The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1893-02-23
In DARKNESS
Ex-Secretary Richard W. Thomp-
son Was Kept,
When the Panama Doodle Was Passed
Around So Promiscuously.
He Is Examined BY the Congressional Com
mittee-The Colonel Denies All Knowl-
edge OF Corruption. ana Explains
Certain Letters to De Lesseps.

TKRRE HAUTR, Ind, Feb, %. Tho
testimony Of Col r W. Thompson,
chairman Of the American Committee
OF the Panama Canal Co, taken by the
subcommittee Of Fellows congress-
ional committee here Monday. was In
full acomplete denial on the witness
part OF any knowledge Of corrupt use
of money. Col Thompson said he was
asked in October 1880. to become
chairman Of the American commit
tee of the Canal Co by jess Seligman,
and that he did not accept until he
had satisfied himself that he might
do so In the furtherance OF his views re-
specting the construction OF canal
that would be under the authority OF a
Colombian charter, neutral Of control
by foreign governments and with SUI
peryisory authority by the United
\ States He rendered his resignation
from President Hayes cabinet Deem
Der 10. and, as he believed, with the APP
proval Of President Hayes, became
president OF the American committee.
lie did not believe Mr. Hayes message
To congress was adverse to the
Panama canal more than to any other
isthmus canal that did not have the con-
sent Of the United States. Col. Thomp-
son said his salary was fixed at I25, 600
francs year. 10 begin with March,
1851, and he. was paid $4,000 for the
services he had rendered from the time
Of his resignation from the cabinet nm
til he was elected president Of the conn
mittee. Later on in the investigation
he said he had voluntarily reduced his
salary from s25. coo a year to s12, 900 In
the eighth or last year, when he under
stood the company was In financial
straits
He had told the committee that until
the investigation began he did not
know the New York bankers were each
receiving $4,000 q year for their serv-
ices as members Of the committee. Had
he known It he would have reduced his
own salary. He knew nothing Of the
details Of the expenditure Of money,
except the $4,000 year for office ex-
pense- He considered IT his duty to look
after the interest of the canal ia. a gem
eral way and did all he could to popular |
ize II by maintaining that 1t was being
constructed in compliance with the
Monroe doctrine His argument he.
fore the congressional committee had
been to disabuse the rlinds of all that
It was French corporation; to show
that II was private enterprise under
Colombian charter, and that neutrality
Of nations was to be observed with
supervisory authority by the United
States. He studiously kept away from
the lobby, and never caused to be paid,
directly or Indirectly dollar for cor
rupt purposes.
Congressman Patterson, Of Tennes-
see, read freely from the ietter-press
copies of letters written by Col. Thomp-
son to De Lessups On December 10.
1884, he wrote: '.The question II far
more important than ii ever was, but
we will bring il to d successful conclu-
sion. Itwilirequire far more caution In
the future, Col Thompson said he meant
It would be far more delicate qucs-
tion because the Nicaragua treaty was
under consideration IN the secret ses-
sion Of the senate. TIE witness wrote
pamphlet which was anonymously dis
tributed from Baltimore, that senators
might not know from where 1t termin-
nted. In an other letter, dated Febru-
airy 5, 1855, he said: SIT will be difficult
70 convey to you fuIl understanding
Of now we have conducted this contest
and we must be very cautions
he colonel said the treaty had been
made by the administration, and it
would have been unwise To have been
openly hostile to it 1t might have
been looked upon as an act Of defiance.
: He made known to a fewsenators, Mr..
VOORHEES, among them, that he was the
author Of the pamphlet Congressman
Storer, Of Ohio, read from letter ii
which the colonel told De Lesseps he
believed the large expenditure Of mon
ey for materials in this country would
help popularize the canal, which belief
he emphasized Monday. In another
letter he referred to Overcoming diff
Guilty" This he said meant such diff
culties as the Nicaragua people were
responsible FOR, but that nothing but
legitimate means were used in doing SO.
He denied that any money had been
spent within his knowledge to inHu-
ence the newspapers. A man named
Lester had been paid 5000 fora mag
azine article after its publication, but
this was done by De Lessep's orders
after the colonel had refused to pay the
4 amount He testified that when De
Lesseps was in Washington, early in
1850, the Frenchman made no PROPOSE
tion TO him to become president OF the
committee. The offer came through
seligman in October following He
knew little or nothing about Nathan
Appleton He had met lhim few
times. but did not know Just what his
relation was with the canal company.