Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-02-03
Senator Clark, Democrat, En-
dorses Roosevelt's Policy Re
garding Panama Revolt
COLOMBIA MIGHT HAVE KNOWN
New Democratic Senator From Arkan-
sas Thinks Provocation Was Great
Democratic Votes Necessary to Rat
ify Treaty With New State are Al
ready Assured.

Washington, Fec. 3-Mr. Clark, the
new democratic senator from Arkan-
sas, made his first speech in the SEN
ate yesterday. He spoke for two hours.
and announced his endorsement Of
every position taken by the president
in connection with the Panama revolt
and In the negotiation of the treaty
with the new state. He even said that
in view of the provocation given oy
Colombia the president might have been
expected to go further than he did II
advancing the cause of Panama He
declared that there was more popular
support of the cause of the president 5
policy among democrats than among
republicans and said that the DEM
ocratic votes necessary to ratify the
treaty We're assured.
| Our acts OF friendly supervision"
he said. should have convinced Colom-
bia of the determination of the United
States to do right under all circun-
stances, and the Colombian people
should have known that they were ask
ing too much when they accepted our
protection under the Monroe doctrine
for eighty years and then demand "a
the right to be treated as an equal
! power with the United States Instead
of maintaining a friendly attitude, the
| government of Colombia, he said had
begun course of double dealing and
bad faith even before the Colombia n
congress had begun consideration OF
the Hay-Herran treaty, and this he
asserted, had been continued to the
time of Panama's secession. He con-
| tended that the Colombian authorities
knew perfectly well that the revolu-
ton was imminent, and there was 10
! foundation for the charge that the
Panama revolt had been melted since
the adjournment of the Colombian
congress. 1t was not TO be denied that
! the United States knew what was going
| on in Panama, and If 1t was neces--
sary to show that the president WAS
| unaware of the state of affairs in order
to establish his integrity, that must be
done at the expense of his intelligence
and even of his performance of official
duty. Possibly in some matters of de-
| tail the president had been rash, but
with such Mr.. Clark said he had moth
ing to do; he was concerned only with
the general principle involved. and with
that he had no fault TO find
Mr. Clarke declared his qualification
that the public expression given III
favor of the canal had come from DEM
ocratic states and added that demo-
cratic Votes would make the ratifici-
| ton of the treaty certain. The repup
| lican party could make no such claim
| and the president had received no as
surance of support from the republican
party at large.
Continuing his discussion of the po.
litical feature OF the controversy and
extending his contention that the pres-
party, Mr.. Clarke declared that tine
| president Is now the central figure in
a Belshazzars feast. waiting for some
friendly Daniel to interpret the hand
writing on the wall and prophecy for
him whether the chairman of the re-
publican national committee will fish
or cut bait" He also declared that
popular support OF the presidents
course in his party was SO lukewarm
as to cause great rejoicing over the an
nouncement that the three principal
federal Office holders in Boston were
for the nomination of Mr.. Roosevelt
and to cause the announcement that
Alaka was for him to be blazoned forth
in box car letters. But, ''notwithstan1-
ing this lethargy." the senator pre-
dicted the nomination of the president,
saying that while the democrats We're
in doubt as to whom to instruct for.
the republicans knew for whom they
must instruct.
He made vigorous appeal for the
consideration of the canal question on
an independent partisan basis. AMI
when he closed was warmly congratu-
lated by number of senators from
both sides of the chamber.