The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1909-01-08
CALLS FOR INQUIRY
FACTS AS TO CANAL PURCHASE
MUST BE GIVEN.
President Roosevelt's Elaborate "Ex-
plantations" Unfortunately Do Not
Explain-Much to lnvesti-
gate and Ascertain.

II there existed no reason for coun-
selling or demanding an official inquiry
into the purchase of the Panama canal
before Mr.. Roosevelt explained the
matter so deliberately and painfully, a
good many do exist now. No president
has ever occupied such a position be-
fore the people that by sweeping de-
NAL he could remove a popular i'm
preston or by general Endorsement
create one.
Certain declarations of Mr.. Roose-
welt, based on what must have been
assumptions, are bowled over instantly
by explanations of their character. For
instance, Mr.. Roosevelt assumed that
Charles P. Taft vas charged with
some compromising connection with
the purchase of the canal, and that
the charge was registered for the pur-
pose of %impugning the honesty of the
president-elect. The New York World
dismisses that matter by saying 1t
never made such a charge and gladly
printed Charles P. Taft's denial. OF the
allegations as to Douglas Robinson, 1t
says the same thing, but that 1t print
ed no personal denial from him be-
cause it could not secure it. AS a mat
ter of fact, no acquaintance of either
of these men ever INDUCED a moments
suspicion of their guilt.
The president simply sets up a man
of straw to knock owe and wait for
49, oo~1o--o III hoe r0;thnr n 1O0ino1
nor a legal mind, nor In adequate com
prehension of the value of facts or the
method to be followed in their mar
shaling. In his palpable effort to
prove an investigation unnecessary, he
has proved that one is more necessary
than eve
The American people are not going
to accept blindly Mr.. Roosevelt's asser-
ton that I'VE did not have anything to
do with the distribution of a dollar of
the $40, OOO, 900 we paid as regards any
stakeholder or bondholder Of the
French company as final and conclu-
sive, nor is the submission of a list Of
the m of the 5000 stockholders of
the new Panama canal company evil
dence that they were either the i'm
mediate or ultimate recipients Of the
money, or any part OF 1t. Nor are we
obligated to consider the assertion
that we wanted the canal and got it at
the price agreed upon as final evidence
that the transaction was honest from
inception to elimination and that is
not to say that any of the officials who
conducted the negotiations on behalf
# the government were involved in
any wrongdoing.
1t is also pertinent to remark that
Mr.. Roosevelt's dictum as to our total
lack of concern over the relations of
Mr.. William Nelson Cromwell with
the French companies is not final. We
are very much concerned about that If
Mr.. Cromwell c~onspired, or deceived,
or secured a high appraisal, or added
some millions to the purchase price of
his own volition, or promoted a revolu-
tion-with or without the sanction or
knowledge of this government-that
title might be perfected to the proper
ties the subject of purchase.
AS a matter of satisfying, If not sub
stantively valuable, Information we
are concerned to know whether it is
true that a control of the stocks of the
French companies could have been Sc
cured for $4,000. 900, even though the
purchase Of all the stock would have
cost a good deal more. There is very
much to investigate and ascertain and
the matter of not the least Importance
is how it happened that Mr.. Roosevelt
is so exercised about it all and so in
sistent that these stories, as q matter
Of fact, need no investigation what
ever"