Evening star., 1904-01-05
THE 1STHMIAN CANAL
SENATOR MORGAN SPEAKS
AGAINST ADMINISTRATION
Opposes Ratification of the Treaty
With Panama and Disapproves
Of the Presidents Course.

l L
anna incident yesterday afternoon until
after o'clock. Mr.. McComas concluded his
| speech. He declared his belief that the
action of the President would stand the
| scrutiny of the courts. He maintained that
| even without such recognition the new re-
| public Of Panama would have been estab-
| lished and maintained indefinitely.
Mr.. Stewart of Nevada followed with
| severe castigation Of the Bogota govern
ment in its selfish action In preventing the
| construction of the canal.
| Mr.. Morgan reiterated his position the
| canal question at some length, stating his
preference for the Nicaragua route. He
! maintained that the present course of the
| administration was breaking down the es-
| tablished policy of the United States re-
/ garding neutrality. He said the President
| now desired the assistance of three demo-
| cratic senators to maintain his policy.
Mr.. McComas, addressing himself to the
democratic side Of the chamber. asked what
would senators do who thought they dis
covered moral wrong where the people of
| their own country and of every other coun-
| prove the method how can they vote to
approve the result?' he asked. "They cam
not condemn all that has been done and in
| stantly condone it. Some excellent men
| mistaken their partisanship for a moral
| sense" He would not say this opposition
| was unpatriotfc, but 1t was perversely and
| persistently wrong. The Presidents Pan
| anna canal record, he said would re-elect
| him and result in the construction of the
| canal.
Mr.. Stewart for the Administration.
! Mr.. Stewart followed with an indorse-
| ment of the course of the administration on
the Panama question, although, he said, he
had formerly been in favor the Mica
| ragua route. Mr.. Stewart maintained that
every one knew what the object of Column
bta was. 1t was to delay matters until the
expiration Of the French canal concession
and then charge the United States 10000
600 for the concession
But he declared, Il think it is time we
should begin to treat them according to
their true characters. highway robbers,
levying blackmail on the nations of the
world.
1--WE have got the right Of way now for
the canal concluded Mr.. Stewart. 1.-THE
people want the canal, and" turning to the
democratic side of the chamber, you had
better get on to the band wagon, because
1t Is moving. The people don't care any
thing about that little band Of robbers at
Bogota. and we are going to build the ca
nal. and am going to try to live until the
canal Is constructed"
Mr. Morgan said that the message of the
President contained no new recommenda-
tlons. 1t seems to be an argument against
the resolutions and remarks of the senior
senator from Massa ehusetts (Mr Hoar) and
Of remarks Of senators on this side OF the
chamber"
Mr.. Morgan said later he would undertake
an analysis of the message in so far as it
maintained the right of the executive to
bind the United States In his recognition of
the Panama republic. Mr.. Morgan said that
while he might yield in his Judgment that
no ship could ever pass through the isthmus
of Panama, he could not assist in the break
ing down of our fixed policy of neutrality
between belligerents, or enlarging the dip
lomatic powers of the President by con-
struction until they reached the whole stage
of usurpation on the part Of the executive.
The Presidents Attitude.
Mr.. Morgan said that his colleagues from
the south could not fail to see that the
Presidents attitude was intended to force
them to vote for the. Panama route. AS for
himself he was not opposing the President
on slight ground, but because he believed
the course of the President to be such as
to threaten the integrity of the United
States He argued that according to prec-
edents, the defacto government of Panama
has no right to transfer territOrity, but he
declared that the President knew that by
his recognition Of Panama alone could he
acquire a concession there Indeed he as
serted that in the prospect Of securing this
acquisition was found that only motive for
the Presidents recognition. He said that
instead Of the uprising being that as Of one
man. as declared by the President, it had
been an uprising of eight men. who had for
months been in conspiracy against the real
people of Panama. He declared that Presi-
dent Roosevelt's Interference in Colombia's 8
affairs on the isthmus was unjustifled by
the Constitution, and asserted that If there
was to be general policy on the part of
the United States Of upholding civilization
that policy must be undertaken by Con-
gress and mot left to blazon the lance OF
some individual American Sancho Panza to
be thrust into the bosom of friendly pow
er."
Would Oppose Ratification.
For one, he would not vote to ratify the
wrong done by the President, the sending
of which to the Senate had marked a halt
to his proceeding. He had halted, but had
only done SO when he had reached "the
limit Of his tether, long and loose as he had
made It," The President he said desires
this ratification to justify what he and the
Panama 5unta have DONE "And for that
purpose" said Mr.. Morgan, "he wants the
assistance of three democratic senators to
do what he and his party cannot do.' He
assured the democrats that they need not
feel bound to follow the course desired by
the President. The only question at issue
was whether there should be a canal at all,
for he did not believe that canal would
ever be built across the Isthmus of Pana-
Alleged Forecast in September.
Mr.. Morgan had an article read from a
Paris paper, printed last September. and
Of which Mr. Morgan said Minister Bunau-
Varilla was the author. The article pur-
ported to outline the Presidents plans with
reference to the Panama canal. That arti-
Gle, Mr.. Morgan declared, was a correct
forecast Of the message which had just
been sent to the Senate. How" he asked.
did that Frenchman become possessed of
the secret of the Presidents policy If not
through the President himself?" He ap-
pealed to the Senate to stand by the Spoon
er law, and declared that the Presidents
course was as If he were above the law.
ut is," he said, '1n the way of his personal
ambition, and he spurns it with oontemptu-
ous indifference" He said that the ratif-
cation of the treaty would repeal the appro-
priation made by the act, and he warned
the southern senators that votes for the
treaty must Inevitably have that effect.
'.They may well profit by another reading
Of Aesop's fable of the dog which dra2ped
the bone he carried crossing stream in
order to secure another bone, the shadow of
which he saw in the water" AS for him
self he could see the President join hands
with the Panama conspiratcrs, not without
sorrow, but without shame, for he was not