Show NOT UP TO CONTRACT Since the election last fall there has been no one topic which has so divided the country as the question whether or no Mr Roachs Dolphin was what the contract called for and whether she could stand the tests It had almost become a national question the Republicans saying say-ing that the dispatch boat was all that the contract called for and was even better than what was called for The Democrats said she was not what she should be and were much rejoiced when she made a failure on her first trial trip On that trip her journals got hot a thing that might happen to any bout on a first trip and it was held to be no fair test The boat had another trial which was not so signal a failure but still it was no such a success that the builders of the boat could point with pride to Again she went forth in her beauty and her pride and seemed to do fairly weUso well in fact that the question of her acceptance was thought to be a settled fact and the the Republican papers began to feel elated and took great comfort in knowing that the wonderful Dolphin was contracted con-tracted for by a Republican Administration Administra-tion and built by a Republican shipbuilder ship-builder and some of them went so far as to say that on a final trial at sea the Dolphin exceeds the requirements of the contract under which she was built and so we suspect there will be perfect silence about her for two or three years and that then she will be pointed to as a specimen of the craft which began to appear after Mr Cleveland was inaugurated At present the indications are that the silence about the Dolphin will be maintained by Republicans especially if the following telegram of this morning proves true in all its conjectures NEW Your Juno 17The Sun this morning morn-ing says that the board which examined tho dispatch boat Dolphin have made report to Secretary Whitney that they find that tho vessel though driven by the best engines in tho country did not mako tho required 15 knots nn hour on her trial that a little change in weight throws her machinery out of good working trim t and that she is faulty in construction that her only uso for guns aro fore and aft for following or flying from an enemy and that sundry structures in front and rear would be blown to atoms if n pun were fired in either direction The Sun intimates that the boat will be rejected by the Secretary of the Navy In the language of the News this maybe may-be called a fulfillment of the predictions predic-tions This will rejoice the Democrats and sorrow the Republicans and prove that joy and sorrow arc twins in this world and born of the same cause It is amusing to see with what intense feeling I the two parties have discussed the merits I of the Dolphin when after all the only I question was whether she came up to the I requirements of the contract It is f a j matter of no moment who builds the I boats of the navy whether Republicans j I or Democrats but it is a matter of grave importance that they be of the best model and make and come up to the require Jflents specified inthe contract |