The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-06-08
Continues Speech in OppOsi- ton to the SpOOner
 Amendment
HANDLES THE VARIOUS
 MOVES WITHOUT GLOVES
In Conclusion, He Said the Safest way to Defeat Canal Legislation Would Be to Vote for
 Panama Route.

Washington, June After transactins some routine business and discussing for e time the bill to relieve shippers from the London dock charges, the Senate re- stunned consideration today of the lsth- : milan canal pRoject.
 MT. Mitchell of Oregon continued his speech begun on Thursday In opposition to the Panama route. After considering the engineering difficulties of the route, which he regarded as very serious, he entered upon denunciation of the meth ods of the Panama Canal Company which he declared were the most corrupt in the history of the world. He warned Con- gress that no better way could be found to defeat the construction of any canal than to adopt the Spooner amendment as the United States could have no connec- ton with the Panama route without be- coming involved in the intricacies of the French courts, from which it would find itself impossible to be extricated. He de- clared any connection that this company would have with the Panama proposition might result in the defilement of the government.
 Forest Reserve.
 At the conclusion of routine business in the senate today MT Depew, New York, addressed the senate in advocacy of the bill appropriating s100OO,0O0 for the pur- chase of 1000, GOO acres of land for na- tional forest reserve in Virginia, North Carolina, Sou..i Carolina, Georgia Ala bama an Tennessee. It is stated by the committee representing the measure that "it may fairly be argued that with the establishment of this forest reserve in the region of the southern Appalachian mountains is of great national import anec and that owing to the peculiar con- ditions existing in this region the estab- lishment of this reserve need not neces- sarily be accepted as precedent of the establishment of similar reserves else where in the east.'
 MT. Depew said the project was fa- yored by President Roosevelt and by the secretary of agriculture and federal ac- ton was justified by the public necessity. He said the most favorable results might be expected from the establishment Of The reserve He said that within ten years the great hard wood forests in the proposed reserves would be destroyed en- trely. Such a result would be disas- trous to the states affected and to the entire country
 Canal Bill Taken Up.
 At 2 o'clock consideration of the Isth- milan canal project was resumed, MT. Mitchell of Oregon, addressing the Senate in continuation of his speech begun Thursday, in support or the Nlcaragua canal route
 He said that he had referred inadver- tently to the Isthmian Canal Commis sion as Hanna's commission and that he had not intended to reflect upon MT. Hanna or upon the commission
 Discussing at length the reports of the canal commission he pointed out that the Nicaraguan canal commission had re- ported in favor of the Nicaraguan route after examining all routes as the most feasible and practicable and that that report was definite and conclusive, backed by facts and figures.
 He said the commission had changed it's mind within a month wholly on the ground of cost. He insitsed before the facts presented by the commission were examined carefully 1t would be the Judg- ment of any senator and that the real choice of the commission as to a route was by way of Nicaragua. MT. Mitchell criticised the project of the construction of Bohio dam on the Panama route, quot ing eminent engineers as saying that 1t involved enormous difficulties and many novel and untried features
 Handled Without Gloves.
 MT. Mitchell handled without gloves the proposition to build the canal by the Panama route and incidentally the Spoo- ner amendment. By the adoption of this proposition, he said, the United States would be tacking or to one of the great est frauds and pieces of corruption known since the world began. He could not be- lieve, he said, that the senate proposed to consider seriously a proposition which will involve the United States in legal controversy for a hundred years.
 Mir. Mitchell expressed the opinion that Inc enactment of the Spooner amendment would result in the postponement of the beginning of the canal project, as the irssident would probably have to make an independent investigation of the sub Ic,,t before he reached decision. He ,reed that Congress ought not to turn nyer the responsibility of selecting a route to the President. He suggested the pos sibility that if the United States should adopt the Panama route, some other na- t,on would construct a canal by the Nic- orarua route thus creating competition that would be disastrous to the United states. Mir Mitchell asserted that the panama canal enterprise was "one of the most stupendous gold-brick games ever imposed upon people.
 Gigantic Lottery Scheme.
 He declared that by the Spooner omendment and the views of the minority of the canal committee, the United States not only was invited to participate in gigantic lottery scheme, but also would he compelled by French law controlling the construction of the canal to purchase fin France all raw materials entering into the canal. He insisted that the United states, if 1t should purchase the Panama Canal Companys rights and property would be the legatee of all obligations of inc French company, including those to inc stockholders of the old Panama Canal Company.
 Tn conclusion MT. Mitchell declared that if he were casting about for way to de- feat the construction of an isthmian oanal, he could find no better one than