New-York tribune., 1902-06-08
SPEAKS FOR NICARAGUA.
SENATOR MITCHELL CALLS THE PAN
ANA CANAL PROJECT "a STU
PENDOUs GOLD BRICK

Washington June AFTER transacting some rou-
tine business and discussing for time the eiil 10
relieve shippers from the London dock charges, the
Senate to-day resumed consideration OF the is'h-
milan canal project Mr. Mitchell, of oregon, con-
tinued his speech begun on Thursday IN opposl-
ton to the Panama route. After considering tiie
engineering difficulties of the route whlch ne re-
garded as extremely serious, he denounced tHe
methods of the Panama Canal Company wnich ne
declared were the most corrupt In the history OF
the world. He asserted that no better way could
be found to defeat the construction OF any eahai
than to adopt the Spooner amendment
Mr. Mitchell said he had referred inadvertently
to the Isthman Canal Commission as Hanna S
r,or,,oission and had rot intended to reflect on
Mr. Hanna or the commission Discussing at
length the reports of the Canal Commission ne
said that it had reported in favor of the Nicaragua
route after examining all routes, as the most
feasible and practicable, and that report was DEL
mite and conclusive, backed by facts and hgures-
The commission, he added had changed lts nilno
within month. wholly the ground OF cost he
insisted that if the facts presented by the COM
mission were examined carefully it would be tne
judgment of Senator that the real choice OF
the commission to route was that through
Nicaragua.
Mr. Mitchell criticised the project for construct
ing the Bohfo dam on the Panama route quoting
eminent engineers saying that it involved enor-
mons difficulties and many novel and untried feat
ures.
He handled the proposition to build the canal by
the Panama route, and incidentally the Spooner
amendment, without gloves. By the adoption OF
this propostion he said the United States would
be tacking on to one of the greatest frauds anu
pieces Of corruption known since the world oesan
He could not believe that the Senate intended TO
consider seriously proposition which will Involve
United States in legal controversy for a. nun
dred years. I want the Senate to know the facts
and to determine whether we really shall sake uP
expressed the opinion that the enactment OF the
he0in Of
probably would have to make an independent m
Testigation before he reached decision. He urged
that Congress ought to accept the responsibility OF
selecting the route and not turn that responsi6fy
over to the President. He admitted that legally
the transfer of such responsibility could De mace G
proper and intimated that such action would be
coWardly. He suggested the possibility that II the
some other nation would construct canal by the
gu route thus m S egenfng atsd sfa that
Mr. Mitchell denounced the idea that the United
sfes whoSe isna i hsor9 in 10 the
had shocked the sensbilities of mankind" He de-
legislative corruption. journalistic venality and
age or country" He asserted that the Launching
of the Panama Canal enterprise was one te OF the M
ancient modern times and that the Wnoie ta
project "one of the most stupendous gold orlck
games imposed upon people,
Mr., Mitchell declared that by the SpooneIF I amen9 9era7
Committee the United States not only was invited e
TO %o1d 16e be Rart eompeed IN By nc aW
canal construction to purchase In france an raw @
that the new Panama Canal Company had entered
Sisted that the United states if it purchased that
iegatee of all obligations of the French company
including those to the stockholders Of IN. the Oh old
dtions he did think wise man would invest
$40 100000 in proposition OF that ENG ba 8, he
looking for way to defeat the construction Of fan an
isthmian canal he could find no better one than
the adoption of the Spooner amendment He was
satisfied that the Panama Canal proposition could
not be touched without deflement even looked
at without ioathfng. 1t was. he said, a sink of
iniquity which the United States ought not TO ap-
proach. -, r... "a
journed.