Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1907-03-19
No THIRD TERM
FOR THE PRESIDENT.
THE PRESIDENT AS A
CANAL JUGGLER
GIVES REASONS WHICH HE
CLAIMS INFLUENCED HIM
PUBLIC NOT SATISFIED

When the last issue OF The Trades
man went 20 press the reasons for
rejecting all bids on the Panama
canal contract had not been given
to the public, and we reserved any
fnrthor criticism that we might feel
the carrc W""'ted until those rcas-
ons should appear
Resident Roosevelt has given the
reason which he claims influenced
him and the Commission I'm rejecting
all bids, but the public is far from
being satisfied with them. In fact
It woud have boon infinitely more to
the credit of MIR. Roosevelt TO have
simply stood on the reserved rights
expressed in. the original offer. viz.
that of rejecting any and all bids.
chan to have Iattemptod explana-
tions that don't expalin and reas-
sons that arc not reasonable. as has
boen done.
The gist of his explanation Is that
the contractor was going to give
most OF his profits away TO bankers
and, therefore, the government
should do the work. This was mat
ter of absolutely no concern to the
government There was n $4,000
600 bond ready for the faithful per-
formance of the contract. There was
fulillment TO the utmost of every
requirement made. and the Commits
sion was going TO get what II said
was of the principal requisites I'm
deciding for a contract systom- the
experience and service of skilled con
/ tractors all Of these were at hand
and on terms admittedly better than
had been thought possible, and yet
the contract was rejected
IL Is not astonishing I'm the face
of these facts that there is n feeling
generally prevalent and expressed
fNat the true reasons i'm this matter
L~,c not yet been made public. There
was too much Juggling with another
firm whose bid was double that OF
the oliver bid, and the public Is
inclined to believe that there was
some previous understanding with
that firm which the lower bid so I'm.
terfered with that the agreement
with them. IF such there was, could
not be carried out, and so the re-
lection OF all bids followed. I'm view
Of the facts now coming out about
/ the other firm and IT'S connections,
the whole affair looks ugly, and the
approaching congressional investiga-
ton. which, IL seems. is certainty.
will bring these more prominently
10 the surface Here are some OF
these facts Macarthur laid down on
the drainage canal in Chicago;
Gillespie went into bankruptcy and
laid down ON the Memeua canal I'm
New York state; j. W. White Co
forfeited their contract on the
Laguma dam on the Colorado river.
and yet Macarthur was n classmato
OF the president a. Harvard, Giles
pie Is director in Paul Morfon's
life insurance company (Morlon is
q close friend of the prosidenD and
Henry w. Taft brother Of secre-
tary Taft. IS attorney for tho j w.
white Co
Chairman shonts and Engineer
Stevens advocated the contract sys-
tenn and the president agreed with
them. but when The oliver bid broke
into the plans OF the above com
biuatiou shoufs and Stevens resign
cd and mo contract system is aban-
doncd by tho president Isn't This
enough 20 put Ihc people fo wonder
iug what has become of tho famous
Square dear principlo2 Choita-
uooga Tradoaman
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