New-York tribune., 1904-10-22
LODGE EXPOSES FRAUD.
Democrats Had Sha5c Letter When
Then YOted on Panama Treaty.

Quincy Mass Oct 21.-Senator Lodge in =
speech here tonight exposed the fraud perpe-
trated by Senator CulbersOu when he read NJ.
RoOsevelts letter to DIR. Albert Shaw at a meet
ing in New-York last night and made it the
basis for charges that the President foTnented
the revolution in Panama Mr.. Lodge declared
that the letter proved exactly the reverse OF
what Senator Culberson charged. and showed
that it was in the possession Of the Democratic
Senator's when they voted on the Panama treaty.
He said:
Nothing could show the desperate and helpless
condition OF the Democratic campaign more
strongly than the publication under misleading
headlines OF the Presidents letter TO DR.. Albert
Shaw, which read at public meeting in
New York last night by Senator CulbersOn OF
Texas. The headlines in the Democratic news
papers announced that this letter is great ex-
posure of the President and proves his COM
plicity In the Panama revolution. The letter
proves the exact reverse Of what the headlines
claim for 1t. The letter demonstrates not that
the President was guilty of completely In the
Panama revolution, but that he had absolutely
refused 10 do anything which could by any pos
sibility he taken as encouragement to the prof.
ects of revolution.
Here Senator Lodge read the letter. and con-
tinued as follows;
Comment is needless. The letter. private
one. was written on Octobe. 10, 1898. The revo-
luton occurred on November =. and the letter,
written long before the revolution IN all the
fulness of private confidence, demonstrates that
the President, matter what his private wishes
were, could not and did not take any part what
tiOn.
The effort Is made to give the impression that
this letter Is something new. just dragged from
dark Tecesses to throw light upon shady trans
action. What are the factS2 just after the
revolution of November ana the opposition
press freely charged that the administration vas
guilty of complicity n fomenting and snc1Uras-
ing the revolution. GbereuIOn the President di-
rected that this letter be given to the press and
,TigTra in 1rala to =hr,V-
that he had carefully and scrupulonsly refrained
from fomcnting iusurreCtion. and the letter was
accordingly given out and published just year
ago. The letter Is not new; II has been pub
Iished before. and published by order uf the
President As the sudden revelation of sup
pressed document this performance is simply
ludicrous.
But this is not ALL senator CuIberson says
that from the correspondence on Panama mat
ters sent to the Senate this letter was 'signifi-
cantly withheld" Senator CuIbersOn knows as
well as I that TO Senator has ever asked or
could ask for q Presidents private letter. and
that President has ever sent or ever vii!
send into the Senate with official correspondence
mis- private letters. ana this letter was private,
personal and unofficial Moreover, this letter
was not withheld, either significantly other
wise. Two months more after the revolution,
and while the debate upon the Panama treaty
going on in the Senate. an officer Of the Sem
ate told me that the Democratic Senators were
searching for a letter which they understood
had been written 70 Dr. Shaw, which had ap
peared somewhere, ana which. they understood.
convicted the President of completely in foment-
ing the revolution. 1 replied that I knew the
letter they meant. that it had been published
that il was the exact reverse OF what they
thought. but that If they wanted it I would
gladly get them n copy OF Il. went 10 the
White House, got a copy Of this letter to DR..
Shaw, and with full permission took il 70 the
Senate and gave il 10 SenatOr German. y day
two after, Senator German asked me If
had any objection To his giving il 70 Senator
CulbeTson. 1 said not the least; that the letter
had been published and they could do what
they liked with II. The Panama treaty went to
a vote with that letter TO DR.. Shaw in the pos
session Of Democratic Senators.