Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1904-01-06
wEDygs AZ EVENING. JAN. 6, 1894
TX THE Senate Yesterday Mr.. Cor

In THE Senate Yesterday Mr.. Cor
man offered resolution Of inquiry d.
rected to the President, which is taken
to indicate the possible attitude OF the
democrats of the Senate toward the Pan
anna question. The resolution calls for
information under five heads, the tenor
Of which is to show whether this gov
erpment has ever interviewed in Colon
bia before in previous revolutions
whether it was asked to intervene this
time with a military force and the exact
words of the treaty of 1S46under which
the President felt himself authorized to
intervene also whether the United
States government had ever been asked
10 execute by armed force the neutrality
nj sovereignty of the isthmus, and by
whom.
Senator German is not ready to give
up his fight over the Panama Canal
treaty. The Presidents message did
not satisfy him, but he hopes that the
trend of recent events will assure the
massage of the Hoar resolution, asking
that the Senate be given all the informa-
tion the President has. He takes a
proper view of the matter and says
The message is unsatisfactory to
me Mr.. Rooseyelt's treatment OF the
Spooner law does not convince me
by any means that be has done all
that was required of him in that law.
/ am not opposed to the Panama ca
nal. | want canal dug, just as L be-
lieve a great majority of the American
peeple are anxious for an inter-oceanlc
canal. If the Panama canal can be dug
with honor, let the Panama route be
chosen. But don't propose that the
President of the United States shall ID
dogmatic way decide for himself wheth-
or he will or will not obey the provisions
Of law which the Congress of the
limited States enacted after many years
Of discussion and after months of debate.
The Spooner law provided that If the
President is unable to obtain a satisiac-
tory title to the new Panama canal COM
pany, and the control of the necessary
Territory of the republic OF Colombia
then. after reasonable time, the Presi-
dent should sndeayor to provide for
canal bv the Nicaragua route. l am
quoting the law as the President states
Il in his message today. But moment
later the President says: 1T IS no
longer possible under existing legisla-
ton to 90 to the Nicaragua route as an
alternative. That is the very point on
which take issue with the President
He says it is no longer possible to 60 t.
the Nicaragua route. Why? Why rs II
no longer possible togo to the Nicaragua
route? That is what we want to know
Has he ever tried to 60 to to the Mica
ranya r ute rs the law directed him t'd
Amer be- faileI to get The Panama rou
frm Colombia, dill lie ever make an
effort to take up negotiations with Nici
raupa and Costa Rica? The law mad'
mandatory upon him that he should Dc
this. Has he done so, or, if he has not,
why has he neglected to obey the law?
What we want from the President IS iuli
and complete information on all that he
had done and what he has left undone.
The pending canal treaty will not be
ratified. As hare said again and again,
| want canal, but before | vote to begin
digging the canal, want'to have all the
information of all that the President has
done under the provisions of the Spooner
low