New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-12-14
THE NICARAGUA CANAL.
,,o,IcY OF THE OPPOSITION OUTLINED
RY SENATOR TURPIE.

PASSAGE OF THE BILL ENDANGERED.
IBY TELEGRAPH TO rEIBvNE.l
washington, Dec. 13.-The policy for this SEES
.,or Of that minority In the two branches Of
congress which opposes the construction Of the
>,caragua Canal pretty clearly outlined
q, the speech made to-day in the Senate by Mr..
rurpie. OF Indiana. against the passage Of the
ending Canal bill. Mr. Turpie has been for
,sars ar untir,ng enemy of such legislation in
congress as has sought to OFFER Government aid
I'D support TO the Nicaragua Maritime Canal
company and to assume National RESPONSE
.u.v for the completion OF the transisthmian
waterway under the concessions granted to that
.omrany by Nicaragua and Costa Rica. The
Indiana Senator in the past has seemed to hold
,ba, the building of the canal financial
.,d commercial blunder. and the assumption Of
control over II a piece of political folly on the
,ort Of the United States Now he expresses
,,r,ser as eagerly in favor Of the construction
~ waterway across the Isthmus. but argues
vehemently against intrustng work OF such
MAGNITUDE and Importance TO a corporation like
,he Maritime Company contendng that so vast
an enterprise should be intrusted TO more capa-
HE and powerful hands. Whether Mr.. Turpie
would 60 so far as to approve the construction
and operation of the canal by the Government
itself is perhaps questionable. but II is clear that
the fight against the Morgan bill this winter is
N be made chiefly on the ground that National
necessities demand the assumption by the Uni
ted States Of supreme control over this essential
National work.
Both elements opposed 20 Mr.. Morgans meas
rre-that hostile to a canal on any terms and
cha, which favors its construction under other
concessions-can unite in deploring the made
ouacy Of the present corporation TO accomplish
The task set il: and on this line an effective OBJ
s,-uctive fight will doubtless be continued
through the greater part OF the session. The
Morgan measure can probably command ma
iorttv vote in the Senate, but it's passage
through the two houses in the short time avail
able for general legislation at this session will
be greatly endangered by the variety Of substi-
.ute schemes which are sure TO be suggested by
IS enemies.
SENATOR TURPIE'S SPEECH.
Mr. Turpie began by saying that no one could
excel him in zeal in advocating the isthmian
canal but while he saw the vast advantage of
the proposed waterway he was also fully aware
O, the difficulties Of putting the plan for canal
into execution. He was not opposed 10 the
canal so much as he opposed TO the scheme
of the Maritime Canal Company. and he de-
nounced that company as the most venomous
and effective opponent of a real canal enter
mise He did not believe il possible for that
company with its bad odor TO construct the
canal. and ne held that the Maritime Company
should get out of the way of the genuine canal
enterprise.
He developed this line OF attack at some
length denouncing 1t as a scheme Of conhsca-
ton. The object of The Maritime Company, he
declared was not 10 cut canal but TO "cut
channel Of communication at the least possible
cost between the Treasury Of the United States
and the empty Golfers of that heggarly corpora
ton"
Mr.. Turpje asserted that the Government could
not lawfully guarantee the Maritime Company's
bonds as proposed. TIL, case was not parallel
10 the Pacific railroad companies. in those
cases the bonds were made directly payable to
the companies
As TO the possibility Of foreign Jealousy operat
ing to prevent the construction Of the canal by
this Government MI .Turpie declared that there
was no civilized nation that would not be
pleased 10 see the canal constructed. The Mari
time Company had been guilty Of nnumerabe
frauds but even if il had not he would not sup
port the pending bill because Of the failure 10
provide for the ownership of the canal by the
United States. All obstacles would disappear
before a movement on the part OF the United
States to construct the canal the opposition OF
Nicaragua and other countries was made to the
Maritime Company. and TO II only. With those
"vapid. empty and thoroughly groundless pre-
tensions the government Of Nicaragua had evil
IDENTIFY become tired"
Mr.. Turpie renewed his plea for a postpone
ment Of the question until the Nicaragua Canal
Commission should report He said he had
favored the appointment Of this Commission be-
he knew that no Commission could report
IN favor Of the Maritime Company as he did not
believe the present Commission had. 1nforma-
ton wanted on the three points OF feasiDil-
fly, time and expense. and the Senate had
right to this Information before acting on the
bill. Mr.. Turpe closed for the day with motion
for a postponement OF further consideration OF
the bin until January 10, by which time the re-
port Of the Commission would be received.
REPLY BY MR. MORGAN
M Morgan antagonized the motion. pleading
FOR the continuation Of the debate. saying there
were many points connected with the enterprise
on which light could be thrown by the Walker
report. He denied that the Maritime Company
had ever applied to the United States for as
sistance but, on the other hand, the application
had been made TO them because they owned the
only concession. He declared, in answer TO a
suggestion by Mr.. Turpie, that IT would never
b" possible 10 get all agreement binding the
United States. Nicaragua and Costa Rca, be
cause 90 Costa Rica's suspicious OF Nicaragua.
Costa Rica knew perfectly well that Nicaragua
was DESTROYS OF nothing much as the down
fall Of Costa Rica. He spoke OF Costa Rica 3
bargain counter in the matter of granting con-
cessions and when Mr.. Turpe Interrupted MN
with the statement that this was not an eX-
preston % a.nty toward Nicaragua, he retorted
that Mr. Turpie growing sentimental on the
subject. He declared that Mr.. GraCe's purpose
IN getting a contract was not TO build a
canal but to own ito hold UP the Government.
lie denounced this concession as rascally
contract Mr. Grace had called him twice in