The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1908-10-28


hesitated. to place such sweeping
power In the hands Of the president
Notwithstanding their intense desire
to sell the Panama canal to the gov.
ernment and the big profits such a
transaction meant to them.
The spooner act makes the presi-
dent absolute dictator Of the whole
canal building enterprise. He can
change the commission and the en-.
sineers at will. As one man express.
ed Il yesterday:
IF President Roosevelt 80 wished
ne could, under the Spooner act, send
his eldest son down to the isthmus at
a salary Of 100000 a year. and the
treasury officials would have to honor
the warrants for his salary even
though he did nothing from one years
end to the other"
some Of the senator's who favored
tho Nicarauguan route voted for the
spooner bill. believing II would be
impossible for the advocates of the
Panama route to get clear title and
the necessary concessions from the
government Of Colombia, of which
the canal was then territorial part.
As the Spooner act committed the
government to building an isthmian
canal. these senators were confident
the Nicarauguan route would have to
be taken In the end. ar4 > t.,
Mr.. Cromwell fooled those senator's.
Failing to get what was needed from
Colombia In the way Of concessions
to. give the clear title demanded by
the spooner act. he manufactured the
revolution which. took the isthmus
away from Colombia and created the
republic Of Panma. He promised the
revoiutionista that United States war
ships would be on hand when want
ed. and they were there to the dot.
That Mr.. Cromwell had the assistance
OF PRECEDENT Roosevelt, Secretary
Taft and other high officials Of the
Roosevelt administration In making
success Of the revolution, which de-
prived the little government of CO.
iombia Of very valuable part of its
territory. has never heeS effectively
disprovec. y
The ready made republic of Pana-
ma appointed Mr.. Cromwell its lega,
adviser. and he. saw TO Il that Il gave
the United States everything II want
ed In the way OF canal Concessions
Then the sale Of the canal for $40,-
100000 was rushed through, and the
money was turned over in May. 1904.
to J. p. Morgan q Co. ostensibly for
transmission to France to the French
Panama Canal company for distribu-
ton to the stockholders.
That Mr.. Cromwell contributed
funds to the revolutionary party In
Panama was admitted by Mr.. Crom-
well himself and in the presence of
Secretary OF War Taft. This admis-
sion was made. II was learned yester.
day. at banquet given on the 18TH
mus In December. 1904. Mr.. Crom-
we'll ara Secretary Taft were guests
at the dinner. also the leading officials
OF the republic. In his speech Crom-
well referred to a provis!on Of the
constitution Of Panama which gave
all financial contributors to the revo-
luton the right Of citixenship. Crom-
well declared he had contributed
largely to the revolutionists' treasury
and was therefore entitled to citisen-
ship.
The Worlds informant stated Il
was well known on the isthmus that
the money given to the revolutionary
party was used to bribe the 500 Co.
lombian soldiers on duty In Panama
on the day Of the revolution 30 they
would do no nghting and make the
revolution q bloodless ore. In other
words. the money thus contributed
was used to make the soldiers trait
ors to their country.
OF the 3lss.0o0.ooo appropriated by
tho spooner act to cover the cost Of
the construction Of the Panama canal,
there has been spent up to date $780,
100000. leaving only $4,000. 900. The
engineers In charge figure that the
remaining $4,000. 900 will have been
spent by June 80. 1909. The $685.
100000 did not include the 100000
HAMS BROTHERS ARRAIGNED.