The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1898-02-19
HONOR OF THE NAVY
ASSAULTED in THE SENATE
Mason Unwilling to Trust Naval Officers 70 nveSti-
gate the Maine Disaster.
WANTS IN INVESTIGATION MADE By A COMMITTEE OF CONGRESS
Wolco and Lodge Defendthe Men Who Defend the Flag
Splendid Tribute to Sigsbee and His Men of
the Maine-The Ship to Be Raised

nana," lie exclaimed "Manana! to-
morrow-always tomorrow. That is
the Spanish motto and we are falling
into H."
In the meantime who knows but that
some more dynamite will be put In and
the evidences of the catastrophe avert
ed. He repeated that he wanted i'm
mediate action, but did not want to
be on the committee. He did not want
TO be anywhere that a Spanard could
| reach him.
He closed with an appeal for a
| prompt inquiry and said that he
thought the Senate, which had voted
$2oo,ooO to save the property of the
United States, could and should vote
S20O,0Oo00o If necessary TO save It's
honor and it's dignity.
MI Mason had scarcely taken his
seat when Mr.. Wolcott addressed the
| chair.
Mr.. President" he said, and the
words shot forth like bomb to be
exploded in the Senate. 1t was evi-
dent from the Colorado Senator's
iDs or the Intensity of his voice, that
ne was laboring under considerable
| feeling.
He had listened TO Mr.. Mason with
lil-concealed feelings OF emotion, his
race growing redder and rcddcr and his
proW more and more like n thunder
| cloud as the Illinois Senator pls,ceaf-
ed. lie spoke with great rapdity and
occupied only Il few minutes of the
oehales time, refusing to be inter
| Iupteu ana speaking very sharply when
MI. Mason sought TO divert him. Mr..
| Wolcott spoke as follows:
Mr. President, the resolution Of the
| senator from Illinois, however inoppor
tune 1t may be, at this time. in the
/ n .,f
pecn permitted TO pass without com
ment had 1t not been for the remarka-
Die utterances which he has given to
| me effect, that the people OF these
United States have lost confidence in
one of the great departments of the
| Government"
Mr. Mason made repeated efforts TO
| interrupt the speaker, but without
| success.
MI Wolcott then continued; 81 de-
| sire TO resent as utterly unf0unded the
suggestion that there is a patriotic citi-
| zen IN the broad confines of this land
| VINO mas not the fullest and most splen-
did ana glorious confidence in every
department OF this Government and in
! phe Department. Of the Navy particu-
| larry 1T has been true in every nd
n1in!stratlon since the time of Wash
| llGtoh. The people Of the United
states have never yet been called
| upon TO distrust ore Of the co-ordina te
| branches Of this Government ana they
| never will while the flag floats Least
| OF all Is 1t decent, in my opinion. that
| IN TINS chamber there should be in
| Sinuations cast NJ this critical Time
that there is lack in The minds of
the people OF the United Statcs of
| confidence in the navy of our country
MI. President, from the time of Paul
Jones until now our ships have sailed
| IN every war face always 10 the feo
me records or our naval battles are
the most glorious history in the page OF
| any country for the last 100 years, and
from the earliest days until now thcre
mas neVed been step backward To-
! hay as always the officers of our navy
| are honorable, courageous, upright
| men and above all they tell the truth.
The Captain OF this ill-fated battleship
| was walking his deck at 10 o'clock on
me night when this awful explosion
| happened. 1t may be that his public
career Is ended forever, but the awful
disaster that overlook his ship will
count for nothing by comparison with
| the degrading inSinuation made here
| That an officer of our country, with
| the oath and with the flag above him.
would lie and cast responsibility where
II dld not belong. All: Mr.. President,
| we can stand much of discussion and
| debate, we can endure much of public
| discussion when there should be silence.
| but there is one thing this country
can never stand, and that it to listen
] ana without resentment, to an insin-
uation that the officers or our navy are
not men of honor and integrity and
of truth The officers appointed to in
vcstigate will do their duty. / do not
know what slums the Senator from
! Illinois may have dragged TO find the
expression of an opinion that there is
| lack of confidence in the personnel of
our navy, but 1 know he cannot find
| an honorable or a decent or u patriotic
citizen who will stand up before the
| country and endorse for an instant the
utterances which the Senator has
| made"
Mr.. Wolcott said that war might
come soon, but when it comes, the
cause of this country must be eternally
grounded in the right.
Mr.. Wolcott was followed Immediate
ly by Mr.. Lodge MassachuSstts), wh,,
also sat very restive under MI. Mason's
reflections upon the Navy Department.
He, too, spoke with intense earnest ;
ness, saying: "Mr. President, | have
no desire and no intention or saying one
word in regard to the war thar is rag
| ig In Cuba. No one can deteSt the hor
rors enacted in that Island more than /
| No one desires na1re than | 20 see the
| Spanish power swept from that ISLAND
| as 1t has been from all the States OF
South America; 'b,Nt, Mr.. president.
J that question Is moi here, We are face