The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1902-06-26
Spooner Substitute for the Hep
burn Bill Accepted by a
Vote Of az to "a.
BUT TWO AMENDMENTS MADE
Provision Made for Issuing Sl30,00O,0C0
in Per Cent Bonds for Construc-
ton OF the lsthmian Canal.

SpOOnef substitute Tor the Hep
burn canal bill was adopted by
the senate yesterday ard confer
ees appointed to represent the
senate to reach an agreement
with the house. The Spooner
substitute provides for the pur-
chase of the Panama canal for
$40. 100000, but if the Panama
company cannot give good title
the president is authorized to
construct a canal by the Nicara-
qua route. The victory of Pan
anna is complete. The vote in
the senate was IL to 81, or a ma.
jority of eight for the Spooner
substitute. The vote in favor OF
the Spooner bill was almost en-
tirely republican, only one dem
ocrat, Jones of Arkansas, and
Teller, who now calls himself an
independent. voting with the
forty republicans who supported
that bill.
Senator Morgan, after making
a gallant fight for Nicaragua,
accepted the situation and voted
for the bill on its final passage.
So die nearly all the other friends
of Nicaragua, the final vote
standing 81 for the bill and six
against it. Senator Morgan then
moved that the senate insist on
its substitute, and ask for a con-
ference with the house While
this was rather unusual it was
agreed to and the president of
the senate appointed Morgan,
Hanna and Kittridge as the SEN
ate conferees.
By this action Senator Morgan
placed himself clearly in accord
with the action of the senate and
in favor of canal legislation. He
has for years fought for an 18th.
milan canal, and has been the
most ardent advocate of the Mic
aragua route. But when he was
beaten he accepted the result
and will henceforward be a cham.
pion of the senate bill because
that means canal legislation. If
Morgan has any influence with
the advocates of the Nicaragua
route in the house they will ac-
cept the senate bill that there
may be canal legislation before
congress adjourns.
Representative Hepburn, the
chairman of the committee on
interstate and foreign commerce
in the house, will insist upon his
bill. which means the Nicaragua
route. The more conservative
republicans in the house are urg-
ing the advocates of the Nicara-
qua route to accept the situation
gracefully and yield to the senate
rather than create a deadlock,
which would mean the failure OF
canal legislation. These adviS-
ers assume that the advocates of
the Panama route who furnished
the majority for the Spooner bill
in the senate are not so earnest
1y in favor of a canal as are the
advocates of the Nicaragua route.
They therefore advise that it will
be good policy to accept the
Spooner bill, which opens the
way for a canal by the Panama
route or the Nicaragua route il
Panama is found impracticable
The followers of Mr.. Hepburn
will make a stubborn fight fol-
the Nicaragua bill. but in the end
they may accept the Spooner bill
as the only means of securing a
canal.
Two amendments to the Spoon
er substitute were adopted, one
providing for a commission tc
supervise the construction of the
canal, and the other providing
for the issuance of S13O, 900, OOC
of 2 per cent gold bonds to raise
money with which to construct
the waterway.
1t has been evident for several
days that the Spooner substitute
would command the vote of a
majority of the senate. The
Panama route was considered
as more desirable by the senate
than the Nicaragua route. The
only question left open is the
title of the property, and that