The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1904-10-21
Senior United States Senator
Tells How His Efforts
Met With Success.
Secures an Amendment to Bill
After All Efforts in House
Utterly FAIL

Ample and convincing proof that
United States Senator Perkins secured
the legislation authorizing the con-
Etruction Of a collier at Mare Island
caused a leading Republican yesterday
at the State Central Committee to
eXclaim: THE Calls complete and
unansWerable story simply staggers
the Democrats. and it also staggers
some Republicans at Vallejo. who
seem TO have entertained the notion
that Bell procured the insertion Of the
amendment BelTs deplorable attempt
10 appropriate TO himself credit belong
ing TO another places him in a most
unenviable light. He has lost the re-
spect OF the California Congressional
delegation
Senator Perkins was again inter
viewed yesterday. He was asked the
direct question if any sort of an
amendment relating to the golfers was
contained in the bill when it went
from the House TO the Senate. He re-
piled at once that Bell made an at
tempt to amend the bill in that re-
Epect, but failed.
Did Bell conceive the idea Of build
ing the colliers at the navy yard?"
was asked.
The Senator replied: The idea was
conceived long before Bell went to
Congress. We built the Monadnock
and Unadilla. The initial credit be-
longs to Commodore Sloat, who hoist
ed the American nag at Monterey and
selected Mare Island as the best site
on san Francisco Bay for a navy
yard"
The Senator. continuing, remarked:
II Bell has claimed the sole credit for
building this collier he has lowered
himself in my estimation.
WOODLAND SPEECH.
The following sentence from Bells
Woodland speech last Saturday night
was submitted 10 Senator Perkins:
4 felt it would be the proudest mo-
ment Of my life if 1 could obtain for
the people Of Vallejo and the people of
the entire State whatwe had been striy-
ing TO obtain for the last twenty years
IA modern steel vessel TO be construct
ed there, and after having OBTAINED
THIS THROUGH MY OWN Eff
FORTS, 1 protest against any man or
any paper asserting that l am at
tempting TO steal the credit from an
other man"
PERKINS AMAZED.
Senator Perkins remarked: L am
amazed at this claim. / do not want
10 deprive Mr.. Bell of any credit that
belongs TO him. He is a nice young
man and I do not deny that he at
tempted TO get in the amendment, but
before the bill was reported to the
House from the committee l went TO
Foss, Dayton and other members Of
the committee and endeavored to have
them include the colliers. Bell tried
the same thing in the House and fail
ed. In the Senate l got the amend
ment inserted. It passed the Senate
and went back to the House and the
House struck il out. The conference
committee, Of which BeIr was not a
member. restored il and the House ul-
timately receded from its disagreement
and adopted the report Of the confer
ence committee.
In matters Of this kind" Senator
Perkins said, cit is not my habit to
claim special glory. / say in a general
way that the delegation succeeded.
do not say I killed Cock Robin
There is not much comment to make
on this subject Bell tried and failed.
The passenger who fails to get aboard
when the train comes along gets left.
The bin was in the House and Bell did
not get aboard. He was left The Con-
gressional Record tells the story. The
amendment was not put in the bill in
any form until the measure came to
the Senate committee. l am willing
L. give the entire delegation, Republi-
cans ana Democrats, credit for the
achievement, but if the credit belongs
20 any individual il belongs to me-"
CAMPBELL WRITES.
As Colonel Mazuma is not doing any
thing TO enliven this campaign the ad-
vent Of Colonel Buttinsky may afford
the people some pleasure. Senator Per-
kins was asked yesterday to impart
his views on this contribution:
October To- 1904
Editor Csll, City-Dear Sir: You have an
article IN to-cays paper about Congressman
ADVERTISEMENTS.