The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1900-10-08
EY Jos: OIL.

Washington. October 3.-(Special)-T
announcement Of Secretary Long that
there Will be no award OF arInor plate
contracts "for a month or more" can
have but one meaning. and that IS the dd-
ministration does uot dare to show its
hand In the Httle matter of its relations
with the iniquitous armo- plate combine
until after the election
This announcement comes as the result
If q number Of star chamber confer
ences FelI behind closed doors at the
navy department and IN the sacred cot
tace home" at Canton. - It Is made
without dc'lh; on instructions issued ny
President Mckinley himself. after he haei
been paid a mysterious visit by President
Schvab OF the Carnegie company. and
the only possible purpose of tho delay
for n month or more Is 10 tie over
the election.
This announcement "a sufficient in Itself
to prove 10 any candid mind not only the
very close relationship existing between
these armor plate maKcrs-that has never
been douhted-but that Il IS the Intention
Of the administration TO pay thcm what
ever they are demanding fer The plate.
and e. further demonstrates that Presi-
dent Mckinley end bis advisers ar9
afc.t' lo- 'a'u'- --.
time what that amount viii be-
The Power of the Trust.
During the exciting debates which
marked the closing days Of the last ses-
sion Of congress. while the navy a7pro-
DriatiOn bill was up and this UlatteR o.
again kneeling to the armor plate trust
was under consideration. the democrats
and few republicans who stuck with them
prophesied that the republican legislation
a. n. d. IL
Of the secretary Of the navy could mean
but one thinE-that the trust would get
its own price. Then AR Hanna. MI
EliIins. Mir. Peurose and other rc7uoli-
cans who lose no opportunity 10 jump TO
tie defense of the mUch-aDused trusts.
came forward and with the v-gor they
ALWAYS display upon such occasions, cried
out that John j.. Long could be trust
ed the critics of the trust were "at-
tackinC John .. Long" and 50 forth. I'M
I'll the outcome was that they were able
TO whip into line for their proposition q
majority Of the republicans
1t was left 10 John j.. Long as score
tarv of the navy, and what Is the up
4 dav or two ago the armor people
met the officials of thc navy 81 parLmeDL
and Submitted their ultm1t uif- 5A0E
fixed the price tEev would exact from ,--a
government: for although Air. Hanna
saws there are TO trusts. this arruor plate
combine bears all thu earmari-s AMI y
iust as effective i'm holding mp the gov
eminent as II il labeled itself trust
To the President Direct.
Secretary Long showed a disposition 20
try ana Induce the manufacturers 10 get
down 10 reasonable figures. They made
il very clear THAI they could Dol soc z
in that way, that jhoy had come across
with the expected contributions 10 AIT.
Hmuas campaign fund. ana they pro-
posed to set their own price They et.i.
laughed at the suggestion that there was
q clause I'm the acU of congress giving Tie
secretary Of the navy the power to SET
IN motion n government factory PROJECT
knowing that no republican secretary Of
the navy would dare strike blow a- So
good a thing" from the Hanna stand
roiut as the O. nor plate combine
Just what Secretary Long said 10 them
IS among the secrets. bug the next move
on their part was hold and above obard-
President Mckinley is at Canton. Pre=l-
dent Schwab ana senator PenTose, who
has always been most soiicitous for the
interests OF the trust. jumped a train and
next morning paid 4 merely social Visit
10 President Mckinley.
They saw the president a. about go
O'Clock that mOTuinE-t was Aioll'ts:
Shortly after this nour II Was announcer
from the office OF the secretary "4 tho
NAVY that the matter OK amor piat1
would be held uD fer "a time. There Is
"a long distance telephone II the AlctNii
lev home.
Yesterday morning NIr. Schvab and
other representative of these interests
had another conference With Secretary
Long. IL. Ike all others was behind
closed doors ana was yelled ID mf Sttfy-
That Is. the proceedings were, the re-
suits were perfectly clear when the an
uounCemcnt was made 10y The secretary
himself that there would he no decision
III the armor plate matter for 4 month
Cs So"
At Their Own Figures.
That means. of course. there viii bs
nothing until after the election. Then the
interests represented by the gentlemen
who called on President Mckinley al eau
ton will get the contracts at their own
figures. as it has always been intended
they should.
These are the same people whom Mr..
Hale. Mr. Chandler ard other republicans
have denounced-the men who have. ac-
cording To the testimony taken by senate
committees. made the government pay
the entire cost of their plants and truly
enormous profits on those plants through
the armor plate conttacts-tEe men who
have been denounced time and again on
the floor OF the senate as little different
from thieves and cutthrOatS in their bus
mess relations with the government-the
men who. according to such a stanch re-
publican as Senator Hale of Maine. have
driven the knife into the body OF the
United States 10 the hilt.
These men 90 to Canton and are able.
because of their close relations with the.
president and because he Is owned by
them and similar trusts. To direct the
policy of the heads of great departments
in matters involViGg millions OF dollars