The San Francisco call., 1904-10-19


Icins was amazed yesterday when he
was shown a stenographic report OF
Congressman Bells speech at Wood
land last Saturday night, wherein the
latter took unto himself sole credit
for the Congressional legislation which
authorized the building of collier at
Mare Island navy yard.
In order TO get the exact language
OF Bell in his talk on the tariff Ques-
ton, the Republican State Central
B Committee engaged a stenographer to
take down his words. The reference
to the collier occurs in the Woodland
speech. After citing page 2479 of the
Congressional Record Bell said:
felt il would be the proudest move OF
my life II I could obtain for the people OF
Vallejo and the people OF this entire state
what had been striving 10 obtain for the
past twenty years-a modern steel vessel TO be
constructed there-and after having obtained
this through my own efforts ! protest against
any man or any paper attempting to steal the
credit from some other man
The record now in possession of The
Call viii show who is attempting to
steal credit from another man.
To Senator Perkins il was frankly
said: Senator. Congressman Bell
claims the credit for the legislation
which gave the building of a collier to
the navy yard at Vallejo. You know
the real facts. If the credit belongs
TO Congressman Bell. The Call will
give il TO him. Let us have the truth.
THE INSIDE TRUTH.
THE facts are these" replied Sena-
tor Perkins: Il obtained the Senate
amendments TO the House bill author
izing the construction of the two col
liers at the navy yards-one on the
Atlantic and one on the Pacific Coast.
] went TO the members of the House
Committee on Naval Appropriations. 1
asked Foss Dayton and Meyer to put
the provision in the bill, but the COM
mittee and the House failed TO do so.
When the bill came to the Senate 1t
was referred 10 the Committee on Ma
val Affairs. 1 am the second MEM
Der of that committee. With the as
sistance of Senator Martin of Virginia
I got the amendment in. Senator Hale
OF Maine was not inclined to favor it.
He cited the battleship Texas as an ex-
ample Of navy yard construction.
However the Senate amended the bill
and authorized the construction of two
cOlliers at the navy yards-one on the
Atlantic and one on the Pacific. The
bill went to the House, and the House
refused to concur in the Senate
amendment A conference commit
tee over the disagreement was the re-
suit. The Senators appointed to the
conference were: Hale of Maine, Per-
l1ins Of California. Martin of Virginia,
The Representative were: Foss of IL
linois, Dayton Of West Virginia, Meyer
Of Louisiana.
Personally / urged the members to
support the Senate amendments and
the conference committee reported in
favor of retaining II. went to Repre-
sentative Gillett and others and asked
them to stand in and adopt the report
Of the conference. Giilett was ready to
make every effort TO secure adoption,
but the report was adopted without op-
position. Look at the Congressional
Record to verify my statements"
RECORD Is CLEAR.
The Congressional Record, Wednes-
day, April 20, 1904 page 5425, clearly
sustsins the position of Senator Per-
kins. The indelible record is that the
Senate amendment which Senator Per-
kins introduced prevailed. Here is an
extract from the Congressional Record
in which the action of the House in re-
ceding from its disagreement is clearly
reported:
Mr.. Dayton-Mr. Speaker. / simply call at
teatton 20 this fact because / have a desire
that these colliers shall be built because they
are desired by the department now
The Speaker-It seems to the chair the gen.
tlemsn has got in his speech. The question
is on agreeing 20 the motion of the gentleman
from LOulkisrS tMr- Meyer that the House do
recede from ia disagreement 70 the SENATE
AMENDMENT and concur therein.
The question WAS taken and the Speaker an
noUnced that the chair was in doubt.
Mr.. FOss-D Division, Mr. Speaker.
The House accordingly divided. and there
were-syes lis. noes 81.
50 the motion 10 concur agreed 10.
Mr. Foss-Mr Speaker. ! ask IL there are
any other amendmentx2
The Speaker-This disposes OF all the
an,er0ucrfs