Watertown leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1909-1911, 1909-02-19
SENATE AD0PTS
Gig SHIP PL ANS
COMEDIES TO PRESIDENTS IDEA
BUT BALES At REMOVAL OF
MARINES
LA TOILETTE IN DEBATE
wisconsin Member Uphoids Roosevelt
and ATTACKS So-called POLITICAL
Navy Yalds.
BEN TILLMAN RISES IN WRATH

WASHINGTON. d. G. Feb. lS.-Un
der grave warnings of what might hap
pen in the Pacific ocean if the Unite,
States did not have the best we O
ships. the Senate yesterday voted to re
consider It's action of Tuesday night. h
which It cut down the size of the tw
battleshlps carried il the naval uppro
priation bill from 26OO0 to 21,0OO ton
each
While the Presidents wishes With re
garo TO tie big SHIPS were met. the Sen
ate refused TO yield TO him i'll the matte
OF marine corps, which by executive OF
uer recently WAS withdrawn from til
ships of the navy
\ Senate amendment was kept in Ii
bill, providing not less than 8 per cent
complement OF the men on board ship
OF war shall consist Of marines, or III
money appropriated for the maintenance
OF tie corps will not be available.
Vote Was Non partisan.
The vote on the restoration of the pro
posed battleships to larger type, great
er than any now building in the nayie
OF the world, was non-partisan. and re
suited IN the rejection of Senator CIapp'
reduction amendment by 40 to 80. o.
the question of compelling the retentio
of the marine corps as an integral par
OF the navy, the vote, which was ;
to i, was preceded by Il long debat
on the absence of the power of Congress
TO dictate to the commandments
whose rights were conferred by the con
sutution. The twelve who voted to UP
mold the President were all Republicans
They were:
Borah, Dupont,
Bourne, Knox
Brown, la Toilette,
Burkett, Lodge,
CumminS, McGumber
Dixon, Warner
Appeal by Senator Lodge.
The bill passed the Senate and will g
TO conference. Senator Lodge made al
appeal for the larger type Of battleships
ana his references to the necessity for
large fleet in the Pacific ocean was lis
tened to with great interest. 1t was gen
orally understood that Lodge was speak
ing with some private information tina
the Senate did not have. The senate
Is close to the President and on man,
occasions has been spokesman of til,
white house on the floor of the Senate.
The debate on the bill. which ha
lasted three full days and included on,
night session, was ended by Senator Ii
foHette, who made a vigorous attacl
on the so-called political navy yards
Sen
ator Hale's statement of yesterday tina
out Of S131 100000 carried in the bill
only S4,SOO,OOO was devoted TO these
yards. He read rapidly from the bill
ten items intended, the aggregate bein.
nearly $2,225,000 extra.
Tillman Rises in Wrath.
In addition to these" he continued
there are ffty-one other items that %
partly into the navy yards and partly
elsewhere, the aggregate of which con
sututes large sum"
The remainder of his speech was de
voted to a general criticism of the adj
mlhlStfatlon OF the yards, their accounts
poor geographical positions and lack oil
proper equipment. The charges STREE
Senator Tillman.
During the last seven years we have
had six secretaries of the navy" shout
ed Tlllman, land this sort of thing In,
left many loose ends. The navy depart
ment has been used as a prize wifi
WI winch to reward this politician or that
Inc Senate knows who has been re-
sponslble for this conditions. The Who'll,
situation IS due entirely to politics. poll
tics. politics.
How is this to be remedied? Rv :
commission? We have been ruled Tx
boards and boards and commissions anc
commissions until Congress has dclerat,
"a 10 pONcI " COMMISSIONS. and WhpT
we attempt to oppose the executive DOW.
er we are criticised, bounded. hOwled nj
and damned! Can the senator suggest
a remedy?"
Quick Retort by La Toilette.
Il think l can do that" retorted Tn
toilette. The senator says Congress has
effaced itself. 1t is apparent that the
members of the committee on naval af.
fairs, of which he is one. did not efface
themselves when it came to making an.
preparations for navy yards within theif
own states"
He then suggested that hereafter No
senators from states having navy wards
should be eligible to membership on thai
committee. He declared the reform
should be carried to other committees
The Senate, however, refused to take the
recommendation seriously
Senator Tillman finally raised n Doiut
OF order against the amendment Offered
by La Toilette, which provided for the
appointment of commission on naya
bases to inspect the existing navy yards.
condemn the useless ones, and report t.
Congress a comprehensive plan for the
construction of great yards capable OF
caring for a fleet. The bill then was
passed.