The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-03-31
T[LLMAN'S PLAIN TALK.
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of the ships the plates on which were
confessed to have been plugged up, or
not tempered, or some other thing
which would weaken them and make
them worthless, and not according to
contrant.
Four on the Montery; 6 on the Mo-
nadnoc6; s on the New York; 4 on
the Amphitrite, 3 on the Terror; 3
on the Oregon, 3 on the Olympia; 6
on the Indiana; 4 on the Massachu-
setts, and so on.
You were asked to cooperate with
the House and to have those plates
taken off and tested before the Gov
ernment paid for them, and you would
not do it. Why did you not do it2
IA pause. Do not everybody answer
at once, laughter especially you peo-
pie who think 1 am slandering the
Senate. Why did you not do it3
If we get into war with Spain or
anybody else and those ships OF ours
20 out to meet an honestly construct.
ed vessel of equal strength shot from
one of those vessels plunging through
one of these Spongy plates which have
been plugged up would send our
American vessel with 600 or 800 men
to the bottom of the sea By the frauds
perpetrated by these pets of the SEN
ate. Then what Will your response
bility be2
Now, are you ready to continue
these monopolists in their grab game
of looting the Treasury at willie You
can only help it by authorizing the
construction of plant which will
make armor for the Government in
case these monopolists will not sub
nit to a decent price. Our committee
tells you that $500 will allow them 33
per cent profit, while the Secretary of
the Navy, in order to reach $4O0, has
to give them so per cent profit and
SO ton bonus.
Why should you not reduce the
price to $500 and say, Nov, you rob-
ber rascals, il you do not come here
and take this work at reasonable
price, we will make it ourselves, even
| if it costs $500 or $500 a ton." We
would at least have then the satisfac-
ton that the money that is spent
would 20 to the common laborers and
mechanics and the linen in blouses, !"
who are going into the ditch with my
friend from Pennsylvania (Mr.
Quay), or, believe, he is to ointo the
ditch with them. Gaughter) Now,
my friend, if you do not vote to fix
the price at $500. we will know that
you do not mean to 60 with them.
The eight.hour law and the red tape
| in connection with Government ad-
ministration in conducting its own af-
fairs is such that 1t costs the Govern
ment more. But let us distribute the
benefit among the masses and not con-
centrate it upon these two pets, the
Carnegie Company and the people at
Bethlehem, who have had rich,
rich, rich reward for their patriotism"
ten years ago in going into the manu-
fecture of amor so that Americans
could have a navy constructed by
Americans out of American material.
You are face to face with it, gentle.
men; you can not dodge it. That is
the situation.
This committee comes here and says
that these frauds were perpetrated, q,
and they proved it by the admissions
of Carnegie and you did nothing about
it, would not even investigate. Car
negie was fined but the fine was re-
mitted. The two plants were in col.
lusion, and the Secretary of the navy
said so before the committee, and as
an humble member of that committee
directed all the inquiries I put to them
to bring out the fact that they today
are practically one corporation. They
did not deny it. That is the situation.
You can not help yourselves from tax
ing whatever they offer, unless you
do now allow the government to make
its own plant. would not say buy
any plant, because there are only two
for sale-they are the only two in the
country-and we open the doors to
buy what we paid for to these people,
and we were asked to give them two
dollars for every one the plant cost.
They have got it; they have got the
title; and now you say 1--WE will buy
it." I would rather build new one.
And honest man who resents robbery
and rascality and stealing would rath-
er build a new one than let these
thieves have their own way. I would
sooner see them become useless If the
Government enters into the manufac.
ture. That is my position. I am not
afraid to get up here and say what l
think and what I believe when you
give me facts like these to base my be-
lief on. Nobody from Connecticut
or anywhere else is going to terrorize
me. 1 a,n not thin skinned. I am
not afraid of being sccused of stealing
if I did vote for the subsidy for the
Southern mail last night. You men
who have been here so long, who are
so friendly, so loving and Kind in
your consideration toward the great
wealthy combinations-you are the
men who have to face the alternative
of voting Tor decent reduction in the
price of armor and giving US a way
out by allowing US to construct plant
if these people will not come down to
a decent rate; you have got to vote one
way or the other.
You have voted for these people in
the past without regard to public
opinion, and 1 dare say you will vote
that way tonight. The old guard
never surrenders. But there is
young man in the Senate from. West
Virginia, a weakling, sucking, like
myself, who feels his inability here
to get in touch with the business of