Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-02-06

place of comparative Obscurity, for
from this date on congress will watch
his every move with interest. The
democrats have looked Rainey over
carefully, up one side and down the
other, and have come to the conclu-
sion a man has been discovered in the
ranks that was not fully appreciated.
Up to date, Rainey's Panama canal
speech stands just as it did on the
day he delivered it. There have been
some denials in connection with the
Panama expose, but, according to the
! Illinois congressman those who have
denied "have taken particular pains to
deny something l didn't say"
| While many members of congress
! have long entertained the conviction
that many of the transactions in con-
nection with the Panama canal enter
prise would not bear close scrutiny, no
| one appeared to be able to get the
necessary facts to subStantiate these
beliefs. If a member endeavored to
make little investigation for himself.
he soon found himself confronted with
mass of official red tape that defied
penetration.
Predicted a Fizxle.
| One day word went through the re.
publican cloak room of the house and
senate that Rainey, democrat, Of
Illinois was addressing the house on
the Panama canal situation.
| Another fizzle," said the republic
cans. There is no scandal in the
Panama canal, and none can therefore
come out of it."
Some of the majority party remain
ed to hear what Rainey had to say
His speech didn't listen altogether Xix,
a fizzle, and for the first time there
twas real fear among many republican
members of congress over the Panam;
canal graft charges. The situation
was not improved on the following da,
when Rainey announced he was read,
to answer any questions in connection
with his charges. He read Telegram
from Charles P. Taft in which the la!
ter denied ever having had any trans
actions with Cromwell or anyone els
, on the Panama canal. Rainey rea,
|
agraph in which reference had bee
, made to Charles P. Taft which shove,
there was nothing for Rainey to r:
, tract
No Aid from Newspapers.
Republican members believed the
had a trump card to use agains
Rainey if all other means faile,
? Rainey was charged with having 5.
t cured his information from "a we
: known source" the intimation bein
that the newspapers against whic
: proceedings had been started by tn
E president had aided him.
Il have received no assistance froI
any newspaper in the world, declare
4 Rainey Il have conducted my inve
i legations at my own expense and hay
k received no financial assistance fro
) any source and expect to recei,
F. none"
al Rainey is an impressive. forcef
speaker, and has an attractive perso
ality. He is 4S years old, and w;
born and raised in Carrollton. II
which is within the district he has re
resented in the 5Sth, 59th and 60
congresses
, On February 10, 1908 Rainey mao
. a speech on the Standard Oil compar
and the protection it had receive
from the republican party that W;
used as a campaign document in Il
last national election Two millic
! copies of this speech were circulate
He also exploited the business met
DDS of the watch trust in a speech
/. the house in 1906, of which a millic
0 and half copies were circulated
|. the last campaign.
). 1t was Rainey who introduced Il
> resolution providing for the remov
of the body of John Paul Jones. .
lis own expense Rainey made an c
tended investigation to learn the pro
; able burial place of Jones, which WI
mystery for several years. He fl
o ally located the body in church va
of Paris, and had congress appropria
z $4,000 for it's removal to America.