The Savannah morning news., 1904-02-03
DEMOCRAT FOR
PANAMA TREATY
SENATOR CLARKE SPEAKS,
ADVOCATING THE CANAL AND sUS-
TANNING ROOSEVELT.

a
That the Real support of the
President in the Matter of the
Panama Canal Is Derived from the
Democrats-T kinks They Are En-
titled to the Credit-ROOsevelt Has
Not His Party's support.
Washington, Feb. 2.-Senator Clarke
(Democra) of Arkansas, made his first
speech in the Senate to-day, in support
of the Panama treaty. He spoke for
two hours and announced his indorse-
ment of every position taken by the
President in connection with the Pan
anna revolt and in the negotiations of
the treaty with the new state.
Mr.. Fairbanks also spoke in support
of the treaty contending for the regu-
larity of the proceedings Of the admin
istration on the isthmus of Panama.
Mr.. Clarke lost no time in declaring
his absolute adherence to the policy of
the President. The question of the wis
dom of building an isthmian canal is
no longer, he said, question for dis
cussion, and his declaration was fol-
lowed by another statement in indorse-
ment of the treaty, whose terms were,
he said, most liberal.
He contended also that the recogni-
ton by the President of the republic of
Panama had been in all respects regu-
lar and in accord with precedents. This
action he considered final and in none
of it's respects subject to review by the
IN, until no U
Sorry He Cannot Agree.
Mr.. Clarke expressed regret at not
being able to agree with those of his
Democratic colleagues who oppose
| ratification, but he called attention to
the fact that many of those who OPP
| posed the treaty have themselves
| been earnest friends of an isthmian
! canal. He could not find himself will
| ling to obstruct an enterprise in
/ which his state, as all other parts
| of the country, is interested because
| Of any acts of the President which
| might not in all details meet approval
| He disclaimed, however, any in
/ tention to criticise the President in
| any respect, for he' felt that the provo
! cation was such that Mr.. Roosevelt,
| like Warren Hastings, might con-
| graduate himself on doing SO little
when there was opportunity to do so
much. He found so much provocati ton
/ in the dealings of Colombia, that he
! did not wonder that a man of the
! Presidents temperament had taken
| the position he had and Mr.. Clarke
/ expressed surprise that more encourage
ment had not been given to the Panama
/ uprising.
| MIR. Clarke also announced his
| disagreement with the senators who
| contended that the President should
| have turned to the Nicaragua route.
/ after failing to secure Colombia's
| ratification of the canal treaty. His
/ principal reason for this position
! was announced to be his belief that
| we should have only sea level canal,
which was possible on the Panama
route and not possible on the Nicara-
| qua route He did not believe that any
| hut a sea level canal would pay ex-
| Denses.
support of Democrats.
He declared his satisfaction over the
fact that the public expression given
III favor of the canal had come from
Democratic states, and he added that
Democratic votes would make the rat
ification of the treaty certain. The
Republican party could make no such
claim, and the President had received
no assurances of support from the Re-
publican party at large.
Continuing his discussion of the po-
! litical feature of the canal controversy
and extending his contention that the
| President was without support in his
| own party Mr.. Clarke declared that
the President is now the central fig
ure in a Belshazzar's feast, waiting for
| some friendly Daniel to interpret the
| handwriting on the wall and prophesy
for him whether the chairman of the
/ Republican National Committee twill
! fish or cut bait" He also declared
! that popular support of the Presidents
| course in his own party was so luke
| warm as to cause great rejoicing over
the announcement that the three prin-
! cipal federal officeholders in Boston
| we're for the nomination of Mr.. Roose-
welt, and to cause the announcement
| that Alaska was for him to be blazon-
| ed forth in box car letters. But mot
withstanding this lethargy, the Sena-
! tor predicted the nomination Of the
President, saying that while the DEM
| ocrats were in doubt as to whom to
instruct for, the Republicans knew for
whom they must instruct"
He made a vigorous 1~5eal for the
consideration of the canal question, in
dependent of partisan bias. and when
he closed was warmly congratulated
| by number of senators from both
| sides of the chamber.
The Senate adjourned until to-mor-
row.
old Newress Frozen.