The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-03-31

Senator from South Carolina yield9
Mr.. Tillman. I dare say that as fa1
as can see and understand the situa
ton here I can explain it upon NJ
other ground except that there mus
be men here who are the agents ot
these trusts.
Mr.. Hawley. I say that is q dis
graceful slander, unworthy OF any
gentleman.
The Presiding Officer. The Senator
from South Carolina will proceed.
Mr.. Cullom. And in order.
Mr.. Tillmsn. I might say that none
but the CALLED jade winces.
Mr.. Hawley. If the Senator applies
that to me I have very sufficient an
swer.
| The Presiding Offer. The Senator
from Connecticut must address the
Chair and be recognized before he can
interrupt Senator on the floor.
Mr.. Haw]ey. beg pardon OF the
Chair.
The Presiding Officer. Docs the
Senator from South Carolina yield to
the Senator from Connecticut
Mr.. Hawley. Fl the Senator ad-
dresses any language of that kind to
me, have sufficient answer.
The Presiding Officer. The Senator
must not proceed to speak until he is
recognized by the Chair.
Mr.. Hawley. Iaccept the rebuke.
Mr.. Tillmau. said I would feel
ashamed to even ins1nuate that there
were men here who are so lost to their
duties to the men who sent them here
and to the States they represent as to
be guilty of this, but I am bound to
put two together. I am compelled,
as an honest man, to speak what be-
lieve to be true, and so help me Gcd,
unless this be true, then I can not ex-
plain it upon any other hypothesis.
Mr.. President, to 60 on with the
question as to the Government going
into business, who conducts this vast
and complex machine of handling the
mails, a business ramifying into the
remotest corners of this country, cover
ing every State and county and ham,
let, a monopoly created by the Govern
ment and made self-sustaining almost
in spite of the facts brought out here
and notorious to everybody that every
thing else has gone down in the last
twenty years except the compensation
of these corporations for transr orting
the mails2 The cost of manufacturing
steel rails is one half what it WAS If
teen years ago, when these contracts
were begun, or ten years ago. Every
thing now, almost, is reduced by rea:
son Of the shrinkage in the volume OF
money; yet the armor-plate trust,
created by the money of the Govern.
ment, acknowledged by the Secretary
of the Navy to be trust, is to have its
hands thrust deep into the Golfers Of
the Treasury, into the pockets of the
people, and when I get up here and
try to expose their iniauities and pro-
claim my belief that there is dishones-
ty in it-fraud, psculation-I am
twi;ted. do not want to say anything
harsh. God knows I have got enough
vitriol in me now, and could let out
a heap of it. will try to 60 on with
the question.
On what do I base these charges2
Here is the conclusion of the Secretary
of the Navy, as to his belief that there
is trust 10 the manufacture of armor,
which will ask the Secretary to read.
The Presiding Officer. The Secre-
tary will read as indicated.
The Secretary read as follows:
During the debate in the Senate
upon the armor question at the last
session of Congress, one question dis
cussed was whether there was an un-
derstanding or agreement among ar
NOR manufacturers throughout the
world to keep up prices. This was one
of the questions inquired about upon
my recent trip to England and France.
If there be any such understanding it
is of course impossible to prove it un-
less some one of those to whom the
secret has been conided should betray
his trust. My impression is that there
is and has been for some time at the
least a friendly understanding among
armor contractors both in Europe and
America as to the prices to be charged
for armor. This impression l find
prevails abroad, certainly among some
of the parsons who have inquired into
the subject.
Without undertaking in any man
ner to justify such combinations,
there are reasons that would natural
ly induce armor contractors to agree
among themselves as to the prices to
be charged to thei---own government,
and also with armor makers abroad as
to the prices at which armor is to be
furnished to countries which do not
manufacture it.
Mr.. Tiliman. Here we have the
representative of the Government in
the control of the Navy Department,
the man charged last winter by this
Congress with the duty OF investigat,
ing this question, and who hes done
it fully and thoroughly: prcclaiming
his telief in combination, and yet
he hss acted so libsrally that after ar
riv.ng at such a conclusion he allows
Them so per cent. profit in order to
make the price $400.
What other business in this country,
except that of those conducted by
trusts and monopolies, now earns 5(
per cent, or 80 + ,r cent, or 20 per cent
or ~ per cent? Why are thess mil
lionaires to be.given 50 rsr. :; ant prof
after we have created the factories anC
presented them ID them2 Why, I ask
unless, as I said, it b because they
have their friends" in this Chamber
But there is another phase of thi
Io.roo, b,,ei,aec fbof &c oran h1o ol>o-