The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1893-02-24
IN DARKNESS
Ex-Seeretary Richard W. Thomp-
son Was Kept,
When the Panama Doodle Was Passed
Around So Promiscuously.
He is Examined by tho Congressional Conn
mtttee-The Colonel Denies All knowl-
odge OF Corruption. ana Explains
Certain Letters to DE Iesseps.


Certain Letters to DE Iesseps.
TERRE HAuTE Ind, Feb, a2.-The
testimony of Col Il. 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 a complete denial on the witness
part of any knowledge Of corrupt use
of money. Col Thompson said he was
asked in October 1850, 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, hneutral of control
by foreign governments and with SUI
pervisory authority by the United
States He rendered his resignation
from President Hayes cabinet Decem.
Der 10, and MS he believed, with the APP
prevail of President Hayes, became
president of the American committee.
He 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 125, 600
francs a year, to begin with March,
1881, and he was paid $4,000 for the
services he had rendered from the time
of his resignation from the cabinet UNI
til he was elected president of the com
mittee Later on in the investigation
he said he had voluntarily reduced his
salary from S25, 900 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 $50, 900 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 $1,000 year for Office ex-
pense. He considered it his duty to look
after the interest of the canal in gem
eral way and did all he could to popular
ize 1t by maintaining that 1t was being
constructed in compliance with the
Monroe doctrine. His argument be-
| fore the congressional committee had
been to disabuse the minds of all that
| it was French corporation; to show
that it was private enterprise under a
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, a dollar for cor
rupt purposes
Congressman Patterson, of Tennes-
see, read freely from the letter-press
copies of letters written by Col. Thomp-
son to De Lessups. On December 10,
1884, he wrote: THE question is far
moro important than it ever was, but
we will bring it to a successful concur
sion twill require far more caution in
the future. Col Thompson said he meant
it would be far more delicate ques-
ton because the Nicaragua treaty was
under consideration in the secret ses-
sion of the senate The witness wrote
tributed from Baltimore, that senators
might not know from where it termin-
ated. In an other letter, dated Febru-
airy 5, 1885, he said: sit will be difficult
to convey to you full understanding
of how we have conducted this contest
and we must be very cautious"
The 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 few senators, Mr..
Voorhees, among them, that he was the
author of the pamphlet Congressman
Storer, of Ohio, read from letter in
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 influ-
ence the newspapers. A man named
Lester had been paid 5000 for mag
azine article after its publication, but
this was done by De Lessep's orders,
after the colonel had refused to pay the
amount. He testified that when De
Lesseps was in Washington, early in
1880, the Frenchman made no PROPOSE
ton 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 him few
times, but did not know just what his
relation was with the canal company.
Ladies' Pistol Practice.