Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-02-23
R|D|CULED BY BURTON
Rainey's Charges Pronounced
Absurd and Impossible.
CALLS FOR SQUARE DEAL
Denounces limitations Of Graft in
Canal Purchase.
STYLES STATEMENTS CARELESS
Declares That Full Justice Should
Be Given to Men Building the
Isthmian Waterway.


tect them against false accusations" ex
claimed Representative Burton of Ohio
in the House Of Representatives yester-
day afternoon. referring to the men who
were building the Panama canal. Men, he
said. who, would attack those engaged in
that work had found it necessary to go
down into the miasmic swamps and pull
luted pools Of Panama itself.
Representative Rainey, Representative
Burton, Representative Lowering and Rep
resentative Bourke Cochran were the
stars in a further discussion of the graft
stories In connection with tho purchase Of
the Panama canal. Mr.. Rainey reiterated
and elaborated his former statements in
the House, made q couple Of weeks ago,
and was bitterly arraigned by Mr.. Burton.
After Rainey had spoken for an hour in
further denunciation Of William Nelson
Cromwell. Mr.: Burton took the floor and
vigorously defended Mr.. Cromwell,
Charles P. Taft, President-elect Taft and
others to whom Mr.. Rainey referred.
Denounced as "Careless."
At one point in his remarks things look
ed squally, for Mr.. Rainey holly resented
statement that his charges were full
Of falsehood and SANDER" But Mr.. Bur
ton withdrew this statement. and after
ward referred to Mr.. Rainey as thought
less and careless and possessed Of
transformation"
Mr.. Burton declared that full justice
should be given to the men building the
canal. Mr.. Raineys remarks against
President-elect Taft. Mr.. Burton declared,
should be retracted, as they had been on
the level Of 1.-The scurvy politician" Mr..
Rainey, he said had taken up the cudgels
~ I{c1 ,k@I IL A@N,
their material without analysing it,
Tribute to Assailed Men.
Mr.. Burton paid a tribute to Mr.. Crom-
well, President Obaldia and the others
mentioned by Mr.. Rainey. He spoke of
his senatorial contest with c. P. Taft.
and said he never heard word against
Mr.. Taft that reflected on his honesty
as man or connected him with any
schemes Of exploitation.
Are we not stepping below the level
we bring in private citizens here and
openly accuse them of that which brings
contumely and corruption?" He chal-
Hanged Mr.. Rainey to make his state
ments out In the open. will he." he
asked. when he is outside the protection
afforded by the Constitution and rules
of this House. will he out in the open
make the statements that he has been
making here on the floor of this House?
VIII he make SO free with regulations
as he has in addressing us?'
The democrats applauded when Mr.
burton said 1t was to the credit of the
democratic national committee that it
had refused to have anything to do with
the alleged scandals. But what con-
ISOLATION is there" he asked, for the ac-
cusatlon now made?"
Mr.. Burton provoked laughter by say
ing that Mr.. Rainey felt honored at hav-
ipg been put in the Ananias Club. THE
Ananias Club he said. has never taken
hold annual banquets. It's members wear
no button. Its members do not buy any
busts OF their founder to put in public
halls: A census of the membership
afraid the number of eligibles would be
extremely large" Mr.. Rainey. he said,
was paramountly fitted for the presi-
dency Of the club. With carelessness
that i'll BELTS member Of this House."
Mr.. Burton said. Mr.. Rainey had listened
to statements Of detraction against men
whose regulations should be above re-
proach.
Says Charges Are Groundless.
Let us have fair and square and
direct statement and prof of that which
Then when they are all proved perhaps
to what else he has to say. But SO long
as the substantial averments he has made
have been proved groundess 1t is not
for us to turn aside from our ordinary
business to pay attention to further &C
cusations.'
Those already made. he said, had fallen
to the ground from the weight of their
own improbability, absurdity and incor-
rectness.
While not sharing the opinion of Mr.
Burton, las to the enormity'' of Mr..
Rainey's action In seeking protection
under the House rules, Representative
Cochran of New York declared that it
would be an intolerable situation for
citizen of the United States who had not
been convicted Of a crime to be assailed
on the floor of the House and no method
provided by which the truth could be
ascertained. The right of character. he
stood next to the right of life,
for the man whose character is gone
lives like a dog" There should be, he
commended. some way by which persons
assailed should have the right to be heard
on the floor of the House. He closed by
that Mr.. Raineys charges
should be investigated, land their truth
or inaccuracy once for all established"