Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-01-16
BOTTOM FALLS OUT.
Panama Canal Stock Has Taken a
Drop.
Wa shin stnn- d. C. j

Panama Canal Stock Has Taken a
Drop.
Washington, D. c., Jan. Is.
Again the scene changes The bot
tom has fallen out of the Panama ca
nal scheme. Likelihood of purchase of
the property of the French syndicate,
with its multitudinous owners, at this
moment is exceedingly remote. From
a proposition commanding general at
| tention and no small amount of favor
able interest, the Panama project has
fallen to such an estate that it is not
| probable it will be given anything like
united or effective support, unless
there should be another change in the
scene, and that radical and compre-
1 hensive one.
Senate Did 1t.
| The searchlight of the senate did the
business. Stripped of generalities and
the husk of deception the proposition
of the syndicate at once lost it's beauty
and attractiveness. In the glare of
Senator Morgan's pointed inquiries the
symmetry of the Panama canal prop
osition became tangle of hopelessly
deferred legal Implications. 1t de-
/
| beginning to end was shrewdly devils
ed plan to gold-brck Uncle Sam. 1t
| fell fiat ten years ago; it fell fiat again
before the senate investigation.
No Surprise to Hepburn.
The outcome or later developments
] afforded no surprise to Col. Hepburn.
He has dealt with the proposition for
nearly decade and there is no point
in connection with either the Nicara-
guam or Panama route with which he
is not familiar to his finger tips When
the late proposition on basis of S40-
100000 accompanied by the sugges-
lions of the canal commission, headed
by Admiral Walker, was announced, it
came Ike thunderbolt upon the
house. There was hesitation, then
sudden and increasing strength for
the proposition. Panama stock took a
boom. Members said, wait a little;
don't pass the Hepburn bill until we
look into this matter There were a
couple Of blue days for the staunch
advocates of the Nicaraguan route. Col
Hepburn was not dismayed. He had
expected it, and he was ready for it.
Alone, almost, he, stood in his place for
three days and withsrood the fiercest
onslaughts upon his bill He answer
ed every query, he parted every
thrust, he dealt sledge-hammer blows
in return. He told the house it was
following a will-o'- thewisp, an intang-
ible promise. based ON the hearsay of
somebody who had no authority to de-
liver the goods. He needed no senate
Investigation, he had invest gated years
ago and kept step with the progress
of events. He knew exactly where the
syndicate would land when brought UP
against the snubbing post of details
and clear title. He was satisfied to
bide his time. The French syndicate
may make further representations or
guarantee title, or it may even modify
it's financial demands, but the disclos-
ures before the senate committee have
caused the public to lose confidence in
the proposition or the good faith of the
syndicate. Today there is not a cor.
porals guard advocating the Panama
route, in Washington.
Morris Mo So Hopeful.
Congressman Morris, even since the
defeat of his amendment, has been
quite sanguine that it would be taken
up by the senate, and so informed your
correspondent, but Mr.. Morris is not
SO sanguine now He is practically
for the Nicaraguan bill, for which he
voted on the last ballot With the
Panama route out of the running there
will be very much less opposition to
the Hepburn bill.
While the developments of the past
two days have improved the prospects
for the Nicaraguan bill in the senate
; it is still extremely doubtful il an
agreement will be reached.
Hepburn FORCES to Front.
} Whatever may be the ultimate out
: come oil the question Col. Hepburn has
forged heavily to the front as a grea,
, power in legislation. For six years he
i has struggled with this proposition
: calmly indifferent to temporary defeat
} in the tifty-fourth congress he sough,
5 recognition from Speaker Reed anC
| was turned down. He tackled the Nj
! caraguan OH to the sundry civil bill
| as a rider. In the committee of the
G whole, with Hopkins, of Illinois in The
3 chair. he was ruled out of order bu
g appealed from the decision Only thu
Q most strenuous efforts and appeals OF
: the part OF Reed and his lieutenant
t saved the day, Hepburn being votel
S down by only eighteen majority. II
d the last congress Hepburn was able t,
D get recognition. and called UP his bill
e 1t was violently attacked by Cannon
A chairman of appropriations, and q bit
/ ter and acrimonious debate followed
E Hepburn winning out by forty eigh
majority. In the Senate the bill wa
allowed to sleep, the status of tn
Hay-Pauncefote treaty being such as
; in the judgment of the Senate, tt
d preclude action at that time
Congressman a Power.
: December 10, 1901, Hepburn wa,
Log -1..x IL u