The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-06-02
EXCUSE FOR BUYING
ALL SUPPLIES HERE
Stone Attacks Policy of Getting
Panama Material
WILLING TO PAY ANY PRICE
Stone Claims Aldrich Resolution viii
Simply Give an Excuse for Buying
Supplies in the United States
at Any Old Price.

Washington, June 1.--When Senator Al
drieh today sought to secure the passage
of his resolution giving the President au-
thority TO buy supplies for the Panama
canal outside the United States, unless
prices are extortionate, Senator Stone OPP
posed the resolution. lie based his opin-
ion on the ground that it was useless to
pass it. mo one can doubt" he said
that the President will buy all Panama
materials in America no matter what the
differences in prices may be. II we are
to judge the future by the past there is
no room for questioning what course the
President will adopt. The men who con-
tributed the stupendous slush funds aggre-
eating millions upon millions of dollars to
carry the last three presidential elections
for the republicans almost of necessity
have their grasp on those who accepted
their prncely donations The beneficial
\ ries of those enormous corporation funds
may sometimes vince and shrink from the
task imposed upon them and to hide the
shame of 1t may now and then perform
Ysome spectacular stunt in the lime light
and before the galleries; but in the end
| the forces which operate behind the cur
tain and hold the strings will have their
way. But there has been so much of this
clustering, and it has attracted such wide
attention that something must be done TO
relieve the situation. Something must
be provided for public credulity to feed
| upon. A soft place must be made for the
| President to fall. The scheme for all this
is wrapped up in this resolution"
Would Not Be Held Up.
/ Senator Stone said that about year
ago the President and the secretary Of
war had announced that they would not
be held up in the purchase of materials
for the canal by American manufacturers
or American owners. This declaration
was, he said approved generally by the
! American people as in the interest of the
/ general welfare. But he declared that
the special interests affected resisted and
won.
In support of this contention he cited
the purchase from the Ward line of two
ships for the canal service.
'The President" he said, "opened nego-
tations for the purchase of foreign ships,
but at the same time the batteries of
| American ship builders were opened on
the President. The fight, while it lasted.
was fast and furious For a while 1t
looked as if the President for once would
stand his ground. But he hauled down
his flag and surrendered. Instead of buy
ing the two foreign ships of 5000 tons each
for s750,O0O he bought two American ships
of 300 tons each for 81, 800 600"
These vessels, said the senator. had
cost originally not to exceed 100000 each
and as they had been in service about
eight years were worth forty per cent
less. This he pronounced "A shameful in
stance of treasury lootng." He declared
the Presidents Weakness a costly thing
for the country
viii Have Good Excuse.
And So" Mr.. Stone proceeded "ths
Macedonian cry comes over from the
White House to Congress. This Joint res
olution is the response Congress makes
| TO that appeal Hereafter, when tho
| President goes out buying trust materials
! at trust prices he can excuse himself on
the ground that Congress has established
a rule for his guidance. That is about
the only possible use to which this resolu-
ton can be put"
When Mr.. Stone concluded Senator For
aker read from the testimony of Chairman
Shonts before the inter oceanic canal COM
mission showing that the two Ward line
ships had been built at time when
material and labor were cheaper and that
they had been SO strengthened as to ma
teriaily improve them and really mako
them a bargain at the price. Senator
Carmack suggested that as an amendment
preference shall be given to articles of
domestic manufacture when they can be
secured as eheaply as others, and spoke
in support of 1t. He drew the conclusion
that the government ought to afford to
it's citizens the privileges 1t demands for
itself-that of buying elsewhere when
prices at home are "extortionate or I'M
reasonable"
The resolution was still under consldera-
ton when the Senate went into executive
session.