Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1904-03-28
THE PANAMA CANAL
EDITOR WATTERSON GIVES SOME
HISTORICAL POINTS.

Tracing Canal Legislation Down. the Brainy
Editor Shows Some Startling Facts.-He
Pays His Respects to the Panama Gang In
Great Style.
Henry Watterson, editor of the Louis
vile Courier Journal, makes some start.
ling statements concerning the Panama
canal deal. Tracing the history of the
canal movement in congress, he says:
1.-THE Nicaragua canal bill-known as
the Hepburn Morgan bill-was about to
pass the senate by what was estimated
as two.thirds vote, having passed the
house by an almost unanimous vote.
No corporation was behind it. Nobody
was to make penny out OF it. 1t was
purely public affair. Tho rival Pana.
ma route, backed by an American clique,
brought into relations with syndicate
of Partisan stock gamblers calling them.
selves the Panama Canal Company, by
William Nelson Cromw we'll, and for pur.
poses OF obstruction favored by the
transcontinental railway lobby, had
been not only rejected but discredited.
From the first it wore all the peculiar
aspects Of Skin game Mr.. Crom.
wells blind pool of Partisan stock
gamblers had got fraudulent possession
of the debris of the old De Lesseps
company. They claim to have paid $780,
100000 of francs, or $12,O0O,000. for the
DE Lesseps trademark and concessions
including some actual pots and pans,
and few mud holes on the isthmus-
and to have given Columbia 10000
more of francs, or 100000, to renew
the expiring contracts. On this basis,
like any other trust of the steelwater
class, they issued stocks and bonds,
their only valuable asset being specula-
tive hope Of selling to the. United States.
"ro this end Cromwell fitted mys.
teriously between New York and Paris.
Then Hutin, the president, came over
and talked about one hundred and fifty
millions People stared at him. He
dropped to one hundred and nine mil
lions. They laughed at him. It was
too obviously mock auction even for
the gray wolves Of the senate, who
knew their business. At last Hutin
went away. He went away with bug
IN his ear. 1t looked as though the dog
was dead.
"The men interested took a run over to
Paris, and discovered that about forty
millions was about the sum that would
turn the trick. Then came the amend
ment setting aside the Morgan.Hepbu,n
bill in favor of Nicaragua for bill sui.
shutting Panama. You could see their
legs sticking out from under their silk
hats. You could smell the odor of the
offal. Down went Nicaragua. up went
Panama. The trick was turned"
After referring ito the rejection Of the
the original treaty at Bogota, and the
revolution at Panama-again mentioning
names-Editor Watterson says:
Eureka! The twenty millions are
safe to thieves in Paris. Better and
better: the ten millions for the thieves
in Bogota 60 to the thieves in Panama.
Every cent Of the money remains in the
family. The skunks of the lobby, who
do their own spiriting and keep no books,
are happy. The bucket shops of Paris
are not less happy because they are in
accessible. Who cares for the looks OF
it? Who is afraid Of plowed ground?
The pillow, at least. will tell no tales,
while addition, division and silence will
do the rest"
In conclusion he says:
"Ah, well.a-day, day will surely
comets coming sooner than some of
you believe--when the very earth will
open beneath your feet and let your
secrets out; when rapacity, emboldened
by successful pillage, will repeat in En-
glish the dire tragedy imported from
Paris and translated out Of the original
French; when disease and death, sup
plementing any orgy of occupation, will
make putrid in America as in France
the name Of Panama; when the people
Of the United States, aghast by the reve-
lations of God and nature, will know
all and need no further proof than the
evidence of their plundered treasury
brought home to their startled senses by
hundreds of millions OF wasted..taxe
"' Mr.. Morgan said passing friend
to the grand old Alabama senator the
day after the job went through it's final
trial trip, your troubles are now over.
Yes answered the man whose name
will yet be craven upon marble and
bronze as he who at least tried to save
us from the jabberwock, yes, and theirs
are just begun"
To Cure Cold In Ono Day