The Washington times. (Washington [D.C.]) 1901-1902, 1902-05-17
Son of a Confederate, Mr..
Williams, Defends the
Union Army.
ER0WNINSHIELD DENOUNCED
Scored for His Attitude Toward Admiral
Schley-verses Characterize ex-Chief
of Navigation as "the Greatest Tar
That Ever Stayed Ashore"

Yesterday, for second time this week
the blood of the House was raised to fevei
heat In the discussion CT topics which in
Noived the navy at home and army in the
philippines, and a revival Of the Schley
controversy.
The naval appropriation bill was before
The House and was being read under the
hve-minute rule, but Notwithstanding this
fact the measure was for the time being
forgotten, while members talked, not for
Eve minutes, but for twenty minutes and
q half hour, upon matters foreign to the
bill.
The chief speech of the day was deiiv-
cred by Representative Williams Dem..
Miss.). master of eloquence. and his re-
marks yesterday served TO prove him to
be equally able al satire.
His references TO Admiral Crowninshield
and his connection with the Schley case
constituted at once rhetorical gem and
a scathing denunciation of the recent
chief Of the Bureau of Navigation.
But be went still further and dealt
with another question touching upon the
conduct of the army. This he did in reply
to the speech delivered the day before by
Representative Grow tRep., Pa. in which
the latter justified The orders Of General
Smith to kill and burn and make Samar
q bowling wilderness.
Mr.. Williams was equally strong and
eloquent in his treatment of this subject
His speech served TO place the minority
In more favorable position than they
have before occupied in the House upon
the Philippine question.
Mr.. Grow replied and Mr.. Cochran
(Dem.. MOI then took up the discussion.
and before it was finally ended and the
House again settled down to the reading
and consideration of the naval bill nearly
two hours had been consumed.
No Vote Before Monday.
This. coupled with the fact that nearly
two hours were occupied in considering
q conference report on the omnibus claims
bill, was responsible for the fact that
but little progress was made with the
measure. 1t is not probable. therefore.
that a vote Will be reached before Mon
day.
The discussion of the Schley contro-
versy and the conduct of the army in the
Philippines was precipitated by some re-
marks made by Mr.. Cannon (Rep.. ILL in
regard TO the items providing for naval
training stations. He thought the place
for officers of the navy was at sea, and
that there were too many of them on
shore duty.
afr. Wheeler dem. Ky) suggested to
him that If he (Nr. Cannon would assist
IN the consolidation OF useless bureaus
in the Navy Department ii would release
two or three hundl I'd officers from desk
work SO that they might be free for sea
service.
Mr.. Cannon said that could never be
done. II was easy enough to create bu-
reaus. he said, but difficult to abolish
them. When that is proposed. he de-
clared. you run arainst the sisters. the
cousins. and the aunts of those interest
ed. and members would not vote to abol-
fish Offices.
Mr.. Hepburn tRep. Iowa. shared Mr.
Cannon's opinion. He told of the large
number of commissioned officers in the
department in Washington. at Annapolis,
aad the training statiors. This year. he
said, there were at Annapolis fifty-eight
graduates and ifty-nine commissioned
officers. besides civilian professors.
He declared that because q naval Of
fcer had done three years duty he had
no right to expect three years leisure
on shore following it. The life of a ma
val officer in times OF peace was a pretty
easy ole. anyway he thought.
He argued that many Of the positions
now occupied by commissioned officers
ought IL be held by civilian appointees.
He proceeded 10 show the excess OF Of
ficers over the number of commands open
10 them, and said there would be no
remedy until the navy ceased to run the
Navy Department and the army ceased
TO run the War Department.
Mr.. Williams Satirical Speech.
Mr.. Williams then obtained the floor |
He started in by saying that he was very I
much in favor OF shore duty for the navy, |
and upon this particular occasion it was |
his privilege to defend the navy, its per-
sonnet, and it's prestige. He then read |
some doggerel verse about Admiral l
which began as follows:
s'Oh. who is Crowninshield, papa,
That he should have the best
or everything there is to have
And shine DER all the rest?"
''Creat Crowninshield my son, has done
A lot of wondrous things,
And now he reaps the proud rewards
That virtue always brings"
After several stanzas which treated of
Admiral Crowninshield as a sailor be
hind a desk" the poem concluded:
rand was that all he did, papa,
That he. with bullying chest
Should head the list OF heroes now,
Eclipsing all the rest?"
'Go out and chase the put, my son,
And bother me no more:
Great crowninshield's the greatest tar
That ever stayed ashore"
The reading was greeted with loud and
laughter on the floor and in
The galleries.
Mr.. Williams then continued In satirical
vein:
And here is the gentleman from Iowa
who, with that audacity that characterzes
lin, would deprive the heroes OF the navy
" the opportunity OF earning immortal
md amending renown by staying ashore
nj deity pulling the string Does he
ct know that naval officer has no
articulsr opportunity for promotion
'ithout an Opportunity TO stay ashore
nd deity pull the string?"S
at has not been long since the Ameri-
ain people were somewhat aroused by
avail Investigation of a man by the name I
/ Schley, who took an Insignificant part
the battle of Santiago. The American I
sople have concluded, without any j
.ason. without any common sense. with c
n any experience contrary 10 all the