The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1909-02-22
R A | N E Y
NJ A X E s
REPLY
Says He Alta ck G d Not
Canal but Graft Con-
nected With It

Washington, Feb. 22-Asserting
That his recent speech in the house
relative to the purchase by the Unit
ed States government OF the Panama
canal had brought upon himself vii.
Hilcation. Misrepresentation and abuse
almost without q parallel in the his.
tory of that body" Representative
Rainey of Illinois today delivered In
the house of representatives lengthy
speech in reply TO the charges that the
information upon which his remarks
were based was obtained from "e&;
convicts and blackmailers" This ac-
cusatlon was made openly In the house
by Representative Lowering of MaSsa-
chusetts.
True loyalty to this great enter.
prise" Representative Rainey said,
means that you must expose and de.
nounce all kinds of graft in connection
with it in order to avoid the pitfalls In
which the French companies fell and
j propose to do this whether 1t meets
with the approval OF the next presi-
dent of the United States OF not
want to say to all those who are
spending so much time abusing me
fight / have only trained my guns
on some OF the least Objectionable
features In connection with Panama
matters"
Representative Ralney declares that
he did not attack the canal, but simp-
ly attacked the graft connected with
the enterprise. He asserted that Rep
resentative Lowering had not attempt
ed to deny single fact he had stated.
but after making his charges proceed.
ed to eulogize William Nelson Crom.
we'll Il never heard until he made
his speech that any persons were try
ing to get Mr.. Cromwell TO purchase
any alleged evidence of the guilt of
Mr. Cromwell" he said. Il knew
nothing of any story to the Demo-
gentleman made his speech on this
floor"
Mr. Rainey further stated that In
the evidence he produced in support
ing his charge of graft In connection
with the buying of the canal nearly
all was obtained from Panama. Then
he added:
The attack ] made was entirely
unexpected and the next attack | make
upon these gentlemen will be just as
entirely unexpected by them when it
comes"
Continuing, Mr.. Rainey said:
"Mr. Cromwell, in the speech made
by him through Mr.. Olcott IN. ",
has seen fit to discuss his present ef-
forts to conclude q treaty between
Colombia and Panama In which he re-
fers to the necessity for some contri-
button from Panama to Colombia as
her proportion OF the public debt OF
Colombia
Referring to these as the proposed
Cromwell treaties Mr., Rainey assert
ed that Mr.. Cromwell proposes to so
change the Hay-Bunau Varilla treaty
as to impose upon this country an ad-
ditional burden of S1.250.000, And
he proposes that this sum shall be
taken from our treasury and paid, not
to Panama, but to Colombia. In ad-
dition to that, he proposes that for
five years after 1913 the S25O,000 we
agreed to pay Panama shall be paid
to Colombia direct. In other words.
by the treaties. of which he is so
proud, Panama deprives herself for
five years of her fixed source of reve-
Tue. and consents that il be paid TO
Colombia and the United States con-
tributes from Its treasury Sl,250000
and pays it TO the treasury of Colon
bia. | know of no precedent for Mr.
Cromwell's treaties. No people in the
world. after successfully completing a
to pay any portion OF the debt, foreign
or domestic, of the country from which
they separated
The situation Mr.. Cromwell is en-
deavoring to force by the treaties is
that the United States is to be re-
quired to increase Its treasury deficit
and to pay to Colombia Sl,25O,000.
Panama impoverished herself by CIV
ing up the S1,250,000 clearly belonging
TO her, and give up for five years al
ter 1913, the revenue we propose to
pay her. In return for this, Panamans
are to be admitted to the lucrative po-
sitions on the canal zone In our ser
vice and ultimately in order to permit
Panama to recoup her losses, on ac-
count of the Cromwell treaties, she
is 10 De permitted 10 levy taxes upon
the army OF Americans and other en-
ployes we have sent to the iSthmus
for the purpose OF building up the ca
nal"
These treaties" continued Mr. Raj
ney. have already been approved by |
the administration in this country. 1t |
remains to be seen whether they Will |
be ratified by the general assembly OF
Panama and by the senate of the Unit
CT Iainn ~