The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1903-11-19
patronizing letter to Senator Morgan

patronizing letter to Senator Morgan
asking him to renounce his opposition
TO the Panama route hfler it was
shown that the letter was breach of
diplomatic proprlety, the new minis
ter excused his acton on the ground
tha, he wrote as private citizen. In
the letter, however, he addresses Sena.
tor Morgan as the minister of the Re-
public of Panama. DR.. Herran, the
Colombian representative at Was
hlngton, has sent firm protest to
the State Department against the &C.
tlcn Of the United States in recognz
ing the revolutionsts and in prevent.
ing Colombian forces from asserting
the national authority over the 18TH
mus. AS the population of Colombia
is about four million and that OF
Panama only about aSo, 900 the small
republic would net last long if it were
not tor the proie ction Of the United
States. The new minister of foreign
affairs on the Isthmus recognizes this
fact, and says that the notification to
Bogota from Washington is equivalent
to forbdding that government from
making war on Panama. In fact, as
an officer of the Administration said,
sour government is bound to have
peace If we have TO fight Tor it,"
Although 1t has not yet taken partisan
form, the opposition to the Preslden'' S
action, IN recognizing government
three days after the revolution broke
out, is determined and bitter in many
influential quarters. This recognition
has been termed an act of piracy,
indecent haste, dragging the national
honor in the mud, and has gwen this
country the title of bully of the
American continent.
Xxx
In selecting Representative John
Sharp Williams of Mississippi as their
leader in the House, the democrats
have placed themselves under the
guidance of one of the most able men
IN Congress, For ten years Mr..
Williams has served his party IN the
lower branch OF Congress and forced
the members OF both parties to re
cognlze him as an able and logical
debat-r, skilful parlamentarian and
a power on the democratic side of
the House. He is fifty years old, by
profession lawyer and by occupation
a cotton planter. He was educated
in the universities of Virginia and
Heidelberg, Germany and is one Of
the learned men IN Congress. He
speaks German, French, Spanish,
Italian and Greek. AT the Chicago
Convention which nominated Cleve.
land and Stevenson, he was a member
OF the Mississippi delegation and
since that time he has been in politics.
The only position he has held is that
OF member of Congress and he has
always been elected to succeed him
self. At the last election he received
every vote cast in his district AS
leader of the minority he has the
highest position which the democrats
can give and every prospect of being
elected speaker as soon as the party
gets the majority in the House. He
and German in the Senate are sure to
put the republicans on the defensive
before the session is far advanced.
Xxx
Because of his opposition to the
Panama route Senator Morgan OF
Alabama is to be deprived by the re-
publicans of the craftsmanship of the
Committee of Interoceanic Canals,
and the Committee in the Senate
has been authorized to select his
successor. 1t is most probable that
Senator Hanna, a strong advocate of
the Panama route and third member
OF the present committee will be made
chairman. BY courtesy of the ma
jority in the Senate, the minority has
ten chairmanships out OF the sixty
four. BY removing Senator Morgan
this number will be reduced to nine.
To let the Senator from Alabama
"down as easily as possible" he will be
offered the craftsmanship of the i'm
portant Committee on Public Health
and Quarantine, formerly presided
over by Senator Vest of Missouri.