Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-01-13

Senate Gives Five Hours De-
bate to the |sthmus.
Colombian Claims on Panama Awakens
Wide Line Of Discussion.
House Goes After Legislative. Execu.
tive and Judicial Bill.

washington, Jan. 12.-FOr almost
1--WE hours, today, the Senate Denoted
the Panama question and it was sill,
under consideration when the senate
adjourned.
Inc discussion arose over a resolu-
ton looking to the arbitration If
lColomblas claims on account of the
Panama revolution, introduced by Mr..
Bacon, and met promptly by a motion
OF the part of Mr.. Lodge to table it.
Finally Mr.. Lodge consented to with
hold his motion and discussion pro-
ceeded throughout the day. with the
Understanding that it should be re-
Inewed again tomorrow
IN" speakers Of the day We're
Messrs. Bacon, Spooner, Teller, Car
mack, Lodge, Aldrich, Platt of Con-
necticnt, Hale, Foraker and Cullom.
At the beginning of today's session
the Senate adopted a joint resolution
introduced by Fairbanks, authorizing
the erection of statue to the late
President Benjamin Harrison, south
OF the new Post Office building in In
dianapolis.
I The Senate also agreed to a resolu-
eioi III OSioIh6 Tic
of John 3. Henderson and Alexander
Grammar Bell of Washington. D. c..
as regents of the Smithsonian Insti-
tuition.
MIR Bacon introduced a resolution
authorizing the President to negotiate
q treaty with Colombia looking to an
amicable adjustment Of the differ
fences growing out of the secession of
Panama. He gave notice of his in
ltention to move to refer the resolution
to committee on foreign relations but
before doing SO addressed the Senate
on the subject. BACON expressed the
opinion that this country could reach
2 peaceful solution by showing some
consideration for the people of Colom-
bia. He did not he said, desire to in
wade the province Of President of the
United States, but he considered the
Senate as an advisory body. He moved
the reference Of the resolution to the
committee on .foIeign relations and
Lodge moved te fay the motion on the
table. In dping.so the Massachusetts
senator took the position that agita-
ton of the@Gaestdon would be most in
furious at the present time because,
he said, the President is now, through
the secretary OF state negotiating with
General Reyes concerning all the points
lat issue. He commended that we could
not know the status of that negotia.
ton or how delicate the situation may
be "and' he added. Il am convinced
THAT for the Senate to come in now
with a resolution distinctly In the in
terest of Colombia would be most
harmful
Indeed" he continued, II consider
it most injurious to. at this time even
discuss the question, because nothing
fiict at arms"
Lodges motion to lay on the table
brought number of Democratic sem
atOrs to the floor, including Bacon,
Teller and Daniel.
Daniel declared the motion to be un-
reasonable and Teller said it was un-
usual and extreme, both saying that
the motion to lay on the table would
cut off debate.
| Lodge then said he would Temporal
rily withhold his motion in order to
| allow senators to speak.
Teller expressed the opinion that the
resolution should have gone to the
committee.
| Foraker said the resolution proceeded
on the theory that the government of
the United States has been wrong in
| what it has done IN connection with the
establishment of the republic of Pan
! anna. He had yet to hear Of any one
| saying that the Presidents statement
| had not been full and complete.
Daniel asked Foraker if he did not
| consider that the President had COM
mitted an act of war in preventing the
troops of Colombia, a friendly power,
| from landing on the isthmus, to at
tack the troops of a rebellious state.
| Foraker replied that the President had
not given any such order, and he con-
| tended that the President had done on
| ly that which had been done by for
| mer Administrations to protect transit
| across the isthmus. He said marines
| had frequently been landed for that
purpose and for the purpose of pre-
venting war.
War between whom" asked Dan
| iels. to which Foraker responded:
War on the part of anybody who
| wants to fight"
Daniels said that he considered the
| issue at stake to be whether the Unit
| ed States had n right to interfere In a
| civil strife. between the forces of Co
lcmbia and those Of one Of it's own
state.
Foraker commended for the right of
the United States to prevent any con-
fict which would interfere with the
free and Uninterrupted transit across
the isthmus. and he declared again
that our marines have been frequently
used for that purpose. He also as
| serted that in the present emergency
the United States had not attacked
anyone.
Foraker commended that this was the
duty of the United States under the
treaty of 1876 and that we could not
| do less.
Were the orders given to prevent
war between the republic of Colombia
and the insurgents?" Carmack asked.
mot at ALL" replied Foraker, "the
order was to keep the transit free"
Hale suggested that the Presidents
orders contemplated as much restraint
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