The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-02-15
IF SAYS REAL ISSUES
 HAVE BEEN OVERLOOKED
As a Friend of the Canal Project But An Enemy of Graft, Rainey Pro poses to Come Back With
 Facts In the Case.
BY wATTERsoN sTEALEY.

Washington, February 14-1Speciai.- '"The President-elect, like the Presldent' members of Congress and newspapers who have attacked me because of Pan anna canal charges are but throwing dust over the real issue. I shall answer all of them for once and all before the end of the present session of Congress and when I do come back at them with the facts I will really give them something to talk about
 Representative Rainey of Illinois made the above statement today in comment ing upon the speeches of MT. Taft at Meridian, Miss, yesterday in which the President-elect warned the people not to be Led astray by buncombe speeches on the floor of the House of Representa- tives."
 Neither MT. Taft nor anyone else has as yet made real answer to my charges concerning the spoliation scehem now being attempted upon the isthmus of Panama" continued Representative Rain ey. "They have overlooked the real is- sues and instead have come forward as mere character witnesses for William Nelson Cromwell and others, who are behind one of the most stupendous grabs ever undertaken. l have made no at tack upon the Panama canal project itself I am in hearty sympathy with st: as are all the American people, but I offered this evidence to show that there Is a scheme afoot to acquire the various timber and railroad rights of the isth- mus by improper means, and that the ha jpp piY,cr administration are both aware of 1t.
 No Apology to Make.
 .'When I make my final speech on the floor of the House l shall not make an apology to President Obaldia, Mir Crom- we'll MT. Taft or anyone else can deliver the goods and will do so l am only waiting for those who are now at tacking me to conclude these attacks, and when do reply do not expect to descend to their level of personal abuse.
 "It is well enough to drift along and let the canal take care of itself, some may contend, but to my mind the real friend of the canal project Is he who has the foresight to see graft in it's in ception. If things are allowed to pro- ceed the project may be wrecked by the same means as was the French company. It is for tnls reason that I have taken m the fight and before the end of this session of Congress I will show that a most deplorable condition exists there"
 MT. Rainey said he regarded it as sig uificant that four of the men that he named being allied with the Cromwell interests had made absolutely no denial or defense of themselves. These men, he said, were Farnum, Drake, Whitely and Harvey. If these men were impli- cated in the plan to acquire timber con- sessions on the isthmus, and were known to be representatives of Cromwell, why was not Cromwell himself the prime mover? asked MT. Rainey.
 Old Tricks In Use.
 Those who have tried to rally to the defense of Cromwell Lodge and others have but resorted to the practice of the ordinary criminal lawyer without case" continJ ed MT Rainey. Having no evil dence 1 in favor of their side, they have summoned the neighbors and made of them character witnesses, who testify to the past good reputation of the men under charges. This is exactly what has been going on ever since my first speech"
 MT. RaiJ sy said he had read MT. Taft's speech, IL which, although he mentioned no names, the President-eect had re- ferred rather heatedly to MT. Rainey's speech. The President-elect had over looked the fact, MT. Rainey said, that he had never attacked the Panama canal it. self. His whole charges, he said. were directed at the spoliation sceheme which he says Is being put through, through President Obaldia and an American syn dicate, which has the ostensible backing of the administration.