The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1902-01-16
Former Senator Pugh Believes
Senate wiIiAdopt Panama Route.


Pugh reproduced In this correspondence
and repeated details of the vast power
and the bare-faced triclsery of the lobby
may have prepared the Alabama public
to fear the most as regards the alI-im-
portant Nicaragua route, the Senator's
words of today must create a very pain
full impression. Mr.. Pugh's heart is with
the hearts of his home people in earn
est advocacy OF the Nicaragua canal. for
which he has done great service in and
outside the Senate but he fears the worst
as indeed do nearly all the friends of
the Nicaragua route In Washington.
The lobby. when 1t brought about the
theatrical s4O,OOo0Oo proposition from the
agent Of the Panama company, did not
contemplate that 1t might be taken seri-
ously in the Senate or by any respecta-
BILE element Of the public.
The, lobby conceived the stacy play In
cupidity and produced 1t in dishonesty.
1t was meant simply and solely to de-
moralize and discourage the Nicaragua
forces, and to an alarming extent it has
succeeded Estimating the changed con-
ditions as they exist at the moment 1t ap-
pears as certain as anything In the legis-
lative future can be that the Nicaragua
canal will not be provided for during the
present session of Congress, or In fact
during the life of the Fifty-seventh Con-
gress. for few determined men in the
Senate would have no serious trouble
In preventing the passage of such a
bill during the short session of next win
ter.
Assuming that the Panama play of the
lobby should mscarry and that the Sem
ate should improve the huge practical
joke on the lobby of adopting the plan
of completing the French folly, would
the House yield and surrender for ever
its Nicaragua plan? Or isn't that very
emergency In the sickness of the lobby?
While the final vote in the House on
the passage of the Hepburn bill was yeas
800 and nays but two, on a vital PROPOSE
ton In the course of debate something
like a hundred members voted against
the main merit of the bill. VIII this
number have materially increased by the
time the possible Senate bill is sent to the
House? Would the real friends OF the
Nicaragua route ever vote for the Pan
anna route, or do they prefer no canal
at all? If the Senate pass any canal
bill prolonged conference of the two
houses will be inevitable. Could there
ever be an agreement reached further
than to permanently disagree?
These are the questions of the hour in
Washington, and they are more moment
Gus to the nation than any other questions
that have arisen since 1876.
The representative Of the Birmingham
district who is truly distinguished in
Congress and universally esteemed, has
accepted an invitation from the famous
Chamber of Commerce of Baltimore to
attend its annual banquet and deliver
speech on the evening of January 20. The
subject given Mr. Underwood Is the most
important one of the industrial develop
ment of the SOUTH in which Baltimore is
more interested than any other city north
of the Potomac. Speaker Henderson and
three other noted members of the House
have been likewise invited to the Balti-
more banquet and have accepted the in
vitations.
The occasion will be a great one; and
the best part about It is that Mr.. Under
wood is worthy of it and worthy of the
noble theme assigned to his knowledge,
logic and eloquence.
Hon. Leslie Brooks of Mobile, who has
served in the House and in the Senate of
the Alabama Legislature and who was
for four years postmaster of Mobile, is in
Washington as the Alabama member of
the committee of the national river and
harbor convention. He will remain here
for some weeks in the interest of the
rivers and harbors that require govern
ment improvement and will appear before
the House committee having charge of
legislation to that purpose. Mr.. Brooks
had been In conference with Congress-
man Bankhead, the Alabama representa-
tive on the committee.
Mr.. John s. Jemison of Lafayette, for
merly of Birmingham, has been In Wash
ington several days visiting his daughter
who is in school here. Mr.. Jemison ex-
poets to remove with his family to Birm-
ingham next autumn. m
LUCIEN JULIEN WALKER
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