The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1903-10-22
AN AMERICAN PANAMA SCAN
Dali?


doubtsble Col. Henry Watterson, edi-
tor of the Courier-J journal, Louis
vile, KY, severely co task for charg-
ing that, in his minds eye. in the
visions of his head upon his troubled
bed," the $40, 600, 900 the government
of the United States has agreed to
pay the French Panama Company for
its rights, tools, work, etc, on the
isthmus is to be divided between two
gangs of thieves, $40, 900, 900 to the
thieves in France, and $50, 900, 900 to
the thieves in America. The news
papers demand the proofs of these
charges, and as specifications are not
forthcoming in satisfactory particu-
larity, the incredulous are either guy
ing Henry or seriously admonishing
him TO put up Jr shut up" One of
his accusing contemporaries reminds
Col. Watterson of the frailty of his
judgments in other matters, and
through the process of deduction i'm
peaches his trustworthiness, in mat
ters of fact and in prophecy, in re-
spect of the charges in question. The
contemporary says:
"Colonel Watterson once saw one
hundred thousand armed Kentuckians
marching on the capital to seat Me.
Tilden, but they vanished in thin air
before the crucial day arrived. He
saw in 1892 the Democracy marching
through the slaug hter-house to the
grave when it renominated Cleve.
land, and the rest of us saw that gem
tleman seated III the presidential
chair. In 1896 he saw in Mr.. Bryan
the arch-enemy of national prosperity,
and in 1900 supported him as the
savior of the country.
The Colonel is earnestly exhorted
to confirm his wild statements and
descend from the circumambient
ether where he now resides into the
arena of cold facts and tell the coun-
try about the deal, which if true,
ought to drive many Of the most
prominent Senators from public
life. -
To exhortatiUns and reminders Of
his grave responsibility in this ex-
tremely serious matter" Col, Water
son answers that if specifications are
wanted he has them in plenty; if it is
statistical information he is prepared
to furnish it. Specifications and sta
tistics have not yet appeared, but
in The Courier Journal he premises
that
Though blindfold, we know plowed
ground when we pass over it, that
first and last we have passed over Il
good deal of plowed ground III and
about the national capital, and that,
ten days after the arrival of Lampre,
the Panama agent in this country, it
was in the very atmosphere of Wash
ington that the ground had been
plowed and the seed sown. We pro-
coed at once to say that, in direct,
personal terms we arraign no man S
integrity unless we are prepared to
submit bill of particulars. Truth
to say, IN this matter, we venture to
arraien the rather a condition, if not a
system, than undertake to play de-
tective on any man or set OF men, y
After referring personally to GER
tain Senators conspicuous for the parts
they have taken in Panama canal leg
islation, with characteristic pictur-
sequences Col. Watterson continues:
1.-The Courier journal is not en-
gagged in a crusade, personal or parti-
san. If one wants to know who the
gray wolves of Congress are, let him
spend winter in Washington. The
assumption that the government is a
Sunday school class, made up in all
its branches of cherub candidates foI
Paradise, may suit the iim-jam news.
papers, but it will hardly pass with
anybody who has a knowledge of how
they do it and how they don't in the
halls of legislation and IN the depart.
ments. -
So the matter rests at presents
war of somewhat lurid rhetoric, Oh
each side, with an abundance of fierce
accusation on the one hand, and OF
the other much fervid denial anc
belligerent challenge TO the proof.
The rejection by the Colombian
Senate of the Panama canal treaty
is believed, by some of its supporters
to be triumph of the American lob
byist. Speaking bluntly and will
brutal frankness the refusal at Bogot
to ratify the treaty was due not s,
much to the disinclination OF TIN
Senate of Colombia to permit tn
building of the waterway, unde
American control, through it's terri
tory, rs it was to the ability of tn
emissaries of certain American rail
way companies to make the @ olombi