The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-06-20
fsneclnl TO The PnstN

amendment to the Hepburn canal bill AZ;
| against. "a.
For the bill as amended. 81; against, g.
Thus the senate this afternoon disposed
OF the pending isthmian canal legislation
The work in the interests OF the Nicaragua
canal. which has been in progress for years
past was set at nausht. the dearest hope
OF an old mans life was shattered aud
company of French Adventures was given
what II has so long labored TO obtain The
spooner amendment. which. after being
voted on, took the place OF tho Hepburn
bill. provides for the purchase of the
Panama canal IL satisfactory title to Il
can be secured. and. in the event such a
title can not be secured, for the construc.
tion OF canal along the Nicaragua route
The right TO purchase the Panama property
is vested In the president Before the hnal
vote was taken on the bill it was amended
so as to provide for the Issuance Of .
per cent canal bonds to the amount Of
| 100000. This amendment was fought
| by the democrats. Senator Culberson NOV
| ing to lay 1t on the table. but the Panama
people were in the saddle aud carried every.
thing before them.
Nothing more pathetic has ever been
heard in the senate chamber than the last
appeal made bS Senator Morgan. the father
OF canal legislation.
III" said he, in closing his hna speech.
| I'VE are to be beaten down here today aud
America is to be disgraced. l shall AVE
had the honor. and the American people
| VIII give II me after l am dead, OF awning
devoted. honestly and sincerely. the best
labors OF my life to the success Of our
, project"
1 But, as the venerable senator learned
soon afterward honesty and sincerity were
poweress, Among the influences for Pan
anna was that of Senator Hanna. OF the
! trnnscontinental railroads aud OF the French
| company which owns the Panama canal.
! They were powerful and they won. They
were so powerful. indeed that they caused
many men to forget the things that were
expected OF them by the people and one
man to forget the pledge of his party plat
himself was instrumental in having formed.
This man was James X Jones. democratic
/, senator from the State OF Arkansas and
chairman of the National democratic COM
mittee. He. of oil the members Of the
democratic party In the senate. voted with
the repub leans for the Spooner amendment
and for other amendments OF lesser impor'
lance. Senator Teller voted likewise but
Senator Teller appears in the official con
gressionnl directory as n silver republican.
and while he has cut loose from the repuh'
licons In practically every way. It would
not be Just to expect of him thngs that
the democrats among the people OF the
United States have every right to expect
of Jones. He not only cast his own vote
for the spooner amendment, but he In
iuenced others to do likewise to such an
extent that in all probability the nnal out
come of the matter NAV he laid at his door.
lie is being numerically criticised by dem
ocratlc congressman tonight and II IS plain
that whatever political aspirations he may
have had left after the recent senatorial
race in his State have been DESTROYED by
his vote on the canal hill,
The question that is now chiefly interest
Ing In connection with the future or the
canal legislation is. VIII the house accept
the action OF the senate without fight?
The house passed the Hepburn bill, pro-
viding for the construction Of canal along
the Nicaragua route by large majority.
This. however. was before the Panama
company made It's bargain counter offer TO
sell for s40oOo.Ooo. and It remains 10 be
seen how the lower body will handle the
matter in the light OF the things that
have developed since 1t FIRST went on rec
ord. The general impression seems 10 De
that 1t will yield and that II the confer
ence committee which will handle the bill
agrees at all before the close OF the pres
ent session. II will agree on bill prae'
tically the same as that passed by tue
senate The senate conferees were appoint
ed this afternoon. They are Hanna hitt'
redge and Morgan,
Both the Texas senators voted consistent
y for the Nicaragua route TO the time ta'
amended bin was hpsily voted on. whei
tssy voted for the measure as amended