The daily morning journal and courier., 1897-03-02
THEIR HONESTY ATTACHED
SENATOR TILLMAN'S SERIOUS 4T-
 TACK ON HIS COLLEAGUES.

A'oNo Doch ~apte tU secure ENtOrttOnAte
 Rates is Because They Are in Collision
 With senators--Mr. Hawley Resents the
 Charge.
 Washington, March 1.-When the sen- ate resumed it's session at o'clock the naval appropriation bill was taken up, the pending amendment being that rel- ative to armor-plate.
 MT. Hawley opposed both the estab- nshment of government armor fac- tory and the fixing of the price of armor at either $500 or $400 per ton. lie defended the private manufacturers Of war material and said that instead of trying to cheat the government they always sought to give the government the best. The builder of a crack cruiser was prouder than if he had been deco- rated by his government.
 MT. Elkins opposed the expenditure of the $S,210,O00, for armor plate carried by the bill until something definite was known of the real cost of armor. He advocated suspension of work on bat tleships. There was no necessity for haste.
 -'AA' IiAilAieNii oeIu lllctl WullS Ie was member of the committee on naval affairs he was unable to give MT. El- kins all the light he desired He knew there was no expenditure "so reeking with fraud and so disgraceful to those responsible for it''
 He said the investigation into the cost of making armor had shown that the price heretofore paid the Bethlehem Steel works for armor had paid for the establishment of the plant twice over and virtually made a present of it to the company. He asserted that the only two armor making plants in the country, the Bethlehem and the Carnegie plants, instead of competing, were in collision to keep up the price of armor plate.
 The mere suggestion that the govern ment should go into the business of manufacturing armor was sure to raise the spectre of government ownership of railroads and like concerns. People spoke of congress controlling the trusts, but instead of this the trusts had "their hands in our brooches pockets.'' He hated to think that these monopo1ies had their paid agents in the senate, but it looked like it. q don't want to say anything harsh," he went on impress ively "but God knows that I believe every utterance have made is true''
 This statement came like bombshell in the senate, and led MT. Hawley to demand whether the senator from South Carolina dared to make such a charge against the senate.
 T dare say,'' replied MT. Tillman de- liberately, that, as far as I can see, and can explain this on no other grounds
 And I say" retorted MT. Hawley, "that that is an unworthy islander, un- worthy of any gentleman"
 q am bound to put two and two to- gether. I cannot explain it on any other hypothesis" said MT. Tillman
 He went on to say the companies got their prices because they have friends in this chamber
 He spoke of the examination of the armor furnished by Carnegie some years ago, when 1t was shown that the blow-holes were plugged up, the gov ernment stamp misused and the plates improperly tempered, and the secretary of the navy, through some "hocus-po- cus," fined MT. Carnegie for furnishing oCLVCtIVC Pl1ICo, WILLIE JUL IllCStIlOOS president, who, God be praised, goes out of power in three days more, remit ted this fine.''
 It was soandalous that our boasted navy, "our pet,' should be protected by these "sponge'' plates. The first shot from foreign ship would go through one of these boasted ships, and five or six hundred American searnen Ia- +9 ,oP+ +l,o through the frauds perpetrated in the senate"
 Rather than pay any more money to these armor barons, he would build aI government factory for the manufact- ure of armor, even if it cost $500 or $500 a ton, for then there would at least be the consolation to know that the armor was good and the money distributed among the workingmen.
 MT Tillman said that nothing would be gained by sending the bill back to the house, for that body was in the power of the trusts-the Standard Oil company-as much as the senate, "and every man was manacled and under the rule of one man, the speaker, and compelled to crawl around on their bel4 lies, like worm or like a whipped cur.'
 MT. Quay moved to lay on the table the motion to reduce the maximum cost of armor from S40O to $500 ton, but this motion was beaten.-ayes F, nays 36.
 MT Chandler, in his final explanation of the amendment, said that there was no such thing as competition in the manufacture of armor plate, either in this country or in Europe and that the Bethlehem and Carnegie plants were members of an international combine. His amendment was then adopted witl- out division, and the total amount ap- propriated for arrnor was reduced from $3, ,00o to $2,407 900.
 The committee amendment appropri- ating s10O0,0 for government armor plant was defeated by a vote of 26 to 30.
 The bill was then passed and at mid- night the senate adjourned.