The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-05-09
TEE NAVAL BILL DEBATE
An Amendment Providing for More
Cadets Goes Through.
Mr.. Til1msn Declares Members of
Congress Attempted to influence
Him AEninst the PrOpOsition-He
Has More Confidence in Officers OF
the Navy Than in the Senate.

SHdnuler participated. Inc feature Oh
the day was the statement by Mr.. Till
man that he had been importuned by mem
| bers of the House and Senate to vote
against an amendment In the BILL and a
subsequent statement that he regarded
naval officers as being more honorable men
than members of the Senate.
Almost all Of the day was given up to
debate on the amendment reported by the
Committee on Appropriations, relating to
naval cadets. The amendment was to
strike out the two paragraphs in the orig
inal bill and insert in lieu of them this
paragraph:
Whenever any naval cadet shall have
| finished four years of his undergraduate
| course of six years. the succeeding appoint
| ment may be made from his Congression-
al district or at large, in accordance with
| existing law
| The amendment was adopted, and when
| the armor- plate clause was reached Mr..
| Tillman announced that the Senate had
| better go into executive session as he had
| some truths to state which might not look
we'll in print.
We certainly do not want the newspa
Pers to get hold of them" said Mr.. Hale.
who has charge of the bill. The Senate
then held secret session for half an
| hour.
AntnEonized by Mr.. Foraker.
The amendment relating to the naval
cadets was antagonized by Mr.. Foraker.
who argued that all the cadets should be
regularly commissioned at the end Of their
four years course.
Mr.. Lindsay asked Mr.. Foraker whether
there was at present. surplus of naval
officers or deficiency.
| Mr.. Foraker said he understood that
! there was deficiency.
Mr.. Hale said he had no doubt but that
with proper disposal Of the naval officers
on shore duty. and with the relief which
would be afforded by the amendment all
the needs of the service would be fully
met.
Mr.. Tillman argued in favor of the
amendment, as he believed that any off
| Ger In the United States Navy should have
good and full training
Mr.. Foraker opposed the amendment and
aroused Mr. Tillman.
! II will announce" said Mr.. TilIman,
that I have been approached by many
members OF this body and by many men,
bers of the House. and by their friends,
and have been importuned. begged, and
argued with to allow this amendment to
be stricken out. They would do anything
if my vote would go as they desired it.
II l were not firm in my stand to follow
my true convictions / hardly know how
could have stood forth
do you mean to infer that have done
| anything of this kind? ?" said Mr.. Caffery
Il have son at Annapolis and"
Il will say that Mr. Caffpry is man
of honor; one of. the few in whom I
trust" said Mr.. Tillman.
Il would do nothing not strictly right
for my son. or any other mans son." said
Mr.. Caffery.
Well returned Mr.. Tillman. II have
son myself. and filial affection is a great
thing. l hardly know what L would do
myself if l were interested in getting
naval honors for him.
You have no great confidence in naval
officers. according to the way you have
spoken on occasions" said Mr. Foraker.
Il have great confidence in naval off,
GERS answered Mr. Tillman. Some of
them are the most honorable men know
of. l have more confidence in the honor
of naval officers than in the honor of the
United States Senate
Let me explain the situation as it ex-
ists.'' said Mr. Hale.
Mr.. Tilman. in the old verse:
Mother, may go out to swim?
Yes, my darling daughter:
Hang your clothes on a hickory limb
But don't go gear the water
This is the. situation and you can't
deny it. Those who oppose the amendment
want the cadets to swim on dry land"
Naval Methods Criticised,
Mr.. Tillman criticised some of the meth
DDS employed by the Navy Department in
keeping officers around navy yards where
they were not needed.
Mr.. Foraker defended the Navy Depart
ment and stated that no member of the
Naval Affairs Committee should make
charges against the Secretary of the Navy
unless he could specify them.
Il have nothing against John D. Long"
said Mr.. Tillman. but he is tied down by
the heads of bureaus below him and bv
influences which prohibit him from taking
action
Messrs. Chandler. Hoar. and Foraker
argued on the amendment at great length.
Il hope the Senate will stand by the com
mittee, said Mr.. Chandler, "and adopt
the amendment.
give my vote to the committee. whether it
is right or wrong" said Mr.. Foraker. II
will vote my own convictions"
Mr.. Hale spoke of the proposed amend
ment. of which he was not the author as
the best piece of legislation he had seen
for many a year" Every Congressional
district. he said would have. in twelve
years. three cadets instead of two. and
thus there would be, without any obstruc-
ton of stream, without any disturbance
of the current just what was desirable
to keep the Navy gradually and surely.
full He deprecated the tendency to have
.'land navy.
Mr.. Chandler spoke Of what he called
"the hump caused in the Navy thirty
years ago By taking in all the volunteer
naval officers who had served during the
civil war. The consequence had been that
all promotion was stopped and that for
long afterward officers who had reached
the age of 62 had been mustered out as
lieutenants That hump had only re-
Gently been got rid of. and now it was pro-
posed to produce it again by commission
ing from $50 to 200 officers all al once
Finally the vote was taken and the naval
cadet amendment was agreed to by a vote
of 40 to l., as follows:
yeas-Allison, Bard. Bate. Berry. Burrows
Chandler. Cockreli. Davis. Dcpew. Frye. Gal.
linger, Hale Hanna, lIansbrOugh, Hawlcy HoIr
Jones Of Arkansas, Jones OF Nevada, KeIn
Lodge. Mcbride, Mcrrmber, McEnery, Martin
Nelson, renrose Perkins. Platt of Connecticut
9~E FCHAkas~H