The Winchester news. [volume] (Winchester, Ky.) 1908-19??, 1909-01-27
RAINEY GRILLS
". N. CROMWELL
Says He Helped Rob United States
GOvernment-AlsO DenOunceS
0baIdia.

Washington, Jan. 27.-A sensation
al and bitter attack on William Mel
son Cromwell, Roger L. Farnham,
Charles P. Taft, President Obaldia of
Panama and others by Mr.. Rainey. OF
Illinois was made in the house OF
representatives. The postoffice ap-
preparation bill was under considera-
ton, but Mr.. Rainey spoke under IT,
cense of general debate, and he was
unsparing in his charges of corrup-
ton and fraud against the persons
named.
Mr.. Rainey was particularly bitter
in his denunciation of Mr.. Cromwell.
general counsel for the New French
Panama Canal company and counsel
and director of the Panama rail-
road, which is owned by the United
States government He charged that.
through the manipulations of Mr.
Cromwell the French Canal company
was permitted to steal from the Unit
ed States government three or four
million dollars" and that after he
had become an officer in fact of the
United States, he became a party to
an attempt to collect from the Unit
ed States a fraudulent claim on the
part of the canal company of $2,200,-
000." He also was unsparing in his
attack upon Don Jose Domingo de
Obaldia, president of Panama, who,
he said, represented las no other
Spanish-American statesman in his
generation all that is corrupt in
Spanish-American politics" With
out Obaldia," he stated, "Cromwell's
career would have been impossible.
Without Cromwell, Obaldia would
have been impossible"
Reference to President Roosevelt's
recent attack on Senator Tillman was
made by Mr.. Rainey in asserting that
Senator Lodge of Massachusetts was
responsible for the expenditure, ON
Jan. l last. of over $1.0O0,000 for the
purchase of the steamships Shawmut
and fremont for the Panama Rail-
road company, which the canal COM
mission did not want and did not
need, but which were bought because
"the constituents of the senior SEN
ator from Massachusetts wanted to
sell them"
1Ir. Rainey said that for some
weeks the secret agencies of the gov
eminent had been at work investigat-
ing the senior senator from South
Carolina. They have" he said, dis
covered that he used his frank In
advertently in private correspond
ence. and so deprived the government
of revenue to the amount of two
cents, and the matter was considered
important enough to be embodied in
a special message from the president
to congress. The senior senator from
Massachusetts, / believe, is still in
presidents friend and adviser, and
the cabinet maker for the incoming
president. 1 have not heard of any
secret service agents disturbing the
senior senator from Massachusetts.
and yet he is directly, individually
and solely responsible that there was
taken out of the treasury of the Unit
ed States over s1.OO0,0OO."
Mr.. Rainey referred to the fact that
there was pending and about to be
adopted in the general assembly Of
Panama "the most Infamous railroad
proposition ever submitted to any
government" by which Randolph G..
Ward of New York was to be largely
the beneficiary. He called attention
to what he said was the failure OF
Arnold Shanklin, the American con-
sui general at Panama, to make re-
port requested by the bureau of for
estry last year because ''he evidently
feels he owes his position there to
William Nelson Cromwell" ana
charged that certain interested par
ties were seeking to levy tribute upon
the people in connection with these
timber land frauds. at will be inter-
esting to know who the gentlemen
are who are attempting in this way
to impoverish the republic of Pana-
ma" he said, and he mentioned Will
liam Nelson Cromwell, Roger L. Farm
ham, w. s. Harvey and C. P. Taft.
'These patriotic gentlemen" said
Mr.. Rainey in conclusion, therefore
are being permitted not only to rob
the republic of Panama, but indirect
lYfo rob the treasury of the United
States. and in their efforts in this d.
rection they have so far the complete
cooperation and the active assistance
of the present administration and OF
the next president of the United
States"
At the conclusion Of Mr.. Rainey's
speech, which consumed over an hour
and half, Messrs. Stevens of Mime
sofa and Kustermann Of Wisconsin
expressed their disapproval Of his re-
marks and entered a defense Of the
accused.
E1fla 60 III,