Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1880-12-24
cAxAIs VS.. RAILWAY TRANSIT,

CANALS VS.. RAILWAY TRANSIT.
The subscription to the Panama Canal
scheme appears to have made much
greater progress than had been antici-
pated, if the reports be correct. There
must indeed be something substantial
about the movement in view OF the res
ionation of a member of President Hayes
Cabinet to accept the Presidency OF the
American Committee of the Panama
Company, with such a salary as S25,ooo
per year. As might have been expected,
the Nicaragua Canal project has beer re-
vived by it's friends, under auspices that
seem to assure to it a practical commence
ment, with the possibility that General
Grant will be the President of the COM
pany. Simultaneous with these pros
poets President Hayes has sent to Con
gress a very interesting official report
from the Bureau of Statistics, furnishing
elaborate tables and calculations to show
chat the Panama Canal cannot possibly
nav the interest on the investment. A
careful examination Of that report leads
to the conclusion that the great ques-
ton before the American people at the
present time is really not as to who shall
control or build either or both of those
canals, or any other Isthmian transit
lines, but how soon shall we be able to
push forward to completion the work on
our three unfinished trans-continental
railroads The information furnished by
the Bureau of Statistics shows very clear
w that. so far as the American trade is
concerned, the whole volume of our sup
plies of Asiatic goods can easily be re-
ceived by the road via San Francisco,
and that therefore neither the Panama
Canal nor the Nicaragua transit can real
ly be Of much consequence to the people
of this Republic as regards the control OF
the oriental traffic. If thus much has
been accomplished with Only n line OF
railway open through from New York to
San Francisco, and working under rates
better calculated to restrict than to en-
courage enterprise, it must be manifest
that whenever there shall be competition
in the trans-continental traffic the results
must be very great. OF course the usual
reply to this is a reference to the posi-
bility Of a combination of the whole four
lines, in much the same style as that OF
the trunk line Atlantic railways. New
ertheless it must be recollected that the
latter have enormously developed the
through traffic between the East and
West, and there cannot be a doubt that
similar results may be expected from the
competitions of four Pacific railroads.
The San Francisco Stock Report says
the world might lose a little in some
cases but would be a large gamer in a
very large number Of cases by making
the retirement not only Of soldiers, but
also Of poets, merchants, statesmen and
other men of celebrity in the community
at a certain age, say 81 or even earlier.
Occasionally a useful soldier, an enter
prising merchant, a wide-a-wake, level
headed statesman, an enjoyable poet
might be too easily shelved under such a
rule, but what numbers Of military loaf
era and blase veterans, what patches of
senile and p~layed-out versifers, what
thousands Of pig-headed, impracticable
"pioneers," what a fine assortment of
Bismarcks, Gortschakoffs, Gladstones,
and Disraelis the world would be rid of.
We should much like the so rule to come
into universal acceptance. W. should
also have it apply to the journalistic pro-
fession.