People's Pilot, Volume 2, Number 36, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 February 1893 — THOMPSON TESTIFIES. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

THOMPSON TESTIFIES.

Says the America* Panama Committee Was Conducted on Business Principles. Terre Haute, Ind., Feb. 2L— The congressional subcommittee sent by the Panama investigating committee to take the evidence of ex-Secretary R- W. Thompson arrived here Monday morning. Its members’are Storer (O.) and Patterson (Tenn.). They were driven immediately, with their stenographer. to the residenoe es ex-Secre-tary Thompson, who is in improved health. The ex-secretary first detailed the circumstances of his resignation, saying it was publicly done, and, further, he met no opposition from President Hayes when he approached him regarding the matter. The first offer of the American chairmanship was made to

him by Jesse W. Seligman in 1880 and was not accepted until after full conference with friends and the president and the determination on his part ; that there was nothing inimical jto the interests of the United | States. He denied that the Hay as administration was opposed to the ! canal, but did not want it under American Control. He had the idea when he accepted the chairmanship of Americanizing the affair and tried te get an American construction company to build it. The entire administration, so far as he knew of the affairs of the I American committee, was on the strictest business principles. Col. Thompson said he did not know l what were the duties of the bankI ing houses, whose representatives were • members with him of the 4 mer ' can committee, and he was much surprised j when he learned within a week that S the three had been getting each $50,000 ■ a year, or each of them twice his own salary for their services in this couni try. Col. Thompson denied that the Panama Canal company had a lobby at Washington either to procure favorable legislation for the Panama canal or to fight the Nicaragua people, and he said he kept clear of the lobbyists and that there was no improper expenditure of money so far as he was aware of. Col. Thompson said: “When I saw it stated recently that $12,000,000 or some such sum was sent over here and placed to my credit that startled me. I now see the explanation of it. That must have been the sum paid these bankers, of which I knew nothing." CoL Thompson said that when the I Nicaragua treaty was before the senate all he did was to write a pamphlet again st it, which he had anonymously placed in the hands of all senators.

RICHARD W. THOMPSON.