Albuquerque citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1907-1909, 1909-01-26
CONGRESSMAN RAINEY
CHARGES GRAF TING
IN PANAMA
Representative In d Bitter
Speech Accuses CrOm.
we'll Taft and
Others.
SAYS INSIDERS"
ARE GETTING RICH
Reviews History OF the Canal and
Connection OF United States
With Government
of the 18TH
mus.

Washington, Jan 26.-Charging
that william Nelson Cromwell, Roger
l. Farnham, Charles p. Taft and
others are parties to the most in
famous ruiIroau proposition ever sub
ulittcd to amy government" and that
they care being permitted not only
to rob the Republic Of Panama but
indirectly the treasury of the United
states, Representative Rayney of
Illinois today directed the search
light OF publicity upon affairs in the
canal zone in startling speech in
support of his resolution, providing
for an investigation by Congress of
the Panama canal.
"Thcir efforts in this direction" he
continued "have had so far the COM
plotc cooperation and active assist
ance of the present administration
and of the next president of the
United States"
Mr.. Rayney traced the history OF
the proposed canal four hundred
years back and warned that 1--WE
have already started into the direc-
ton Of the rocks upon which the
French companies We're wrecked"
Referring to the governments libel
suit against the New York World and
grand jury Investigations now under
way IN this city and in New York
Mr. Rayney said; IF we are to
carry this project through to a sue
Ccsslul conclusion we must avoid
graft II is not the part of wise
q Cd. H....t sac III 1 q
tons asking for an investigation of
any phase of the canal question with
the sweeping and absolutely unsup-
ported official declaration that there
Is nothing To investigate 1t is not
the part Of sound craftsmanship and
through patriotism to attempt to re-
wise the obsolete common law Gus
toms of 200 years ago ana t. employ
all the tremendous agencies Of tn,
government in attempting tp crush
newspapers which have had the
courage to call attention to a ques-
ionable transaction in connection
with. the canal"
Mr.. Rayney was particularly bit
ter in his denunciation Of Mr.. Crom-
Well, general counsel for the new
French Panama canal company and
counsel and director of the Panama
railroad, which is owned by the
United states government. He
charged that through the manipula-
tons of Mr.. Cromwell the French
canal company was permitted to steal
from the United States government
three OF four million dollars" and
that after he had become an Off
Ger in fact of the United states. he
became a party 10 an attempt to col
ltct from the United States, a frau
aulent claim on the part of the canal
company Of $4,000, 900"
He also was unspairing i'm his at
tack on Don Jose Domingo De Obal-
dia, president Of Panama. who he
said represented "as no other Spanish
statesman i'm his generation, all. that
is corrupt i'm Spanish-Amcrican poll
tics"
without ObaIdia." he stated
"Cromwcls career would have been
impossible. Without Cromwell. Obal-
dia would have been impossible"
Against President-elect Taft now
erroute L. the canal zone, Mr.. Ray
noy directed the accusation that on
the occasion of his last trip to Pana-
ma in May che did nothing on the
isthmus except 10 openly push the
of Obaldia for the presi-
icncy' He asserted that very thin
ly yelled threat to seize the republic
If Obalda was not elected was con-
aimed i'm "a letter written by Mr. TAFT
,o th. then president Amador and
tnat To prevent this Arias ObaIdia's
opponent Withdrew.
Reference to RoOseyelt's recent at
tack on senator Tumau was made
ly Mr.. Rayney by asserting that Sen
ltor Lodge of Massachusetts. was re-
'pOnsiblo for the expenditure on Jan
Iary ] las, - over $1,000. 600. pur-
chase of the steamships Shawmut
ana fremont for the Panama rail- .
road company which the canal COM
mission ala not want and did not
reed but which We're bought because
he constituents of the senior senator
from Massachusetts. wanted TO sell /.
hem
He said that for some weeks the
secret agencies Of the government .
rad been at work investigating the .
.enior senator from South Carolina.
They have" he said, discovered .
hat he used his frank inadvertently .
n private correspondence and so de-
rived the government of revenue TO
he amount Of two cents and the !
natter was considered important