Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-12-14


MEASURED POSTPONED TT l. l.
AFTER THE HOLIDAYS so THE
COMMISSIONS REPORT MAY BE
HAD SENATOR MORGAN oP-
POSES TURPIES PLANS.
Washington, December 13.-To-day's
session of the Senate was largely con-
sumed in discussion of the Nicaragua
canal bill. Mr.. Turpie made the prin-
cipal speech in opposition to the bill,
attacking it on the ground that 1t is
in the interest of the Maritime Com
pany. which he characterized as
fraud and bankrupt He moved a post
ponement of the matter until after the
holiday recess. Mr.. Morgan defended
the bill and the Maritime Company
and opposed the motion to postpone.
Messrs. Berry and Rawlins, both Offer
ed amendments materially affecting
me bill.
Previous to the proceedings upon the
canal bill, Mr.. Morrill, made an adj
dress in support of the bill authoriz-
ing the purchase of site for Su-
prema Court building, and this and
several other bills were passed.
Mr.. Turpie, said no one could excel
him in zeal, in advocating the Isthmian
canal but while he saw the vast adj
vantage of the proposed waterway, he
alos was fully aware of the difficulties
in the way of putting the plan for a
canal into legislation. While not OPP
posed to the canal as such, he was OPP
posed to the scheme of the Maritime
Canal Company and he denounced that
company as the most venomous and
effective opponent of real canal en-
terprise. He did not believe it possi-
BILE for that company, with its bad
odor to construct the canal and he
held that the Maritime Company
should get out of the way of the gen.
uine canal enterprise.
He developed this line of attack at
length, denouncing it as a scheme of
confiscation, the object of the Mari
time Company being, he declared, not
to cut a canal but to cut a channel
of communication at the least possible
cost between the treasury of the Unit
ed States and the empty Golfers of that
beggarly corporation"
Mr. Turpie asserted that the govern
ment could not lawfully guarantee the
Maritime Company's bonds as propos
ed The case was not parallel to the
Pacific Railroad Companys as in those
cases the bonds were made directly
payable to the companies.
As to the possibility of foreign jeal-
ousy operating to prevent the con-
struction Of the canal by this govern
ment, Mr.. Turpie declared that there
was no civilized nation that would not
be pleased to see the canal constructed.
The Maritime Company had been
guilty of innumerable frauds, but even
If 1t had not, he would not support the
pending bill because of the failure to
provide for the ownership of the canal
by the United States. All obstacles
would disappear before movement
on the part of the United States to con-
struct the canal, the opposition of
Nicaragua and other countries which
made to the Maritime Company and
to it only with whose ''vapid empty
and thoroughly groundless pretensions
the government of Nicaragua had evil
IDENTIFY become tired"
Mr.. Turpie renewed his plea for
postponement of the question until the
Nicaragua canal commission should
report. He said he had favored the ap-
pointment of this commission, because
he knew that no commission could re-
port in favor of the Maritime Company,
as he did not believe the present com
mission had. Information was wanted
on the three points of feasibility, time
and expense, and the Senate should
await this information before acting
upon the bill.
Mr.. Turpie closed for the day, with
a motion for postponement of further
consideration of the bill until Janu-
airy /, by which time the report of the
commission would be received.
Mr.. Morgan antagonized the motion
pleading for the continuation of the
debate, saying there were many points
connected with the enterprise upon
which light could not possibly be
thrown by the Walker report. He de-
MED that the Maritime Company had
ever applied to the United States for
assistance, but on the other hand, the
application had been made to them be-
cause they owned the only concession.
He declared in answer to a suggestion
from Mr. Turpie that it would never
be possible to get an agreement bind
ing the United States, Nicaragua and
Costa RIGA, because of Costa Ricas
suspicion of Nicaragua. Costa Rica
knew perfectly wei. that Nicaragua was
so DESTROYS of nothing so much as the
CENNNE - There is right