The Savannah morning news., 1904-10-21
HITS ROOSEVELT
ON PANAMA CANAL
A SPIRIT OF LAWLESSNESS.
CULBERSON HANDLES REPUBLI-
CANS WITHOUT GLOVES.


welt Desired Panama to Revolt.
said SO in Personal Letter-Presi-
dent Defed the SpOOner Law.
Knox Hammered by Gov. MOnta-
que,
New York. Oct. 20.-Under the aus
ptces of the Reform Club a Democratic
mass meeting was held here tonight
at Carnegie Hall, at which Senator
Charles A. Culberson of Texas, Gov.
Andrew !. Montague of Virginia, and
Borough President Martin w. Little
ion of Brooklyn, We're the speakers.
Senator Culberson devoted the great
er portion of his remarks to a discus
sion of the Panama canal. Abiding to
what he termed THE spirit of lawless
ness which led the President, in this
diseraceful affair."" he declared that
the transaction "above all others in
his career. strikingly typifies his con-
tempt of all legal restraint, and his
Unsuitable passion for personal and ar
bitrary government"
President Defied Law.
Senator Culberson sketched the course
of events in the passage by Congress
of the bill known as the "Spooner
law" authorizing the canal, and charg-
ed that the President in his course with
Colombia "defiantly violated both it's
letter and spirit" He claimed that
the Hay-Herran treaty, if not nuIlified
by the unanimous vote of the Colon
bian Senate disappearing it expired
lsY,aft tot rF, r. e
lombia to approve within the time fix
ed for its ratification.
He said: 1T is astonishing, in view
of these indisputable facts, that the
defense of the President, with refer
Ance to this statute, should be placed
by himself, and his party, upon the
ground that when he entered into the
Panama treaty the time within which
he could lawfully deal with that route
had not expired"
After quoting from the Presidents
message in support of this statement,
Senator Culberson read the following
letter from Secretary Hay to Minister
Herran, which has never before been
published:
Reasonable Time Elapsed.
Washington, Jan. q, 1903. -Dear DR..
Heuan: l am directed by the Pres
ident 10 say to you that in his opin-
by the statute to conclude negotiations
with Colombia for the construction of
an isthmian canal, has come to close,
and cannot be extended.
He authorizes me to sign with you
the treaty of which l have had the
honor to give you a draft, with this
change, that the sum of 100000 an
nual payment therein mentioned be
increased to $25O,0OO. 1 am not au-
thorized to consider or discuss any
other change whatever.
(Signed) John Hay"
Il accept it as true that the execu-
tive officers of the administration did
not officially and publicly instigate the
revolt in Panama but that the admin
lstration, including the President pri-
Nately favored and encouraged the
movement, and that this was widely
known, is susceptible of demonstration,
and in a matter of this character it
was tantamount to committing the
government to it,"
Roosevelt Wanted Revolt.
Senator Culberson then read the fol-
lowing letter to Dr. Albert Shaw, ed
ltor of the Review of Reviews:
White House, Washington, Oct. TO-
1903. My Dear Mr.. Shaw: l enclose
you, purely for your own information
copy of a letter of Sept 5, from our
minister to Colombia. 1 think it might
interest you to see that there was alb
solutely not the slightest chance of
securing by treaty any more than we
endeavored to secure.
The alternatives were to go to Mic
aragua, against the advice of the great
majority of competent engineers
some of the most competent saying
mat we had better have no canal at
ms time than go Thereon else to
take the territory by force without
any attempt at getting a treaty. L
cast aside the proposition made at this
time to foment the secession of Pam
ANA.
Government Couldn't Do 1t,
Whatever governments can do the
United States cannot go into secur-
ing by any such underhand means
the cession. Privately, l freely saw
70 you that l should be delighted if
Panama were an Independent state
or if it made itself so at this mo-
1nent; but for me to say so publicly
would amount to an instgation of a
revolt, and, therefore, cannot say it.
With great regard,
Sincerely yours,
Theodore Roosevelt"
From this remarkable letter." con-
Guided the speaker, ut seems evident
that when it was written the President
was advised of the contemplated seces-
oiVIl VI Hanama.
Party of Privilege.
Gov. Montague was next introduced.
IN the course of his address he said:
is the Republican party a party of
privilege? If so, does not it put that
party in alliance with influences that
eventually mean the overthrow of the
government?'
The Republican party is in no posi-
non to criticise the Democratic party.
me Democratic party realizes that
lhlhgs must be done in a practical and
conservative way, and it also realizes
mat government must be for those
governed, and not for the manufac-
turers."
Hard RnDs for Knox.
Referring to Senator Knox he said:
He Is the choice Of the most notori-
Gus plum tree shaking politician this
country ever had. OH How I wish
mat we could pass a statute so broad.
SO deep. and so lasting that It would
alsenfranchise every voter who sold
his ballot.
We must come back to the simple
days of our fathers, TO the day when
we wanted man not with his foot on
me constitution and a sword in his
hand, but his foot on the sword and
the constitution in his hand. We want
TO get back to IT,. fundamental prin-
eiples of this government, limited
government. That is the spirit of the
Democratic form Of government. The
election Of Judge Parker means more
man strenuously strutting govern