The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-10-12
MILLIONS IN 1T.

1t has developed that a syndicate
headed by William Nelson Cromwell
reaped a profit of $36, OOO, 900 by the
sale of the securities of the French
Panama Canal company TO the United
States government, which explains
why President Roosevelt insisted upon
abandoning the Nicaragua route, why
Senator John T. Morgan was displaced
from the Craftsmanship of the canal
committee and why Cromwell was
backed by the Republican senators in
his refusal to answer the questions
put by Mr.. Morgan when a pretended
investigation of the purchase of the
Panama canal was being made by the
senate committee.
Several attempts have been made to
obtain the truth of the matter in Paris,
and the last investigator, Colonel Ba-
con, managed to secure enough data
to bring several ugly facts TO the sur
face. 1t was discovered that Charles
p. Taft. brother of the Republican can
didate for president of the United
States. William Nelson Cromwell and
J. Pierpont Morgan were prominent
members OF the syndicate, the last
named keeping himself in the back
ground. The story was published in
the New York World. and Mr.. Taft
denied having been connected with the
affair The Chicago News took the
matter up and cabled its Paris cor
respondent to investigate the matter,
and received confirmation Of the World
charges. Among other things, the cor
respondent cabled the following:
When shown yesterday Mr.. Tafts de-
NAL that he had anything to do with the
matter. an eminent American lawyer here.
concerned in the old COmpany's affairs,
laughed frankly and said:
'They will have a hot time over this
thing. if it has been published as a cam
paign bomb. Agents of these men whose
names ] have given you as well as CT
others whom l identity. am not at liberty
TO disclose, quietly bought up for several
months thousands Of shares of the old
Panama company, and many of the bonds
of the new company all through the cOun-
try. The small holders Of canal paper
FASTENED to take advantage of the free
for nothing gifts unaccOuntably laid at
their doors. for the shares for many years
had been considered practically worthless
by thousands of peasants and other mod
est owners.
In the meantime at home the govern
rnent was being successfully worked by
the syndicate and especially by a west
erh member thereof
So all doubts about the crookedness
of the Panama canal purchase are dis
PEELED and the transaction is placed be-
fore the American people in all its
hideousness The United States bought
the canal from its own citizens instead
of the French shareholders, and the
sum of $50. 900 found its way into
the pockets of Charles P. Taft, Crom-
well, ]. p Morgan and the other pa
triots who were in the deal.
The Panama canal swindle perpe-
trated by the old French company
ruined thousands of French citizens
and sent the foremost civil engineer Of
the world to a dishonored grave. In
this country the men who enriched
themselves at the expense of the gov
eminent, through the connivance of the
highest officials. stand high in the
councils of the Republican party. and
doubtless have other melons to cut
in case the brother Of one of the lead
ing members Of the syndicate is elected
president