The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-01-26
Congressman Rainey of Illinois
in Bitter Speech
Arraigns Brother of Presidents
Elect and Others.
PARTIES TO SCHEME
The Most Infamous PrODOsi.
tiOn Ever Submitted"
Says They Have Cooperation OF
the Administration.

Washington, Jan. 26.-Charging that
William Nelson Cromwell Roger /.
Farnham, Chas. P. Taft and Others are
parties to the most infamous railroad
proposition ever submitted to any gov
ernment." and that they ARE being
permitted not only to rob the republic
OF Panama but indirectly the treasury
of the United States" Representative
Rainey of Illinois. today directed the
searchlight of publicity upon the ar
fairs in the canal zone in a star5lins.
speech in support of his resolution pro-
Vldlng for an investigation by congress
OF the Panama canal
In their efforts in this direction
ne continued . they have had so far,
the complete cooperation and active
assistance of the present administration
and OF the next president of the United
States
Mr.. Rainey traced the history of the
proposed canal 400 years back and
warned that I'VE have already started
IN the direction of the rock upon which
the French companies were wrecked ..
Referring to the governments libel
suit against the New York World and
the grand jury Investigations now in
progress in this city and in New York,
Mr.. Rainey said:
If we are to carry this project
through to a successful conclusion we
must avoid graft. 1t is not the part
u wise craftsmanship to dispose of
resolutions asking for an Investigation
of any phase of the canal question with
the sweeping and absolutely unsupport-
ed official declaration that there is
nothing to investigate. 1t is not the
part of sound craftsmanship and true
patriotism to attempt to revive the OBJ
solete common law customs of 200 years
ago, and to employ all the tremendous
agencies of the government in attempt
ing to crush newspapers which have
had the courage to call attention to a
questionable transaction in connection
! with the canal"
Submits Documents.
+ He submitted for the record extracts
OF his allegations. Mr.. Raiuey was par
ticularly bitter in his denunciation OF
Mr.. Cromwell, general counsel for the
new French Panama Canal Company
and counsel and a director of the Pan
ANA railroad which is. owned by the
United States government. He charged
that through the manipulations of Mr..
Cromwell the French Canal company
was permitted to steal from the United
States government three or four mill
lion dollars" and that after he had
become an officer in fact of the United
States he became a party to an at
tempt to collect from the United States
a fraudulent claim on the part of the
canal company of 81. 2.2O0.O .O0O.
He also was unsparing in his attack
upon Don Jose Domingo De Obaldia,
president of Panama who, he said. rep
resented "as no other Spanish meri-
can statesman in his generation ali that
is corrupt in Spanish-American poll
tics.
Without Obaldia." he stated. "Crom-
wells career would have been impos-
sibIe. Without Cromwell. Obaldia would
have been impossible"
Against President-elect Taft now en-
route to the canal zone. Mr.. Rainey di-
rected the accusation that on the oc-
casion of his last trip to Panama in
May, "he did not nothing on the is
thmus except to openly push the candi-
dacy of Obaldia for the presidency
He asserted that very thinly veil
ed threat to seize the republic IL
Obaldia was not elected was contain
ed in a letter written by Mr. Taft to
the then President Amador and that
to prevent this, Arias. Obaldia's op-'
ponent, withdrew.
Defends TilIman.
Reference to President RooseveIt's
recent attack on Senator Tillman was
made by Mr. Rainey in asserting that
Senator Lodge of Massachusetts. was
responsible for the expenditure on
January 1, last, of over one million
dollars for the purchase of the steam
ships Shawmut and fremont for the
Panama railroad company, which the
canal company did not want and did
not need, but which were bought be-
cause the constituents of the senior
senator from MasSa chuSettS wanted to
sell them. He said that for some
weeks the secret agency of the gov
ernment had been at work investigat-
ing the senior senator from South
Carolina They have" he said, dis
covered that he used his frank mad
vertently in private correspondence
and so deprived the government OF
revenue to the amount of two cents,
and the matter was considered inn
portant enough to be embodied in A
special message from the president
to congress- The senior senator from
Massachusetts I believe is still invited
to White House dinners. is the presi-
dents friend and adviser and the cab
met maker for the incoming presi-
dent. have not heard of any secret
service agents disturbing the senior
senator from Massachusetts, and yet
he is directly, individually and solely
responsible that there was taken out
of the treasury of the United States
over one million dollars.
"a year or two after the indepen-
dence of Panama" continued Mr.
Rainey 1.-THE officials of the little
republic commenced to absorb ideas
to Mr. Cromwell Mr.. Cromwell de-
termined to displace DR. Amador and
the other leaders of the constitution
al party of Panama and put in as
president some more plant person
age. less devoted to high ideals and or
course in such an emergency as that
his attention was directed to his old
friend and ally, Obaldia- He was a
man after CronweIPs own heart. So
il was determined that Obaldfa was to
become president of Panama Crom-
wen and his friends had developed
certain methods for robbing the little