Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1884-12-18
The PUGNAGIoUS CLERK
Who Tkreatoaed Newspaper Hen
Rith Vengeance
IF THEY DARED 70 PUBLISH HIM.
The True inwa7IHeSs Of the Nicaragua
Canal Scheme Gradually Com
ing TO Light
a QUESTIONABLE MEASURE.



WAsnNorux, December 1.-THE pug
nacious J. J. barker who is doing his best
TO convict his late official supervisors in the
Treasury department Of improper auditing
Of bills, and who has repeatedly threatened
TO challenge any newspaper man who was
resi- orsible for the publication ofany tesrl-
mony adverse to himself is getting himself
into rather a bad box. Mr. Ayres, the
correspondent OF the Kansas City Times,
published in the locality from
which Barker came to Washington, was on
the witness stand yesterday and swore that
the latter could not be believed under oath.
lie modestly confessed that he had formed
his opinion from hearsay which was that
Parker was the monumental, mastodonlc
liar of the country. The eX-clerk looked
daggers at him but did not succeed in
frigL tering the witness or any one else.
II ere was ntirg part cularly impcs
ing about the opening the New Orleans tx.
position BY electricity from the Presidential
MANSION 1t was an exceedingly tame
affair, but if the ghost Of the first American
President was looking on, he must have
found it a very interesting spectacle as III
deed it was to the world in general from
sentimental standpoint. The failure Of
Congress to attend the Exposition will be
rather dampenlng circumstance to the
ardor of the gallant southerners who are run
ming it, but the public business had to be at
tended TO.
The lew Nicarauguan treaty is creating
a great deal OF discussion i'll Washington.
Whether we really want a canal there or
not. is certainly a very serious question.
Before ANYTHING can be done TO carry out
the terms OF such q treaty as that which has
ueen Negotiated the De LeSsep3 scheme will
have been consummated at Panama, and
before the canal could be completed there Is
at least chance that he TcIan;epec ship
railroad project Of Captain Eads will have
been carried into effect The proposition Is
net TO build a tile water level canal
across the Nicaragua route but a lock canal
on such q scale H. the world has never seen
before and the practicabilitY Of which is, to
say the least, as doubtful as that Of the Ship
railway scheme. Moreover the matter in
vowed in the treaty is very Gerious one
from the standpoint of international poll
tics. nder it the United States proposes
TO build o canal to be thanked on either side
10y strip Of territory three miles wide
which is to be really neutral ground owned
bv the United States but subject to the po-
lice jurisdiction OF the petty little State
10 which it now belongs. The whole
expense Of building the canal Is to be borne
by the United States but in consideration OF
this generous offer on the part ofthe minor
contracting power half the aggregate
amount Of tolls per anrum are to be given
to Nicaragua in addition to submitting to
the police jurisdiction of Central
Ame. lean Stat,. On his six mile strip Of ter
ri;ory ncle Sam is to be subjected to q
careful examination OF his books by Nicar
augua officials 10 prevent the possibility OF
his swiud!ing them. He will have the
light, however, to build forts on his land in
,!Ine Of war, il he so chooses. That is the
substance Of the treaty. To the averagr
Congressman it seems 10 be almost as one
sided bargain as the Spanish treaty and
,,ry much n,ar" hmgjiinting to the sense Of.
--;oual dignity. The question ..Yriy,
arise; whether Nicaragua coulI no
lie bought cut, body, soul and breecAe5
10 use Yankee expression, for al
amount not much greater than half ,hr
sum OF the tolls on such canal would com.
70, fer the first year. The casual observer
Hould be inclined to believe that the in
crease Of trade TO Nicaragua ports would
more than compensate the government o.
that country for an absolute ceSsion of the
suip OF land alluded TO, without any share
IN tie products of an investment of Ianke"
capital.
Moreover, it is questionable whether 9th.
er powers would consent 10 allow the United
States to maintain the Monroe Doctrine in
lac,, while undertaking to 20 outside it,
own territory to build and own a shipcanal
France would be very likely to insist on
the night to hold a military inter
est in the Panama scheme and Great
Britain would manifest her accustomed
alacrit; in finding toothold in Central
Amerc-. Example is better than pre-
cept so tar as The maintenance Of the Mon
roe Doctrine is concerned and there is very
little probability that the treaty will be con.
irmed.
Mrs. Wilson and Miss Wilson, o. Wheel.
ing, are at the E5bett House. There ar
10 yther arrivals Of West Virginia peopl
at Washington CLAY. j. 4.