The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1897-03-31

Mr.. HaWley. DOeS the OSnaLOF CaFe
to say that, or even dare to insinuate
it2
The Presiding Officer. Does the
Senator from South Carolina yield?
Mr.. Tillman. I dare say that SIS far
as 7 can see and understand the Sltua-
ton here can explain it upon no
other ground except that there must
be men here who are the agents Of
these trusts.
Mr.. Hawley I say that is q dis
graceful slan6er, unworthy OF any
The Presiding Officer. The Senator
from South Carolina will proceed,
Mr.. Cullom. And in order.
MIR. Tillman. I might say that none
but the CALLED jade winces.
Mr.. Hawley. If the Senator applies
that to me have a 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.. Hawley. I beg pardon OF the
Chair.
The Presiding Officer, Does the
Senator from South Carolina yield to
the Senator from Connecticut?
Mr.. Hswley. II the Senator ad-
dresses any language of that kind to
me. I have sufficient answer.
The Presiding Officer. Tbs Senator
must not proceed to speak until re IS
recognized by the Chair.
Mr.. Hawley. I accept the reouke:
MIR. Tllmau. 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 l an bound to
put two together. am com pelied,
as an honest man, to speak what be
lieve to be true, and so help me God,
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
rsmotest corners of this country, cover
ing every State and county and nam
let, 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 transp ortiag
the mailsa 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 res.
son OF the shrinkage in the volume OF
money; yet the armor-plase trust,
created by the money of the Govern,
ment, acknowledged by the Secretary
of the Navy to be trust, IS to have us
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 iniquities and pro
claim my belief that there is dishones'
ty in it-fraud, peculation-l am
twisted. do not want to say anything
harsh. God knows have got enough
-;;ssrioI IN r1e nor, and could lot cut
heap of It. I viii try to go on with
the question.
On what do base these chargesa
Here is the conclusion Of the Secretary
of the Navy, as to his belief that there
is trust 10 the manufacture of arnor.
which I will ask the Secretary to read
The Presiding Officer. The Secre
tsry will read as indicated.
The Secretary read as follow
During the debate in the Senate
upon the armor question st the lss'
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 recenttrip to England and France
If there be any such understanding II
is of course impossible to prove It un'
less some one Of those to wi whon the
secret has been con6ded should betray
his trust. My impression is that there
is and has been for some time at tbs
least a friendly understanding among
armor contractors both in Europe snc
America as to the prices to be charged
for armor. This impression l inc
prevails abroad, certainly among some
of the persons who have inquired lntt
the subject.
Without undertaking in any man
ner to justify such combinations
there are reasons that would natural
~ induce armor contractors to agret
among themselves as to the prices K
be charged to their own government
and also with armor makers abroad a:
to the prices at which armor is to b.
furnished to countries which do no
manufacture it.
Mr.. Tiliuan. Here we have tht
representative of the Government II
the control of the Navy Department
the man charged last winter by thl
Congress with the duty OF -investigat
ing this question, and who mas dom
it fully and thoroughly, proclaiminE
mis- belief in q combination, and ye
be has acted so Gbcrally that after ar
irving at such a conclusion he allow
them so per cent. profit in order t
make the price $400.
What other business in this country
Iexcept that of those conducted b.
trusts and monopolies, now earns 5
per cent, or 30 per cent, or 20 per cent
or 10 per cent? Why are these Mi
lionaires to be. given 50 per cent prof
safEer we have created the factories an
presented them to theml Why, ask
unless, as I said, it be because the
| have their friends" in this Chamber
! But there is another phase of tn:
armor business that is even biacke
than this. In 1894 big compliner
was made through b the newspapers,
| furore created as to frauds in armo
| plate. The charges were that To
| Carnegies were not complying Wit
their contract even at the high prlc
ge were payino them. $3.50 q ton: ths