The Globe-republican., 1898-09-15
Those Tin Ships aud Dude
Sailors.

oseVOO - 0sssteO OssO OOOO
Sailors.
An erroneous impression has gone:
abroad over the big seventh district
that on the door Of Congress Congress-
man Simpson referred to the battle
ships Of the American navy - "tin
ships" and to the sailors by whom they
were manned - ''dude sailora" This
Is not correct No such language sp-
pears In tho Congregational Recoed
That speech was not delivered IN Con-
grssA
It = true that the navy has been the
favorite theme Of Congressman Simp
con while in Congresa It 10 also true
that in each of his many speeches on
that subject he has always opposed all
appropriations for IN enlargement Of
the navy. He very clearly summarized
all his utterances and views on tho
army and navy in his speech of Febru-
ary Is. 1893. when he made the halls of
Congress resound with the exclama.
tions: ''Stop- worshiping military
heroes! stop building military forts and
stop building ironclads, nav
les and all these things that make war
possibler
But his Tin ships" and "dude
sailors" speech was his 1894 campaign
speech. 1t was heard and 10 still dis
tinctly remembered by hundreds of
people throughout the district But,
unfortunately, it was not taken down
by stenographer, and, as we have no
desire to misquote Mr.. Simpson, we
will not attempt to give his exact Ian
guage.
His 1902 campaign speech, however.
- delivered at Great Bend, was taken
by q stenographer. was Transcribed and
is still extant A goodly portion Of this
speech was devoted to criticism and
of the navy and its sailora In
this respect it is in perfect harmony
with all his other utterances upon this
subjects, both in aud out of Congress
From this Great Bend speech We
quote the following extracts:
I want to ask any Republican friends
what you want a navy for, any way?
You fellows that are standing up for
Kansas" out there, you fellows with
the Chester l. Long" badge on you,
can you tell these people for me- what
we are going to spend $3.50, DOC, 900 to
build a navy for? Can you tell us what
We are going to do with it? Can you
tell these people what benefit It is 60
ing to be to our coontry? Tell us what
good it is going " be to you ''Stand up
for Kansas" fellows You don't know.
"a voice in the audience, 1--WE don't
know.'O No, you don't know what
good it is going to do you.
And this great American navy, this
big navy, this ironclad navy, what are
we going to do with it? Now that you
have got it, what are you going to use
It for? Not to protect our American
commerce. Oh, no: we have no COM
merce. l have been on the coast and
have looked in vain for the American
dag among the vessels that do the COM
mere of the world.
The closing paragraph of his Great
Bend speech on the navy is as follows:
We don't need a navy for protection,
but another thing that it is good for.
It is a good thing to furnish them with
and let them 20 around
The country and get into trouble as
lot of them did down here atValparaiso
ast winter, trouble that might have
cost this people thousands of lives and
millions of money. That is what you
want of a navy.
1t might not be amiss for one OF "you
fellows with the Chester L Long
badge on" to write Jerry Simpson and
inform him that on the first day of last
May Admiral Dewey and his dudes, in
bay. destroyed eleven Spanish
ships before breakfast, without the loss
If man or ship, conquered the Phill-
pines and will hold them; also that on
Fuly third last Admirals Sampson and
schiey with some more dudes and
tin ships" destroyed Cervera's Spanish
leet, accomplished the greatest naval
'ictory in the history of the world
orced the surrender of Santiago and
Spain to sue for peace. 1t
night not be amiss to also remind HIM |
he Brooklyn against, the construction
# which he voted. was the target of tho |
entire Spanish fleet, and that the world
rnows tbs result
-
When Congressman Simpson first en-