Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-03-26
COSTA RIGA DISAPPOINTED.
Reasons, Speculative and Otherwise.
why Her People Favor the Near
aqua Treaty.

dfAU QlpiOUdGlSb OIL GuIS COUuLfy,
writes San Jose, Costa Rica, cores
pondent of The New York Sun, ar
rived here recently from Aspinwall,
and brought the news of the defeat of
the Nicaragua canal treaty IN the
United States senate. 1t is under
stood that the doctor has been to
Washington, but that he denies. He
has been absent about two months on
some myster Gus business, which he
chooses not to disclose, but his re
lati0ns with the government give
color to report, gen orally believed
here, that ne was sent to Washington
to make a proposition to the secretary
of state on behalf OF Costa Rica that
the opposition of this country to the
canal project would be withdrawn IN
case a consideration in cash or an IN
terest IN the profits of the enterprise
was guaranteed by the United States.
The official organ of the government
here contained an article acknowledg
ed to have been written by DIR. Mon
'tufa, which would astonish those who
supposed Costa Rica to be opposed to
the treaty. The writer Of the article
processes to Lell what was said In the
executive session of the senate, AID
explains the defeat of the treaty to be
due to the opposition of the De Les
seps and Eads interest, and not to the
protests of Costa Rica. The appear
ance of the article IN the official
journal, and the relations of It's
author to the administration, gives it
q semi official character, and its pub
Iication is understood to be for the
purpose Of allaying the Indignation OF
the people, who believe the defeat of
the canal scheme was due to the OPP
position of their government.
Whatever may have been alleged IN
Washington, it is not true that there
is opposition to the canal in Costa
Rica. Although it is considered un-
commonly bad manners in Nicaragua
to sell to the United States territory
belonging to this country, there is an
alrnost unanimous desire here to have
the treaty ratified and the canal built
The motives are various. There is no
doubt that half the San Juan river,
which was to form part of the canal,
and all the land on it's right bank,
belong to Costa Rica; but the chance
of getting good ground for damages
is too tempting to be lost, and the pro-
test of Costa Rica was simply pro
forma, to preserve her dignity and
avoid a tacit consent TO the scheme.
The government owes English capi-
talists an enormous sum of money,
and it is expected that England will
support Costa Rica in any attempt to
recover damages in case the canal is
built. The completion of the canal
will, therefore, give both Costa Rica
and her creditors q fighting chance to
get some money.
AS soon as the scheme took shape
the citizens of Costa Rica made haste
to locate lands on this side of the San
Juan river, under law which gives
each settler the privilege of entering
twelve hundred acres of the public
domain, and seven years IN which to
pay for it. Every inch Of ground
along the right bank of the proposed
canal has been entered by SPECTATORS,
who expect to get rich by means of
indemnity claims or the increase of
the value of their property. They are
naturally disgusted with the defeat of
the treaty, and indignant at the gov
ernment for its supposed share in Sc
curing that defeat.
Then, again, the merchants and
other business men Of the country,
who care very little about riparian
rights or boundary lines, believe that
the canal would add to their prosper
lty by bringing in capital and immi-
grants, and they, too, are disappointed
at the failure of the project. These
two classes have the means of con-
trolling public sentiment to great
degree, and if one can Judge by street
talk, the defeat of the treaty is taken
as much at heart here as in Nicara-
qua.
Ia order to allay this excitement
the article referred to was published,
IN which it is asserted that the govern
ment Of Costa Rica has always been
favorable to the enterprise, has offered
the surveyors of the canal all possible
aid and encour9 9gement, and that the
extent Of its opposition was simply an
assertion of its dignity and a protest
against Nicaragua giving away what
didn't belong to her. DR.. Montufa
says that Secretary Frelinghuysen
was notified that Costa Rica would
not object to the canal, but that the
information did not reach the senate
IN time to secure the ratification of
the treaty. He promises that Senator
Edmunds' motion to reconsider will
be voted upon and carried ''as soon as
President Cleveland has delivered his
inaugural address," and that if he
people of Costa Rica will have little
patience the canal will be speedily
constructed without frivolous op-
position from anyone"
All this, as mas been said, is for the
purpose OF quieting public clamor.
The president of Costa Rica is not at
the capital, but has gone down to his
coffee estate In the mountains, and
has not heard the news from Wash
ington. The secretary of state ac-
companied his excellency, and the
secretary of the treasury, the only
other cabinet officer, is running
the government. He is a young man,