The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-01-21
Chairman Shonts Says Feeling OF
Uncertainty Destroys Interest
in Canal Work.
PAYS RESPECTS TO BIGELoW
In Address at Cincinnati He
Brands Canal Criticism as
Piece OF Mendacity.'
(Ry Associnted Press.l

guest of honor and sole speaker at the
January meeting OF the Commercial Club.
Mr.. shonts said in part:
Mr.. Shonts's Address.
Mr.. President and Gentlemen of the
Commercial Club: 1t is a pleasure to
of Secretary Taft. and to an assem-
blage of his neighbors and friends. He
Is a son of Cincinnati and of Ohio. in
whom the whole country takes pride, for
his services on the bench, in the Philip
pines and in the government at Washing
ton have brought honor not only to his
native city and State, but to the Amer
lean name before the world / consider
1t a high privilege to be associated with
him under the direction of President
Roosevelt in the conduct ofS.the most
stupendous enterprise to which this ma
ton hs9 ever put its hand.
He brings to this task the broad intel
lectual grasp, the calm. clear Judgment,
the complete patriotic devotion. and the
infexible uncompromising, and out
spoken honesty that are the distinguished
traits of his public career. The value
to the country of the services OF such
n man in it's government can not be
overestimated. When the canal shall
have been Completeness completed 1t
surely will be-no small share of the
credit for the great achievement will
be due to his wise counsel. inspiriting
cooperation, and unflagging faith In
the ability of the American people to
solve any problem with which they are
confronted.
l am here tonight to talk, as / have
said, not of an experiment but of an
W. nj r.
to build the Panama Canal-we are
building it. Preparation is a part and
Il most important part, OF the work OF
construction.
/ shall not burden you with details of
the preparatory work. These were set
forth by me in 4 speech before the
American Hardware Manufacturers AS
ISOLATION few weeks ago, and are to be
found in the recent report OF the COM
mission to Congress.
Sarcasm of Bigelow.
A notable specimen of this scandal
mongering literature was laid before the
country few days ago from the pen
of man who had spent twenty
hours and ten minutes on the isthmus.
The ten minutes are important. for
person of such extraordinary powers of
observation and production can collect
an enormous amount of material in that
time. He landed at Colon on November
Both at 10 A. NJ, and sailed away on the
same steamer from Colon at 2:10 P. NJ. on
Decembercet
In those twenty-eight hours and ten
minutes he accumulated a fund of exact
knowledge sufficient to enable him to
draw a general and sweeping indictment
of the President, Secretary Taft, the Ca
nal Commission. Governor Magoon, Chief
Engineer Stevens, Colonel Gorgas, and
everything that has been done on tie
isthmus since the American government
came into possession OF the canal zone.
He has been not merely answered but
annihilatd by Secretary Taft and Mr.
Stevens, and I shall waste no time with
him. One point only will ! mention as
an illustration OF his miraculous powers
of observation. He said that during a re-
cent rain the volume of water was so
great in the sewers of Panama that 1t
backed the sewage UP into cellars and
ruined many houses.'' There is not a
cellar in Panama and never has been
few days after this masterpiece of
mendacity appeared in print I took up
the Washington Post, newspaper which
Is not open to the charge Of extreme
partisan support of the Canal Commits
sion. and read therein the following
interesting statement:
Mr.. John N. Popham, a former vir-
gilman, who has many friends in
Washington, was seen yesterday at
the Shoreham. For the past sixteen
years Mr.. Popham has been engaged
in railway building and mining man
ganese on the Isthmus Of Panama
and in Costa Rca. He was for five
years special agent of the United
States Treasury on the Isthmus, and
no man is better qualified to speak
of the conditions existing in that
country. In conversation with Post
reported Mr.. Popham said:
Prior to last May the conditions
on the Isthmus may have been open
to just and intelligent criticism, caus-
ed by the delay in improving the ply
steal condition of the Panama Rail
road. purchase of necessary rolling
stock, and improving the terminal
facilities. But those conditions are
forgotten history The fair-mlnded
residents of the Isthmus appreciate
the magnificent efforts and splendid
results accomplished since that time.
That, gentlemen. is the testimony,
voluntarily offered. of q man who can
truthfully be called an expert. He has
not merely made a twenty eight-hour
visit TO the Isthmus, but has lived there
or in its vicinity, for sixteen years. He
Is g. man of unquestioned character. who
has represented his government honora-
bly, there as it's financial agent, and who
has had practical experience in railway
building and mining. The testimony Of
such man should be final against the
inventions and ISLANDERS not only Of one.
but of any number of scandal-mongers.
Wants Square Deal.
Speaking for the members of the COM
mission as we'll as for myself wish
to say with all possible emphasis that
we not only Invite investigation of our
ucts but ask for 1t az a right. II we are
doing our work honestly and efficiently,
our hands should DO upheld; II 1t Ii
shown that we are doing It inefliclently,
we should be removed; and II we arc
doing 1t dishonesty. we should be ex-
posed. convicted. and sent to prison.
Neither knaves nor incompetents should
be permitted to have charge OF task
OF such magnitude.
But while we court the fullest inyes-
tigntion, We earnestly ask that It be
absolutely nom partisan: that 1t be mado
by persons OF character and standing.