The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-06-08
Mr.. Longs Responsibility.

MIR. Longs Responsibilities.
A grave responsibility has been pacei
upon the shoulders of the Hon. John d.
Long, Secretary of the Navy, in delegaing
| TO him discretionary power to accord con-
tracts 10 the armor plate trust, or to refuse
| 10 do SO and build Government
armor plate factory, ignoring the trust.
We are reasonably certain that Mr..
Long does not thank the authors
/ of this compromise between the SEN
| ate and the House. Whatever hap
pens he will occupy an official and per-
sonal cavity. The whole business is brutal
cruelty to Mr.. Long. 1t is not nice for a
Cabinet Minister to feel that he is being
used as a stop gap without the remotest
| reference to his sentiments or his inter-
/ ests.
The armor plate question has been a
serious and exasperating one. The coun-
! try is generally imbued with the belief that
| the manufacturers of naval armor, though
combination, have been holding up the
| Government for years, and that their re-
cent victory will involve giving them an
millions OF dollars. 1t is matter Of COM
| mon report that the measure, passed in
| Congress for their relief and benefit VS.
| designed to square their accounts with the
Republican machine organization, for
political contribution of four hundred thou
sand dollars in 1892, for an unstated but
much larger sum in 1896. and for a vastly
greater expectancy in 1900. Senator Ha. ma
has vehemently denied these deals and
understandings. but the American people
have learned to take the declarations and
denials of Mr.. Hanna with grains of salt
and carboys Of carbolic acid.
The situation created by the arnor plate
controversy and its end in Congress is a
complicated one The trust, to large ex-
tent, is able to hold the Government by
the throat. 1t is true that, if it will not
come to terms with Mr.. Long, he has the
authority to break off negotiations and
proceed to build national plant. But
before it could be completed and in run
ming order, splendid naval vessels now go
ing to ruin in the shipyards would be
rotten beyond redemption. This consid-
GRAFTON involves the points that these
ships are needed in active service as soon
as they can be put in commission, and
that. otherwise. it would be a sin to sink
the millions that have been already ex-
pended upon them. Secretary Long, un-
fortunately for himself. must count with
of the other part knows that he will have |
to. The speeches of the trust agents in |
the Senate, obviously insincere and |
douhle-faced. have rocked with lily |
concealed confidence that the interests of |
their patron could not suffer In the out
come.
II will be seen from the foregoing that |
the position in which the Hon. John d.
Long has been placed in connection with
the armor-plate proposition is a delicate
and embarrassing one. What he may do
In the circumstances will measure at once
his ability and his honesty. The authority
devolved upon him will make 1t necessary
for him to decide what is a reasonable
price for armor plate. His political chief.
Mr.. Hanna. declared in the Senate that
six hundred dollars ton might be coneid-
cred fair figure. 1t will be for Mr.. Long
to note the difference between this esti
mate. and the general belief that the ar
NOR trust has proftably supplied the same
product TO Russia al two
hundred and twenty-five dollars ton. and
without blow-holes.
Where the crucial test of the Secretary's
honesty will come will be in his capacity
to resist corrupt influence. If it were pos
sible to eliminate Republican party con-
it might not be impossible for
him to use the menace of a Government
plant as club to force the trust into con-
cessions which would leave it on not much
more than an outrageous basis Of profit,
considered. But both Mr.
Long and the trust are certain TO be
placed between two fires. He will be IN
officially notified that he must assume a
contractors can make all the money they
want to, and at the same time have a
surplus equivalent to the maximum de-
nands upon them for campaign contribu-
ions. On the other hand the trust will |
De assured that any indisposition to enrich
he political barrel TO the extent invited /
would instantly lead to a collapse of the
leal and the immediate construction of
rational armor-plate factory. ..
In the circumstances it is not difficult /
o think that if the Hon. John D. Longs
integrity is of the sterling hall-marked {
haracter his friends consider 1t, he will /
etire from the Cabinet and refuse to be
laced In the excavation dug for him by !,
lis political associates. Indeed, it is pos d
ible to conceive that, in such an emer- t
ency as he is called upon to face, he
1ight resign and take a Vice-Presdential
omina;ion or some other consolation !;
urse" leaving the question of what is
price for armor plate TO a re-
able successor to be named by Mr.. Han
a.