The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-07-16
SENATE.

Government Arrnor Plate Factory.
SENATE.
Washington. Juiy Reconsideration
of the deficiency appropriation bill was
resumed Immediately after the senate
met. The question of armor plate for
new battleships was considered. The
bill provided a total appropriation of
tleships authorized in 1896 AMI limited
the cost per ton to s425. Senator But
Ter. OF North Carolina, offered IN
amendrcen' reducing the total to a.
407, 500. limiting the cost to $500 per
ton, and providing for the establish
ment of a government armor factory
if private concerns do not bid within
$500 per tor.
Senator Pettigrew, of South Dakota,
spoke Of the evidence taken before the
committee on naval affairs. showing
conclusively. he said, that armor plate
could be made for $3.50 per ton. Not
withstanding this, the armor factories,
being in collision. refused 10 make
armor for $500 and demanded $425. In
stead of opposing the trust, Senator
Pettigrew said. n naval committee
now proposed to accede to its demands.
1t was a procedure too d~isgraceful to
be tolerated, the senator said.
senator Butler spoke in severe crit
icism of the course of the armOr fac
tories and of the disposition in official
circles to yield to them. The senator
reviewed h Investigations made by
Secretary Herbert as to the cost of ar
NOR plate n read from the report
of the house committee on naval af-
fairs relative to irregularities in the
manufacture Of such plate. He said the
report showed that by fraud and de-
ception armor plate had been palmed
off on the government so defective that
it could be pierced like a pine board.
The senator asserted that men had
been shot n put in dungeons for Of
fences of far less magnitude.
senator Hale questioned these state
rents saying that none of the defec-
tive plates were at present in actual
service Or warships.
Senator Tillman, Of South Carolina,
insisted that many of the alleged de-
fective plates were in use, and said
their exact location on various war
ships was specified in the report of
the nava committee.
When Senator Butler reiterated the
statement as to the extent of the de-
fective armOr in use, Senator Hale in
terrupted with a sweeping denial. He
said that such a condition would he
appalling if it existed in reality. but
there was no warrant for the assertions
by the North Carolina senator. He
utterly and absolutely denied that any
proportion of the armOr plate on our
warships was unserviceable.
Senator Butler declared that he
knew of no more dangerous kind of
high treason than the equipping of wal
vessels with defective plates. One of
those vessels, the regon with spOngy,
imperfect, fraudulent plates, had been
ordered to the Hawaiian islands at a
time when Japan was threatening to
AXE possession of those islands. 1t
would be fortunate if the first hostile
shot fired at her did not hit one of
those defective plates-if indeed there
were any good e on her. If we are
to take Hawaii, if we are to go into
the land grabbing business, then, said
Senator Butler, we must hav a fleet as
good and better than any other coun-
try in the world. If We are launching
on that policy of ACKNOWLEDGMENT, then
we must be able to compete with Eng
land or any other nation.
When Senator Butler closed, Sena-
tor Chandler fecetiously called on Sen
dlOI iii " lake lie lfOOT. Inc
South Carolina senator responded that
unless there was something to fight
there was no need Of talk.
Senator Chandler inquired of Sena-
tor Tillman what had become of the
house resolution adopted as a result
Of the Carnegie investigation. It had
come to a democratic senate, nae been
referred to a democratic naval com
mittee. He asked Senator Tillman il
IL -
had done with this resolution.
Senator Tillman responded that he
thought his purse had shown him to
be impartial in pointing u the short-
cOmings and the rascalities-if that
word were allowable-of democrats, as
well as others. The naval committee
which the New Hampshire senator had
referred to, having a majority of So
called democrats, had simply pigeon
hOled that resolution. Senator Tillman
pointed u alleged Irregularities in
furnishing armor plate and referred to
the fact hat Secretary Herbert had
imposed a fine or the Carnegie Com
pany, which fine was RENTED by the
president.
And was it a democratic president
who RENTED the fine?" Queried Sena-
tor Allen.
please don't leave out 'so-called' in
IcICAAlA6 L uldI pECSluchl, dAISWCICO
Senator Tillman amid laughter, "as it
hurts my feelings to hear him referred
to as a democratic president" He
went on to say he had never sought
to fathOm the mystery of how the pres
ent had tried to override law and de-
cency by RENTING the fine. The sem
ator reviewed the evidence on the cost
of making m and said that unless
the senate adopted some remedy, such
as the n now proposed, there would
be an absolute and shameless surren-
red Of public interest to the armor plate
factories.
mate Bacon. of Georgia, o to
place the rate at $3.50 per ton. He said
the government would have to build its
own foundry, but for the present he
urged it to be expedient to offer $3.50
and stand by it. allowing the armamen
of the ships to fail if need be until con-
gresS reaSSembles.
Senator Teller. of Colorado. contribu-
ted a lively speech. 1t had been the