Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1904-03-10


running mate for him. Divers and
sundry persons OF more or less promi-
nence are named, ranging from Sena-
tor Charles w. Fairbanks of Indiana
to Hon. John L. Webster of Nebraska.
Mr.. Webster is no doubt most excel
Tent citizen and may be a great states
man If so, however, he has succeed
ed most admirably up to the present
time in hiding his light under bushel.
So far as the average citizen is con-
cerned he would have to bring with
him for purposes of identification affi-
davits describing his personal appear
ance
In His Own Trap.
There is such a thing as being too
smart, fact which Representative
Mann. Republican, of Chicago has had
good cause to ponder since Friday
evening, Feb. &c. The debate on the
naval appropriation bill, which had
been raging for ten days, was drawing
to a close The bill was being read
by sections and debated under the five
minute rule. Amendments good, bad
and Indifferent were being poured in
on every side. At last came the old
fight about armor plate as to whether
the government should build it's own
plant so as to be Independent of the
armOr plate trust or should go on as it
has been doing for years, robbed by
the trust and absolutely at its mercy.
Mr.. Hitchcock of Nebraska, Democrat
offered the following amendment:
''That no money appropriated in this
bill for arrnor shall be used to pur-
chase arnor not yet contracted for
from any manufacturer or manufac-
turers who constitute in whole or in
part trust or trade conspiracy to con-
troll the price of steel products in VIC
lation of the laws of the United
States"
Now, that looks like reasonable
proposition, one which the American
people will indorse. In support there
81 e1itckcock. VINO is rapiidiiiy coming ing
to be one of the best rough and tum-
Bile debaters in the house. said with
great force and cogency:
Mr. Chairman, I have only a few words
to say on this amendment. I desire to call
the attention of this house to the fact
that tremendous change has come over
this country since the manufacture OF
modern armor plate was begun in 1887.
That was by the Bethlehem company. AT
that time the first armor plate contract
was let, Mr. Whitney being then the sec
rotary of the navy In 1890 the second
armor plate contract was let, at a time
when Mr.. Tracy was secretary of the
navy.
When Secretary Tracy let that second
armor plate contract it was to the Car
negie company, in Pennsylvania, and he
distinctly stated at that time, and it was
notorious over the United States, that his
purpose in letting that contract to the
Carnegie company was to build up a COM
petitor to the Bethlehem company. which
had had prior to that time a monopoly OF
arrnor plate manufacture. The third con-
tract was let in 1893. At that time those
companies made identical bids The fourth
contract was made in 1895. when again
the two companies made Identical bids.
Thereupon congress, seeing that an
agreement existed between those two COM
panies to extort an agreed price from the
United States' inserted provision IN tne
law tnat the secretary OF the navy snouio
not pay over $4OO a ton LOT arrnor plate
The result was that the fifth contract, in
1898, and the sixth contract, 1899, were lei
by the navy department 10 those two
concerns at Sao0 ton. me ne. seventh CON
tract was let in the year 1900 to the Beth
lehem and Carnegie companies. and al
that time the bids were again identical
and were Tor a. a larger price; !.
1902 s and I the ninth @ :; 1ada bave
been let. but not to companies even pre-.
tending to be competitors, but to these
TWO concerns, K 1,1r g pc banded TO-
f ton trade conspiracy both outlaws
under the laws of the United States, and
it is to prohibit dealings with that trade
conspiracy pr, tnat TINS aenament Is ofrer-
roercial ont ay existne IN 5sefiapce Of The
acts of congress and win of the people Of
the United States. It is to prevent those