New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-05-18
SENATORS AND THE NAVY.
DEMOCRATS AGAINST AN ADEQUATE IN
CREASE.
LITTLE IMPRESSION MADE UPON THEM BY Mr.
coru.S,s spFFcH-oNLY THREE VOTE
WITH THE REPUBLICANS TO REJECT


WITH THE REPUBLICANS TO REJECT
Mr. MPHERsoN's AMENDMENT.
tBY TELEGRAPH 70 The TRIBuNEI
Washington. May l7.-Mr. Germans noera anu
patrotic speech Of last Friday IN rebuKe OF ue
false and bypocritical policy OF economy lorced on
the Democratic party in Congress by Mr. Holman ana
| his associates has. unfortunately not mnoe 'ha' III,
ross,on "A, the Democratic side Of the Senate which
might have becn expected from the good sense ana
proctical political wisdom Of the remarks OF Tue Mary
land senator. There still Democrats IN inc ,cnaoo
who cannot abandon the fictitious ana iliusofy PmI
form Of reducing expenditures by the Government
this vear eyen AT the cost Of crippng every branch
of the public service and retaroIng the Pros'ee' u
every useful and necessary public work.
Thd remaining Presidential candidates on tho
Democratic side OF the senate have almost '"n'ieu
over one another in thc haste to reinforce ara de
fend the Holman policy OF blind ana ninh'enhsen'
retrenchment. Even Mr.. Villas. who STANDS IN tho
Senate as one Of the strongest supporters OF Mr.
Cleyeland's candidacy for denomination, and enjoys
sort Of rcsiduary legatce boom" OF his own forgot
the traditions Of his Cabinet service and ATTACKED III
tbe Senate this afternoon the project OF liberal haNa 10
veloument which he presumably advocated ana ehcoui
aged for four years when colleague OF secretary Nh
nev Senators HILL Palmer and Carlisle also cast ,heii
votes with Mr. Villas for the practical stoppase Vi al
rork on the new steel navy. The spectacle vi
Now York Senator voting against development OF 'e
Naval establishment ms unwse and unnecessary WI
doubtless be highly reished by the comriere''' ""'
maritime interests OF the metropolis.
The only vote taken to-day on the amendment
! oGored last week by Mr. Mcpherson. OF Ne"-'e'ao''
opd since modified SO as to strike from the pehu's
hill the authorization for the armord cruiser oucTcu
nv the House, and OF the batte-ship ordered Dy 'h'
Appropriations Committee of the Senate eaVihs o'''
n single doube-turret monitor TO be cohliac'o" io.
This radical attempt at economy at the expense Vi
the Naval strength Of the country was reec'cu U,
vote Of IS 10 80, which perhaps shows the reiauNo
numbers in the senate OF the friends and opponents
n, the new Navy The only Republican VINO Vo'eu
IN strike out the cruiser and battlcshlp auihofnf
uons was Mr. Pettigrew, OF South Dakota lhree
Democratc Senators showed patriotism enough 10 ioi'
,ow Mr. (;orman's lead-Messrs. Butler. OF South Gar
DINA Morgan. of Alabama. and Kahso"' u AVN"
Carolina MIR. German himself was ABSENT
When the Naval Appropriation bill was taken up
a.. nendnp question was the provision for an In
crease OF the Navy. Mr.. Higgins made a speoon
fayorng the increase of the Navy even II IL in>oN
an Increase of the National debt
Mr. Villas desired to state the reasons when "oniu
govern his judgment in the vote he leio u'spoeu "
rive II was during the Administration OF President
Cleveland said, and under the shilful management
Secretary Whitney that the new Navy came into beihg
nractcaly lie (Nr. Vilas). Joined In the commehda-
ton of the present secretary Of the Navy both Tor his
generous recognition of his predecessors management.
OF the Navy Department and for his own snceessiu
management OF it, lie also commended the senator
from Maine (Mr Hale) for his constant acluesence IN
whatever measures had been proposed during Mr.
Cleyelands Administration fin the public interest
Bnt the practical question before the senate
TODAY was: When should the increase OF
the Navy cease. and In what manner
Mr. Villas thought that it made difference to the
United states whether 1t occupied one place or
another among Naval Powers. so Ions as 1t ola not
IN at
to compete for Naval supremacy with the European
nations England would have TO he the objective
point 1t was hardly conceivable that the United
states would 20 10 with any ther European
nation than England
Mr.. Hale remarked that In order to have a Naval
force SUFFICIENT to compete with that OF England, u
was only necessary to be able to cope with that small
portion Of her Navy that could be sent against this
country. When that point was reached Ms Judgment
would be that the country sufficiently protected
and that money enough had been spent on tho
Navy.
Mr.. Villas said that the idea Of Engand's going
TO war with the United states In this age OF
civilization and good sense was simply pIcposterous.
The amount Of annual appropriations now imposed
upon the country might not improperly be described
as appalling lie thought that the Senate should
measure the supposed necessity for increase ~ the
Navy with temperance, with calm business judgment,
and he was unable TO think that the Senate should 60
further, under the present circumstances unh thc
House bill provided.
Mr. Vest referred to Mr. Sherman's statement some
days ago that the Treasury confronted with
deficit and suggested that the warning would have
been much more appropriate and Of infinitely more
utility If it had been given TO the last Congress In
his judgment there more necessity for land de-
fences and torpedo system than there for war
ships.
You might as WE'LL Mr.. Hale broke in. "expend
/ it on popguns. No European Ministry could hold
Office for an hour II it told the people that II de-
pended upon torpedoes for the protection OF Its great
Cities
al you want naval war; said Mr.. Vest "let us
construct a navy. and we will have it,
! In the further course Of his remarks Mr. Vest
rdiculed the suggestion that warhps should be built
in ord 10 keep mp the shipyards and steel works
that had gone into the business. and spoke Of the ship
building yard at Newport News, built up BY Mr.. Hunt
ngton at a cost Of S6o0OOoO. without any aid from
the Government. That had been done. he said, by
mana man with whom he differed widely in politics,
but for whom he had infinite respect on account Of
his enterprise and his daring developer of countries
and not destroyer.
Mr.. Allison, chairman Of the Committee on Ap-
! propriatons said that the amendments recommended
by that committee increased the House bill by only
about 100000.
| Mr.. Cockrcll-Iow about the pending amendment
| for new Investments
| Mr.. Allison-Does the Senator understand that we
are approprlnlng in this bin for those vesselsl
| Mr.. Cockrel-1hen you do not consider that when
Won put handouts the taxpayers 10 pny for these
vessels you are making any appropriation. ! think
| that that Is a very poor subtcruge.
| MIR. Allison referred 10 Mr.. Ms's assertion last
Friday that IL the Government were corporation IT
would be In the hands Of a receiver, and also to Mr..
Germans statement that the appropriations mt this
session would be larger than those of the first session
Of The last Congress; and lie asked Democratic
tpit. hat .uft flnr IN
repeal TO reduce the appropriations that
now necessary.
! Mr.. Vest replied that far he concerned
he would repeal the Sugar Bounty law and the Postal
subsidy law.
| Mr.. Allison calculated the amount that would b.
thus saved at about IS. 0O0, 0OO and said that the
country asked 10 elect a Democratic President
| and Democratic Senate in order that the Sugar
Bounty and the Postal subsidy might be repealed.
Mr.. Xest-Thal MOuld be lnst a siarier.