have been so evaded and violated. that their beneficent purpose is threatened with entire defeat. * The rapid appropriation of our public lands without bona fide settlements or cultivation, and not only without intention of residence, but for the purpose of their aggregation in large holdings, in many cases in the hands of foreigners, invites the serious and immediate attention of the Congress.

CORRECTION OF ABUSES AND REPEAL OF LAWS SUGGESTED.

The energies of the land department have been devoted during the present administration to remedy defects and correct abuses in the public land service. The results of these efforts are so largely in the nature of reforms in the processes and methods of our land system as to prevent adequate estimate; but it appears by a compilation from the reports of the Commissioner of the General Land Office that the immediate effect in leading cases which have come to a final termination has been the restoration to the mass of public lands of two million seven hundred and fifty thousand acres; that two million three hundred and seventy thousand acres are embraced in investigations now pending before the Department or the courts, and that the action of Congress has been asked to effect the restoration of two million seven hundred and ninety thousand acres additional; besides which four million acres have been withheld from reservation, and the rights of entry thereon maintained.

I recommend the repeal of the pre-emption and timber-culture acts, and that the homestead laws be so amended as to better secure compliance with their requirements of residence, improvement and cultivation for the period of five years from date of entry, without commutation or provision for speculative relinquishment. I also recommend the