New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-01-14

''If" he declared. 'the President wishes 10 put |
law and che Constitution he has taken tine proper
In conclusion Mr. Carmack said that while he
was for The canal he could not vote for the treaty
When Mr. csrIaSck took his seat Mr.; Aldrich
ssked what practical system Mr. CarTaaek had to
Defeat the treaty" replied Mr. caEmack.
build the Nicarsgra Canal"
ar Aidrich proceeded 10 say that he was in favor
OF building the canal. and building ii now.
SENATOR sPooNER REPLIES.
Mr spooner replied 10 Mr.. Carmack saying that
he had felt regret hearing the criticisms Of the
President who had registered oath in heaven
discharge his duties. Mr.. Carmack had made
sinister and unsupported statement when he said
that this country had begun systematic encroach-
Inent the rights OF the South American republics
No man had stood more consistently for those
republics than had President Roosevelt. and Mr.
Spooner instanced the course OF the President IN
the Venezuelan difficulty. No President in our
history had stood more stanchly for the Monroe
Doctrine. He hoped the Southern republics would
turn deaf ear to any individual pronunciamento
the effect that the United States could ever IN
terfere In their affairs except in their interest
MI. Spooner also gave attention TO the charges
OF oisobedence OF law by the President. THE only
enemies he has in the United States the result
CT his obedience to and enforcement OF the law.
he said lie has thought. not OF himself. but only
ing OF the relations Of capital and labor that they
have equal right TO combine. but that both must
keep within the law"
Mr. Spooner expressed regret that the canal
question could not be separated from politics and
denied that the Presidents course was such as to
subject him TO the criticism OF any political party
The President had been elected by the Republican
party, bat added Ar. Spooner, he Is the President
of all the country and he is entitled TO fair ana
decent treatment the chief executive Of all the
people"
AS the author Of the spooner act. the speaker
said, he wished to the opinion that the law
hao not been violated by what the President had
done.
The law ne said, recognized the superiority OF
the Panama route because IL was shorter and be-
it susceptible OF being made sea level
canal Not only the business but the defence OF
the country might demand canal, through which
our warships could pass without going through
locks. Hence the importance OF line which could
be converted into a sea level route
BRUSH WITH TILLdAN.
After reviewing the events relating to the canal
negotiations. Mr.. spooner asked whether any Sen
ator would under the circumstances have turned
his back Panama long as there was bill
pending in the Colombian Congress. and he put
the question especially TO Mr.. TIman who was
his feet
Mr. TiIlnan said he would have entered into
negotiations with Nicaragua and would have re-
ported back 60 Congress for further Instructions
He would then have said 10 Colombia: You are
NANCY lot; get off the face Of the earth; we'll take
the country and build the canal"
The remark caused outbreak OF laughter, both
OF the floor of the Senate and IN the galleries.
After minutes pause Mr.. Spooner said that
while he could not accept the Senator's language
he congratulated him on coming 10 the Presidents
position.
Mr. TuIman called attention to Mr.. spooners
hesitation. the latter replied that it was be-
cause he was thinking how thankful We should be
that we haven't a President who would use TO any
nation such language as the Senator from South
Carolina had used.
Replying ito the and not TO the Senator"
Mr.. Tnlman asked Mr.. spooner whether he would
not prefer q President who would say in plain
terms Get out OF the way rather than 10 have
mixed up in the bastard birth" of the Republic OF
Panama.
Continuing, Mr.. spooner warned the Democrats
.that a platform which imputes dishonor TO the
administration and TO the brave true man in the
White House will md sympathy with the peo-
pIe.of the United States. North or South"
Replying TO a question from Mr. Newlands, Mp
spooner said that Colombia had sought the Hay
Herran treaty. but he did not consider that the
failure OF that government to ratify the treaty
was a breach OF international law. Yet the Presi-
dent was right in contendtng that Colpmbias fan
,re was q breach Of the spirit of the treaty OF
1886 because New-Granads had sought that treaty
for her own protection. He contended, in response
10 further Interruptions froEn Mr.. Newlands. that
the President had neither interviewed nor COM
Colombia
Mr. Tillman asked II a discreet would not
also have waited Congress before warning Co
lornba of her preserves at Panama. and MT
Epooner answered in the negative, saying that the
safety the honor ano the interests Of the United
States required that President should DO just
what Theodore Roosevelt had done
Mr. TsInan urged that Mr.. spooner had evaded
-,,e real question. What he wanted TO know was
whether the President had the right 10 use the
army and navy he had done
.'on I,ord.' exclaimed Mr.. Spooner.
you'll have can on the Lord frequently IN this
matter" retortec Mr.. Tillman.
~ 6id not address the Senator from South Caro-
liza; my remark not personal, said Mr..
epooner.
Mr spooner declared that the President had acted
within the Constitution and the law in all he had
done IN Panama II both the right and the
duty OF the President TO acknowledge the indie
pendence OF Panama. He said that he. for one.
resented the snputaton that the President had
been INSCRIPTIONS in dealing with this question
This last statement made after Mr.. Tfllman
had expressed the opinion that the American Con-
sui had brfbed the Colombian forces 10 withdraw
from the isthmus.
Mr. Spooner said IL was childish to say that the
President had transcribed his duty. The first
siderafion of the Spooner act was that the right
10 build a canal should be secured. and that end
had been accomplished by dealing, not with Co
iomhta, bat with Panama. Colombia's successor.
This just legitimate. he said. as the trans
action would have been If 1t had been between
individuals.
The attack" he went on. lis virulent and
inexcusable that no reasonable explanation can be
made OF 1t except that Of craftsmanship OF the bit
kind"
He invited the opposition to test the question by
an early vote and closed with defence of the
President as "a brave patriotic and frank man.
who tries 70 do what the law demands"
40