The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1896-05-06
TILLMAN'S PITCHF0Rk.
HE PLUNGES IT DEEP INTO THE AR
NOR PLA1E ETRUST.

He PLUNGES 1T DEEP INTO THE AR
NOR PLAlET TRUST.
Sharp Criticism of Retired Naval Oilicer'
Who Serve Two Masters-A Running De
bate With Senator Gray of Delaware.
Senator Tillman is member of the
Naval Affairs Committee and as such
took part in running debate in the
Senate Monday. He said:
Mr.. President. as a member of the
Committee on Naval Affairs l have
taken a great deal of interest in the in
vestigation which has been under dis
cusSion here. and I have listened with
a great deal of pleasure, and | must
say with some amusement. to this de
bate. which, it seems to me, is one OF
taste. Senators will remember the old
adage that on questions of taste people
must be allowed to disagree.
| The committee, I think, had in view
and very rightly, in presenting the
amendment the stopping of scandal.
to prevent man from being accused
of improper or dishonorable action OF
even suspected of it. In Investigating
the question of the cost of armor we
the armor-plate manufacturers and the
government were enemies Their in
terests are directly opposed to each
other The government wants to get
the armor Of the very best quality at
as low a price as possible The manu-
facturer wants to get the last dollar
possible.
Now, we find in the employ OF the
manufacturers two Of the ablest otfi.
GERS of the United States Navy that l
have ever met. hope we have great
many of them. have not met great
many like them, but l doubt it. The
government has educated those men at
its own expense. 1t has had them in
its employ until the time has come un-
der the law when they could be re-
tired or when they were forclbly re-
tired, and they go upon handsome pay.
They 60 into retirement not as oeggars
as the Senator from Delaware (Mr.
Cray says, but their pay is such that
they can live comfortably if they had
nothing else.
Mr. Gray: 1t is S75 month:
Mr.. Tillman: Is that all? l think
the Senator is mistaken.
| Mr. Gray: They are net retired on
the longevity plan.
Mr.. Tillman: They are retired for
disability.
Mr.. Tillman: OF course l do not say
that a man can live handsomely on
SIS a month in this community. l
have discovered the contrary. But
here are men who hold the right for
the balance of their lives to draw on
the Treasury for so much money.
That is, they corne and draw their pay
on the retired list. They certainly
| owe the government some obligation
and if they were not in seml-capacl-
ty at least in the employ of the gov
ernment, with the right Of the govern
iment to call on them, they would be
under no moral obligation
Mr.. Gray: That is right.
Mr.. Tillman: The Senator acknowl-
Iedgvs that they are under moral oo-
legation TO the government OF some
kind. Let US see to what extent 1t
goes. They are now in the employ OF
enemies Of the government, men who,
I said, are trying to get all they can
out of the government. They are
using the Skill which the government
E:has furnished themin educating them
they are using the technical knowi-
| edge in the management and construc.
| ton of ships which they received
from the government IN helping the
enemies of the government to cheat
the government or to rob it. Ii that
IS not position in which no honora-
BILE man would like to be placed, l ask
the Senator from Delaware just to tel
me what sort of a position it ise
MIR. Gray: AS the Senator from
South Carolina puts the question, L
will agree with him entirely, and that
is the trouble all through this debate
You putthe question in such guise as
suits your own argument. But that
does not suit the facts. That is what
f have been trying to show. i will
agree with the Senator perfectly, that
in: the way he puts it he IS right; but
let me ask the Senator if l am not tres
passing on his patience
Mr.. Thlman: Certainly not.
Mr.: Gray: This is a matter OF some
importance, perhaps. He ysthat he
| has in the course of the performance
ofhis duty as a member OF the Com.
mittee on Naval Affairs discovered
that the contractors and the govern
ment are enemies.
Mr.. Tillman: I have.
Mr.. Gray: Are They enemies after
the contract is made in the same sense
that they were before? -.
>Mr. Tillman: Of course they are,
for;this reason .,
Mr.. Gray: Not if they are houora-
bic men.
Mr.. Tillman: Wait moment. We
are trying:to discuss what is an honor
able man. Suppose the contractors
discover that they have an armor plate
which has cost them several thousand
dollars tosmanufacture. the plates
weighing 80 or 40 tons, in which there
are some flaws and defects- and the
officer of the government, who IS re-
ceiving government pay, knows that
the plate is moi an honest one under
the contract, could he come and te!lus
so2 Would he not lose his employ
meut with the company if he did2
Mr.. Hale: Let me ask the Senator
from South Carolina question
Mr.. Tillman: Certainly.
Mr.. Hale: Did the investigation by
the committee disclose a single case
where a naval officer in such employ
had ever disclosed any defects TO the
government
Mr.. Tillman: Does the Senator mean
retired otficer2
Mr.. Hale: 4 retired officer.
Mr.. Tllfnan: We never have heard
of one of them limiting that there was
anything wrong WITH the manufacture