The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1900-06-09
Sharp Debate in the senate.
Special to the Philadelphia Ledger.

WASHINGTON, June In the Senate
today there was a lively colloquy over the
disagreeing votes between the two Houses
on the Navy Appropriation bill. in which
Senator Hanna was the central figure.
Senator Hale, on behalf of the Senate
eonferees, explained the points of differ
ence between the representatives OF the
two Houses on the armor plate paragraphs.
The House conferees had insisted on main
tanning the action of the House, which
authorizes the purchase of armor at such
figures as may be deemed reasonable and
equitable by the Secretary of the Navy,
while the Senate eonferees had insisted on
fixing a maximum price. According to
the terms of the Senate amendment, Mr..
Hale declared he would never consent to
proposition that would place the power to
regulate the price of armor in the hands Of
the Secretary of the Navy, which, in his
judgments would be surrender to the
trusts. Mr. Teller said he would rather
see the vessels of the navy rot than sur
render to the trusts, and demanded vote
to ascertain the feeling of the Senate on
that proposition. AIr. Chandler also OPP
posed giving the Secretary of the Navy
discretion in fixing the price. and suggest
ed that the bill be reconsidered by the
Senate, and the ships authorized cut out
until the Government could establish Its
own armor plate plant.
SENATOR HANNA's APPEAL.
The discussion was carried Oh by NIessrs.
Platt, of Connecticut; Tillman, Pettigrew,
and others, when Mr.. Hanna took the
floor and delivered with much earnestness
a speech in favor of building up the navy
and giving the Secretary discretionary pow
er to purchase armor plate He spoke
from experience as manufacturer and not
from hearsay. He knew what fair price
for arnor was, and declared the trouble
was that Congress had fixed a price at
whiee no manufacturer could make armor.
The Government could not build plant
within five years, and when built it could
not make good plate at any price. The
delay in proceeding with the construction
Of vessels authorized was attributed to
Senators T'illman and Chandler, who had
succeeded in preventing the purchase Of
armor at fair and reasonable prices.
Mr. Hanna was reminded by Mr.. Till
man that the Illinois Steel Company had
offered to furnish armor at 1928 per ton,
to which the former replied that the offer
was bluff, and made to influence the
stock market This shows, exclaimed
Tillman, what scoundrels men are when
they get to be millionaires They are not
only liars but thieves" With some
warmth Mr.. Hanna inquired whether the
South Carolina Senator meant to call any
man on the floor liar and thief, to
which Tillman replied that he spoke in
ferentially about millionaires.
Senator Allen next prodded Hanna, and
replying to his declaration the Government
could not turn out armor plate said it was
apparent that it could turn out political
plate for Mr.. Hanna: 81 have found it
inyulnerable, retorted Hanna, which ex-
cited laughter. Mr.. Hanna at some
length described the process of man
ufacturing armor plate, and contended that
the interests of the Government would be
best served by making contracts with pri-
vate parties.
TELLER's SARCASM
Mr.. Teller followed Hanna in speech
marked with much sarcasm and bitterness.
He declared that the Ohio Senator had
made an argument for the trusts and
against the people. "When the chief
representative of the Republican party in
the Senate, said Mr.. Teller, defend:
trusts, it is plain that the trusts will be
levied upon for contributions for the Re
publican party in the coming campaign. "
The debate was continued in this vein fol
some time, the charge being made that
every bank would be called upon to con-
tribute to the campaign fund of the Re-
publicans; that in the last campaign the
Bethlehem works had contributed foul
hundred thousand to that fund, and that
the company had been rewarded with con
tracts at robber prices. Finally roll cal
was ordered on a motion to insist on the
action of the Senate, which was adopted
unanimously.