Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-01-14

that while he could not accept the senator's
language. he congratulated him on coming
to the Presidents position.
Mr.. Tillman called attention to Mr..
Spooners hesitation and the latter replied
that IL was because he was thinking how
thankful We should lac that we haven't
President who would use to any nation
such language as the senator from South
Carolina had US q.
Continuing. MIR. Spooner warned the
democrats that platform which imputes
dishonor to the administration and to the
brave. true man in the White House W II
find sympathy with the people OF the
United States, north or south"
Replying to a question from MIR. New
lands MIR. Spooner said that Colombia had
sought the Hay-1erran treaty, but he did
no. consider that the failure of that gov
eminent to ratify the treaty was a breach
of international law. Yet the President was
right in coutendfng that Colombia's failure
was breach OF the spirit of the treaty OF
1916. because New Granada had sought
that treaty for her own protection. He
contended. In response to further inter
ruptions of Mr.. Newlands that the Presi-
dent had neither interviewed nor committed
an act of war against the republic of CO.
lombia.
Mr. Tillrnan asked if n discreet man
would not also have waited on Congress
before warning Colombia Off her own pre-
serves at Panama, and Mr.. Spooner an
swered in the negative. saying that the
safety. the honor and the interests of the
United States required that President
should do just what Theodore Roosevelt
had done.
Mr.. Tfllman urged that MFR. Spooner had
evaded the real question. What he wanted
to know was whether the President had
the right to use the army and navy as he
had done.
''Oh. Lord" exclaimed Mr. Spooner
You'H have to call the Lord fire.
quently In this matter" retorted Mr.. Till
man.
81 did not address the senator from South
Carolina: my remark was not personal"
said Mr.. Spooner
Acted Within the Law.
Mr.. Spooner declared that the President
had acted within the Constitution and the
law in all that he had done in Panama
1t was both the right and the duty OF the
President to acknowledge the independence
of Panama. He said that he for one re-
sented the imputation that the President
had been interruptions In his dealing with
this question. This last statement was
made after Mr.. Tillman had expressed the
opinion that the American consul had
bribed the Colombian forces to withdraw
from the sSthmus.
Mr.. Spooner declared that It was childish
to say that the President had transcribed
his duty The first consideration OF the
Spooner act was that the right to build
canal should be secured. and that end had
been accomplished by dealing. not with Co
lombia, but with Panama. Colombias sue
cessor This was just legitimate, he
said. as the transaction would have been
If it had been between individuals 1.-The
attack" he went on. .is Vlrulent and
inexcusable that no reasonable explana
ton can be made of IL except that OF parti-
sanship of the btterest kind" He invited
the opposition to test the question by an
early vote, and closed with a defense OF
the President as "a brave, patriotic and
frank man. who tries to do what the law
demands
The Senate at SOS adjourned