Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1902-01-17
WASHINGTON LETTER.
(From our Regular Correspondent

| Washington, Jan. 13.-Ihe perfect
discipline which prevails among the
Republicans in Congress and the ease
with which few leaders control the
majority was we'll demonstrated on last
Thursday when the House Of Repre-
sentatives voted for the Hepburn bill
by vote of 30S to 2. That the indi-
viduality of members is destroyed and
| the wishes of certain constituents sac
rificed are of little moment to the party
leaders compared with what they choose
to consider the party good. One re-
publican voted against the Hepburn
bill, Mr.. Loren Fletcher, of Minnesota.
When seen by your correspondent he
stated that numerous members OF his
party had come to him after the vote
and expressed the wish that they had
dared vote as he had done, but the
fear of the party lash doubtless pre-
vented them from doing so.
| Mr.. Fletcher gives as his reason for
voting against the measure the fact
that be has had eight years experience
as a member OF the committee before
| which the prons and cons of the 18TH
milan canal have been discussed and
be believes that the enterprise is
fraught with many dangers and that
the estimates on the Nicaraguan route,
at least, are far too low. Mr.. Fletcher
admitted that he might have voted for
canal along the Panama route but
he is by no means enthusiastic for a
canal along any route. He further
believes that the advantages from such
a canal are greatly overestimated. AS
matter of fact, the republican lead
ers regarded any debate or decision by
the House mere waste of time and
it is in the Senate that the subject will
be discussed and definite plan of &C
ton determined upon.
The action of Senator Morgan, in
bis capacity of Chairman Of the Com
mittee on Inter oceanic Canal, in sub
poenaing M. Lampre, the representa-
tive of the Panama Canal Company, is
regarded as somewhat drastic, espe
cially IN view of the fact that M.
Lampre was ready to go before the
committee and furnish any informa-
ton that might be required, but if the
Senator, after putting the representa-,
tive of the French company under
oath, should succeed in discovering evi
dence of the conspiracy he bell ewes to
exist between the Panama Company
aud the trans continental railroad com
panies his action will doubtless stand
approved.
Admiral Walker has made public a
statement in which he says that be has
received from the headquarters of the
Panama Canal Company in Paris a
cablegram confirming the offer of their
representative IN Washington, of all
the property of the company for the
flat price of $40, 100000 The Admiral
states that he will call meeting Of the
Commission at the earliest practicable
date to consider the proposition and
make supplementary report to the
President. This report will be for
warded to Congress and it is unlikely
that any definite action will be taken
by the Senate until after it is received.
There seems to be little doubt that
the chief opposition to the construc-
tion of the canal now emanates from
Senator Allison and Representative
Cannon, chairmen of the appropria-
tion committees of the Senate and
House respectively. Both of these
gentlemen express themselves as
aghast at the amount of money which
the enterprise will require. Mr..
Cannon said yesterday: '.rhe United
States is rich country and can we'll
afford to undertake any enterprise |
which will make for it's material vel.
fare but tha6 is not saying that it !
should enter into vast undertaking |
of this nature without a most careful |
consideration of the prospective bene-
fits and the most accurate estimates
obtainable as to the eventual cost. -
Beyond that statement he refused to
express an opinion.
The bill reported by the Census com.
mittee of the House came up as es-
pecial business on Friday, in that
body, and was productive of spirited
debate by Chairman Hopkins on the
3ne side and Representative Burkett !
II Nebraska on the other. The fact
hat the measure provides for salary