Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-06-30
The Senate Discussing Our
Coast and Naval Defenses.
"EFFEcTIyE ASA DEAD WHALE
Republican Senators Howling Aboul
State Of Affairs They Brought
About Themselves.


German said he did not believe the
erms Of the amendment sufficiently |
guarded to protect the interests Of the
He did not believe in the be-
ginning Of such an enterprise as the one |
to place the whole Of $3.50, 900 |
IN the hands Of the Ordnance Bureau, a |
system which was generally regarded as |
vicious, bad, and sure to result in dis
Rster.
Hawley said the amendment merely
to do for the Army, exactly
what had been done for the Navy. The
of the Senator from Mary
land, If he understood it, was that the
private concerns should be invited to
make perfected gun, but he (Hawley)
asserted that no large steel manufacturer
in the country would undertake, on any
terms the Government would listen to or
the people sanction, to build IL or
16-inch gun in its own shops, purely
for experiment. Would the Senator him
self if he had two or three million in
vested in steel works, spend another
million in putting plant in order to turn
out single perfected gun, which might
be rejected VIXEN made. After the har-
RAISING experience OF old John Roach, q
man who had been an honor to the coun-
try, not one manufacturer would spend a
million dollars in making gun. He de-
Tended the Ordnance Bureau Of the Army
and Navy, to whom he said the grossest
injustice had been done.
Butler said il the Senator from Mary
land had been member OF the Commit
tee on Military Affairs or of the Commit
tee on Naval Affairs, he would soon have
come to the conclusion that those ord
nance officers were subject to very try
ing ordeal. Not three days since
gentleman alluding to Berdan had ap-
peared before the Committee on Naval
Affairs with device which he sup
posed TO be absolutely perfect for
the removal Of nets against tor.
pedoes, and yet, when he was subjected
to an examination as to its periectness,
he had to admit it had not been tested,
but he Haunted into the face Of the Com
mittee that unless it recommended an
appropriation, he would take steamer
for Europe in August and would have
the device adopted there. That was an
illustration OF what ordnance officers had
to encounter almost daily.
After further debate the discussion
was suspended in order to let other
business be transacted.
Allison reported back the Joint resolu-
ton extending the appropriations for the
present fiscal year, for thirty days from
June 30th, in departments for which the
appropriation bills for next year shall
not have become a law, and after long
discussion the resolution was passed
without division.
The Senate then resumed consideration
Of the Army Appropriation bill.
Hawley stated, in reply 10 a ques-
ton previously asked, that with
the appropriation Of FIVE million
dollars two hundred and seventy guns
would be constructed, but that it would
take five or six years to expend the five
millions. If the American people were
driven to war and were humiliated, then
the men who argued against the policy
of providing guns, would hide them
selves and would call upon the noun
tains to fall upon them. The
English themselves were surprised at the
carelessness of the United States in re-
gard to war preparation, and he asked was
there ever such a happy-go-lucky reli-
ance on luck since the world began The
country with its sixty million people was
q monstrous mass Of potential power /;
but against modern steel guns it was no
more effective than dead whale.
Stewart spoke Of the United States as
being "a good fat goose to be plucked by
any body" and spoke of the alarm felt
at San Francisco few years ago when
the trouble with Chilli was apprehended.
He was reminded by Plumb that Eng
land paid SIS, ,000, 900 under the Alabama
award, and he replied that it was be-
cause the United States had then great
navy, and because all the world was
then in awe of it. But times had
changed, and such treaty as the Ala
bama treaty could not be made now.
Cockrell spoke sarcastically on the
frenzy exhibited Gas he said) by the
Senators from Connecticut and Nevada.
He could almost imagine the British red
coats coming down from the skies, land
ing on American soil and driving back
the timid Yankees, and levying tribute
on American cities.
"They burned this Capitol" Hawley
suggested.
ayes, they burned this Capitol once, p
said Cockrell, "and they regret it to this
day."
$50 do we," was Hawley's laconic
rejoinder.
"No, SIR" said Cockrell, Eve do not
regret it. do not regret it. The
American people do not regret it."
In the course Of, his further argument,
Cockrell was asked by Stewart whether
he approved of Germany taking the
Samoan Islands.
"That has nothing to do" was the re-
ply, with the Notifications OF the
United States"
but do you approve OF it?" persisted
Stewart.
II am not discussing that question" )"
said Cockrell. ''What Ia ave the Samoan
Islands to do with the territorial integri-
ty OF the United States nothing more
than Chinaman has to do with it,"
Laughter.
Answer my question:" said Stewart. |
1T is none of your business whether I |
do or not" was the more forcible than |
polite response. "It is not the question
1T ISSUE" Cockrell continued, amid re- |
peated Interruptions and groaning from
Stewart. He said the American people |
|eared nobody; that they .worshipped |
1t the shrine OF an everlasting and al |
mighty Jehovah, and not at the feet OF |
my single power on earth, or Of ali COM
1ined; that it bid them defiance, and
hat the talk about the necessity for forti-
ications was not only womanly, but
childish. The Senator from Nevada
iced not have any fear He would never
zee foreign power levying tribute on
san francisco, New York, Charleston,
Mobile, Galveston, or any other city in
he United States. As to Canada, the
ksn ~ a /