The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-08-07
LOBBY METHODS
THAT WON VOTES
TO PANAMA ROUTE
Delegate Rodey Tells of
Wonderful Campaign
of Education.
NO CORRUPTION FUNDS
Lawyers Who Undertook to
Promote Canal Receive
100000 Fee.

Delegate 3. s. ROdey. of New Mexico,
in a signed interview. tells of lobby
ing methods at the National Capital.
and how the Panama Canal bill was
| passed. after the Nicaragua bin mad
passed the House OF Representatives.
He SAYS:
In the way the Panama Canal prof.
ect was put through Congress after the
Nicaragua project had gone so far as to
! have passed the House of Representa-
tives. sounds more Ike a fairy tale
/ than piece of modern true history
I happen to know all about it. and will
detail the particulars
A Mysterious Man.
over a year or so before | took my
/ seat in the House on my trips to Wash
| ington, I frequently met a gentleman
whose name 1 did not know. So often
did / meet him. that ! asked the hotel
clerks and others who he was The
clerks were evidently posted. because
they told me they did not know, but
thought he was a Pinkerton man o- a
newspaper man. or engaged in some
such work
After ! took my seat I'm the House,
II happer-ed that l met him frequently,
not around the Capitol. but around the
city Of Washington and in other cities.
We met 50 often that. finally we BEGAN
to greet each other without being ac-
Guainted.
In the first half of the Fifty-seventh
Congress. the friends Of the Nicaragua
Canal bill brought their tremendous
work 10 elimination in the House and
passed their bill, Colonel Hepburn OF
Iowa. being its principal champion in
the House. and Senator Morgan in the
Senate
When the bin went to the Senate II
remained in allegiance for few months.
and then Senator Hanna took hold IF
II with his usual vigor. and after one
| Of the severest battles ever fought in
the Senate. substituted a treaty for the
Panama route in place OF the bill for a
Nicaragua route, passed IL in the Sen
ate after fight OF the giants. and had
IL sent down 10 the Colombian legisla-
ture at Bogota. In that republic for ratI-
idcation.
The Nicaragua advocates 1T once
started for Bogota, and so did the
agents fOrO the transcontinentaI rail-
roads, as ii is said. and there proceeded
70 lobby IN the Colombian senate 10
prevent the ratification Of that treaty.
overtures to Stranger.
"A few months after the passage Of
the treaty in the United Statees Senate.
happened 10 be in Washington, wait
ing for some correspondence from New
Mexico. for a few days and without
much else TO do. This same Individual
that / had met so often before. but did
not know, was also waiting around the
hotel
Washington. during the summer
months ana during the vacation of
Congress, is about as dull city as can
be masined for one OF its size As this
man was sitting near me one day /
accosted him and said
- Friend. We have seen each other 50
often and greeted each other so fire.
quently that IL is getting TO be a little
embarrassing that We do not know eich
other My name is Rodey. ! am the
delegate In Congress from New Mexico.
and would be glad 10 know you sir
He imme ediatcly turned around and
greeted me. produced his card and said
that he was 4 mel mber Of the firm OF
Cromwell & Farnham LAWYERS OF New
York. I told hirn that ! thought he was
I1nkertOn maH or a newspaper man
or something Of that kind and We en-
tered into general conversation.
He had been out West in Wyoming IN
carly life Then ne told me the whole
detail Of the Nicara qua Panama canal
fight some OF which / already knew
by what had seen III the House and
Senate.
Campaign of Education.
He told me that after the Nicaraguan
Canal blll had been passed through the
House OF Representatives by its advo-
Gates. with one Of the strongest Hobbies
behind II that ever attended Congress
q 4gh
French company, who were owners OF
the Panama Canal. that they would
lose their property forever by the build
ing Of the other one. their agents came
10 New York and employed this mans
firm 70 inaugurate campaign of educa-
ton and substitute the Panama route
for the Nicaragua route
Mr. Farnham told me that bevond any
question OF doubt the Panama route was
infinitely superior 10 the Nicaragua one
,ates OF the latter had
education, which was
the minds Of members
others with lot Of
Iade a majority Of the
70 do with the matter
nicaragua route was
5 firm made their con-
french company they
ans. az once set aside
campaign OF education
about TO inaugurate In
mama Canal. They at
or $4,000 OF the money
Of engineers and pho
TO Panama and pho
inch Of the canal route
then from ocean 10
ID a vast number Of the
implied all scientific re
OF or concerning the
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