The evening times., 1897-03-02
The Armnr-plated Trusts.


The bombshen which Mr.. Tnlman, OF
South Carolina, exploded in the Senate last
night, IN connection with the armor
plate discussion, was evidently surprise
and a shock to that dignified body. 1t
need not have been. Out of the total
membership Of the upper house Of our
parliament it was reasonable enough TO
suppose that there would be at least one
Senator sufficiently Indifferent to prece-
dents and traditions to can attention TO
q painful suspicion which has occupied
the public mind more or less for the past
two or three years,
The serious import Of Mr.. Tilman's re-
marks lie not 50 much in what he said, as
innecessaryinferences and deductions from
the same. We can wen understand that il
must be a bitter reflection for the Senate
that one Of its own body should feel
called upon to charge il with harboring
within its fold paid agents Of trusts and
nonopohes; but its CONSERVATION at the
fact may be moderated by the kindly as
surancc we beg 10 offer it, that this is eX-
actly what the American people have come
Go think Of it, and that it viii take some
thing more than the appearance Of vir-
tuous Indignation to remove that con-
Viction.
II is needless to go into the details OF the
armor plate scandal, which has beenrOting
and reeking under manifold coats Of white
wash Cor the greater part Of this admins
tration. The public has learned some
thing and suspected more concerning the
defective plates, fUn Of blowholes and
as permeable to shot and shell as SO much
Rovewpe, which it was charged were
placed upon some Of our most costly war
vessels, and are on them still for anything
that has appeared to the contrary.
Compared With this charge sndn general
acceptance as true, the minor crime Of
forcing this government to pay huge ex-
cess price for armor plates, over that
charged TO a foreign government aInountsto
little or nothing. The great nfamy con-
oealed under the mass OF decomposition
relates to the offense OF the people, who
are said to have clothed oUr ships with stuff
that would certainly involve the prompt
obstruction Of vessel and crew at the first
encounter with q naval enemy That
offense could not be as great in degree as
tts condoning, amounting to criminal par
tcipation, by the reviewing authority.
ASIDE from the occasion Of Mr.. Tillman's
outburst, his general charge, that there
are persons in the Senate who are the paid
agents OF trusts and mOnopolies, is some
thing that will not down. There is too
much apparent excuse for its formulation.
There are too many corToborative facts
and manifestations for anybody to sue
eessfully laugh it down the wind. I'm
portant committees of the Senate may not
he organized absolutely in the interests
OF certain corporations, trusts, and the
like. and members of those committees may
not be actually under pay OF some sort by
such influences; but if the committees were
No organized, and If members OF them were
SO paid, the logical results OF such specific
conditions could not much differ from those
that constantly have appeared in action
or the defeat Of action, by such certain
committees. There are other Legislative
phenomena which point equally to the
the one cited will serve Tor illustration.
The United states Senate cannot afford
30 allow its dignity and usefulness to be