The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-11-25
PLAN OF M'KINLEY
WAS FOR THE NICARAGUA ROUTE,
SAYS MORGAN.
MARK HANNA DISPUTES THIS.
ALABAMA SENATE SCORES ROOSE-
VELT'S POLICY.

ton to BE Unique-This Explains
His Attitude in the Panama Mat
ter-AIabama Senator Continues
His Long Speech Upon the Canal.
His View of the Situation ON the
Isthmus.
| Washington, Nov. 24.-The Panama
canal question was again the leading
! topic under consideration by the SEN
ate to-day, and Mr.. Morgan was again
the speaker of the day. He continued
/ his review of the history of the eff
! forts to secure an isthmian canal and
declared that to the Presidents am
bition to secure the credit of a unique
! administration must be charged the
favoritism manifested by him toward
the Panama route. He asserted that
President Mckinley had favored the
Nicaragua line, and this statement
was challenged by Mr. Hanna.
The question of committee assign
ments was again postponed, as was
also the motion to reconsider the vote
on the Newlands joint resolution, con-
| corning the annexation of Cuba.
AS to Panama, Senator Morgan said
an elaborate ty had been prepared,
a commission sent here and then sent
back again to create a government
with power to ratify a treaty. He
charged that the treaty with Colon
bia had been largely drawn by a cor
poration lawyer. Speaking of the re-
port of the Isthmian Canal Commits
! sion favorable to the Panama route,
Mr.. Morgan characterized that report
as "the dynamite that has rent in
twain the Republic of Colombia" He
said further that the report was a
desperate adventure. He declared
| that if Mr.. Mckinley had lived, the
protocol with Nicaragua and Costa
RIGA would have been observed.
Ambition of Roosevelt.
But he is dead" the Senator went
| on, land a new Richmond comes upon
the field, and he seems not to feel
| the obligation of good faith when
! more enticing field for unique admin
| istration breaks upon the vision of this
| ambitious spirit. He declared that 1t
was President Roosevelt's ambition to
| have all the glory of contracting the
| canal for his own administration.
Has the President" he asked, ANY
| excuse for his failure to carry into
| effect the agreement with Nicaragua
| and Costa Rica, unless it be resent
ment towards Colombia, and gratifica-
| ton of personal ambition, which the
| law deprives him of the further power
to indulge? Whatever the incentive,
| he will fail to carry the people with
| him in his wild and inexcusable raid !"
| No plea of reasons of state" would
be acceptable, for reasons of state are
| out of place in a republic, and are re-
| garded only as the plea of a tyrant.
In abandoning the Mckinley policy, Mr..
| Morgan declared, the President had
| destroyed the rights already acquired
| at much expense of time and effort.
| Colombia Levied BIackmaiI.
He declared that Colombia had levied
| blackmail to the extent of 81 900 600
| and that, acting under the instructions
of the President, the Secretary of State
had entered into an agreement that
| might make it possible to collect on
| the levy. Only eagerness or the am
| bition of the President could, he said,
have supplied the fulcrum for this
| transaction.
| After having spoken for two hours
Mr.. Morgan, requested the privilege of
taking his seat, while he continued his
delivery. There was no objection, and
| the venerable Senator sat down, re-
| IIldIhIIlS uuueT MS breath DIS ne ola so,
my old limbs are getting as shaky
under me as the Republican party must
| be in the presence of the truth
Mr.. Morgan reviewed at length the
| Colombian revolution of 1902, declaring
| that Marroquin's striumph was due not
to his own prowess, but to the assist
| ance of the United States. tAll roads
that the President travels" he said,
lead to the Panama canal, but some
! of his discreet friends should caution
| him to burn the bridges behind him :"
| That war had he said, deserved the
condemnation of all christendom, be-
| cause of the brutality of Marrouuin's
conduct, and yet. Notwithstanding this
| conduct was such as would have done
| discredit to the bearer of a scalping
| knife or tomahawk the Unitew States
We're the allies of that leader through
| out the conflict. He referred especial
| ly to Marroquin's. confiscatory DEGREES,
| and said that President Roosevelt must
| have known of them.
Challenged by Hanna.
Mr.. Hanna challenged the statement
| of Mr. Morgan that President McKin-
! ley had been favorable to the Nicara-
qua route.
| II know of my own personal knowl-
! edge" he said, that when in 1899 II
! became known that the Panama COM
pany's property could be purchased. he
/ gave the QueSIiOIl serious consideration
/ and investigation, and at his instance
| provision was made in the river and
| harbor bill for an appropriation of
500, 900 for the investigation of all
routes. That this request was made
because of his interest in the Panama
proposition l know of my own persnal
| knowledge. President Mckinley had
decided to follow the recommendation
| of his commission, and that is what the
| present executive is doing. So that
there has been no change in policy"
Mr.. Morgan seplied that he had
spoken only from the public record of
President Mckinley, and not from
| knowledge of his private views
II know" he said that he entered
into compacts with Nicaragua and
! Costa Rica to secure the Nicaragua
route, and there is no record to show
that he changed his mind"
Mr.. Hanna-"It is incorrect to saw
that President Mckinley preferred
Nicaragua. | know better. It was
only the high price of the Panama
property that deferred him."
The Senate adjourned until to-mor-
row.