The Savannah morning news., 1904-01-14
SHARP AND BITTER
WE'RE THE VERBAL EXCHANGES
OF THE SENATOR'S.
IN THE DEBATE ON PANAMA
CARMACK AND sPOONER WERE
THE LEADERS.


RooseveIt-TilIman Took Part, Us
ing Language That spOOner Saw
Fit to Rebuke-Sharp COIIOquy
Occurred Between the Two.
Washington, Jan. 13.-Panama was
again to-day the principal subject of
consideration in the Senate and. as on
yesterday, the debate was spirited. To-
day there were only two speakers, and
between them they held the floor for
about four hours.
MIR. Carmack opened the proceedings
with a set speech in pointed criticism
lowed by MIR. Spooner in defense of
the Presidents action. Mr.. Tillman
frequently interrupted Mr.. Spooner,
and there were a number of sharp en-
counters between them. When the
Senate adjourned the Panama ques
ton was still before the Senate, and it
was announced that the discussion
would be resumed tomorrow.
The Panama resolution offered by
Mr.. German was laid before the Sen
ate, and Mr.. Carmack was recognized.
He said that while he had the utmost
respect for the Office of President, he
did not mean to conceal the excuses of
that office, land every act of the Pres
ident in this wretched Panama bust
ness" he went on, has been in vio-
lation of law. of statutory and inter-
national law. and of the constitution
of the United States"
He spoke of the new isthmian power
as "a hideous abortion of night and
darkness, misnamed the Panama re-
public" He compared the course of
President Jackson in the Texas case
with that of President Roosevelt in
the present instance, and commended
the former at the expense of the lat
ter. In that case. he said, there was
no recognition until Mexico had abau-
doned the struggle. As for himself
when his conduct should be questioned,
he would point to Andrew jackson and
not to Theodore Roosevelt as his guide,
and he had no doubt of the result.
The President had. he said. made it
plain that he never intended to execute
the Nicaragua provisions of the Spoon
er act. Never for one moment" he
said, did he consider any plan that
had in it so little of the strenuous and
the sensational as the execution of the
law. If, instead of peering into the fu-
ture, as Mr.. Loomis tells us he did, he
had peered into the law, he would have
saved the country much trouble"
Roosevelt Really at War.
Mr.. Carmack contended that Presi-
dent Roosevelt had not contented him.
self with reorganization of Panama,
but had interviewed. His acts were
c;Y off CT,
cause of war, but they were war" he
said. AS a matter of fact, there new
er was any insurrection on the 18TH
mus, said he. They speaking of the
rising" he said, las the act of one
man. Very true. And that one man
was the President of the United
States"
Speaking of the action of Col. Black
of the United States army in raising
the first flag in the Panama republic.
the Senator criticised him shaply. Il
do not believe that he would have en-
gagged in this plot if he had not be-
lieved that he was doing the will of
the administration. That is what l
think, and if Col. Black is not punish
ed 1 will know that 1 am right"
Mr.. Carmack declared that mob
has as much right to hang its victim
as has the President to secure what
ne wants ny QlSIeBdIQ Ol the law.
President Roosevelt, he said, loses the
power of reasoning and his moral
sense when he becomes involved in ac-
ton, and exclaimed: Into what diff
culties may we not be led by this
headlong mani
He did not agree that the Presi-
dent would have hesitated if Colombia
had been a stronger nation. On the
contrary, the President would have
welcomed such an opportunity. He
makes history as he would order
star performer is always in the center
of the STAGE" He went on to say
that the Presidents course in this
matter was not merely On act, but a
policy, and indicative of his character
1t was not meant for Colombia alone,
but was the beginning of system of
intermeddling with the affairs of the
countries of Central and South Amer
lea, and such a policy must inevitably
involve us in war, not only with the
South American nations themselves,
but with European nations.
Carmack and AIdrich.
In conclusion, Mr.. Carmack said
that while he was for the canal, he
could not vote for the treaty, because
he could not indorse the lawless acts
of which it is the fruit.
When Mr.. Carmack took his seat,
Mr.. Aldrich asked what practical sug-
gestion Mr.. Carmack had to offer.
Defeat the treaty" responded Mr..
Carmack.
"Then what?"
Build the Nicaragua canal"
"Ah," responded Mr.. Aldrich, that
is the milk in the cocoanut."
Mr.. Spooner replied to Mr.. Carmack,
saying that he had felt regret at hear
ing the criticisms of the President, who
had registered an oath in heaven to
discharge his duties. Mr.. Carmack
had made a sinister and unsupported
statement, when he said that this
country had begun a systematic en-
croachment upon the rights of the
South American republics. No man
had stood more consistently for those
republics than had President Roose-
welt, he declared. No President in our
history had stood more staunchly for
the Monroe doctrine.
Mr.. Spooner also gave attention to
the charges of disobedience of law by
the President. THE only enemies he
has in the United States are the re-
suit of his obedience to and enforce
ment of the law"
AS the author of the Spooner act,
the speaker said, he wished to express
the opinion that the law had not been
violated by what the President had
done, and he entered upon an analysis
Of the law in support Of this PROPOSE
ton.
Criticized TilImRn's Language.
After reviewing the events relating