Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1898-08-19
SOME WAR FRAUDS.
JAMES HAMILTON LEWIS PRO.
CLAIMS THE lNlQUlTY.

The Mcrrimac Sold to the Govern
mcnt for Nearly Four Times
Her Cost-Mark's Brother Tn.
loads His Yacht at Immense
PrOfit-Thc Havemeyers in the
Deal-And There Are Others.
Representative James Hamilton
Lewis OF Washington State has fol-
lowed the example of that ext;nguished
Ohioan, Gen. Grosvenor, by extending
his remarks in The Congressional
Record after adjournment. One oi
the late editions has speech of his
bristling with charges of mismanage
ment of the war. 1t is headed "Trusts
and Treason-The Twin Birth of Re.
publican Legislative Favors." The
speech purports to have been made
when the House was considering the
the sundry civil appropriation bill.
" When this statement is presented y
says Mr.. Lewis, Congress will have
adjourned. The reason of the delay is
that am waiting for the statement
from the War and Navy Departments
of the ships and transports purchased
the terms of the contracts, and the
amounts paid"
The deliverance is admirably framed
for campaign purposes, the language
suggesting the heroic poses for which
Representative Lewis is noted when
addressing the House. address my
SELF" says he, "to the Honorable
President of the United States and
such other patriotic American citizens
as, like unto that President, are
animated by the holiest desires for the
welfare of the people and the honor of
the ration" With some references to
the tendencies of the people to forget
that many things labeled "patriotism'
have but the object of thieving and
corruption, and "that public and
private thieves have learned that in
times when people are agitated in war
and animated with patriotism, they
least criticise the conduct of public
men, and are seldom on guard against
their betrayers," Mr.. Lewis forcibly
reviews the Civil Service and currency
the Dingley bill, Secretary John
Addison Porter's communication to
the Hartford Post, touching the char
acter of Congressman, and divers other
topics.
All this is Mr.. Lewis preface to d
discussion about the purchase of ships
for the war. "When war was on,
said Mr.. Lewis, ships had to be OBJ
tained, vessels of every description
Here we have the first indication
When the ship tonnage tax was placed
in the war bill this was cut out in the
Senate by Senator Hanna, chairman
of the Republican campaign commit
tee, who had large interests upon this
score. He officially stated to the
Cleveland Leader that that tax must
have been unintentional, as it affected
directly the interests of many friends
When he returned to the Senate il
was stricken out, and these shipping
companies were exempted. Now thi:
distinguished Senator says the Dem
Gratis opposed furnishing revenue
These shipping concerns at once pro
ceeded to sell every rotten old hulk
every dismantled and discarded ship
to the government at most fabulous
prices, and committed indirectly 8
crime. In the meanwhile they carried
supplies to our Spanish enemies to
fight us. l can but note a few in
stances in passing, as 1 shall sub
sequently present them to the country
in tabulated list. Although this in
formation has been officially denied
me, it shall be secured.
"There was the Merrimac, that cost
$lO2, 600, that was in such condition
as to be of no use and general failure
yet, as stated by two New York papers
and more lately in a semi-official re-
port through the Office of an Admins
tration Senator, it was sold to the gov.
ernment for $780,, 600 and then was SC
rotten and of little consequence that
heroic Hobson had to adopt the
method of sinking her to make an
ordinary sea obstruction.
cat this time distinguished Sena.
tors brother had yacht, the Conan
che, which cost $4,000. II had been
in use for long time, yet, through
friends from Ohio this yacht, after be-
ing so used and being of little con-
sequence, was sold to the government
for 100000. Assistant Secretary
Roosevelt rebelled against this infamy,
but was hushed. 1t is publicly known
that this was one of the things which
forced him to leave the Navy Depart
ment.
Zone of the Havemeyers, who had
received such bounties from this gov
ernment in sugar taxes, was permitted
to sell his pleasure yacht, through the
influence of friends in the administra-
ton, atan outrageous advance. Van.
derbilt purchased yacht at cost of
100000 in England-Ell,OOO and a
little over and through the influence
Nv