The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1893-01-06
THE NIoAR1U9U4 CANAL.

THE NTC1RABGBd CANAL.
a bill hes already been reported favor
ably BY ihe senate committee to which
It Wss referred, lending the aid Of the
government BY way Of endorsing the
hnnds IF the American Canal Com
penny, and some are 30 sauguine as 10
anticipate some decided action thereon
by the present congress.
To the friends Of this measure it IL .
most gratifying fact that politics is mot
in 1t, so tospeak, Nearly Ill the great /
men Of the country, both 10 and outof
congress, including both the President
and President-elsct. favor the scheme,
and recognize its importance, not to
aav necessity. The collapse Of the
French project and the scandals con-
nected Herewith, while Il has brought
that nation TO the very verge of ruin, Is
certainly most valuable object lesson
to this country, and 1t is hardly possible
that the stupenduus frauds that have
rscently been brought to light, incnl-
pating nearly all the prominent politi-
clans Of France and many leading finan-
cieFs in at least three of the great ma
tions Of Europe, will be repeated here.
The canal should of course be under
American control, and beyond doubt
1t can and will be huiltmainly by Amer
lean capital. The magnitude OF the
undertaking precludss the idea Of its
consnmation without government aid
IN one form or another. We think a
Democratic administration may be safe
p entrusted with the work of furnish
ing this needed aid in such way rs 10
make the government reasonably secure
from any ultimate loss and also from
the tlisgraCeful intrigues and scandals
which may yet result in the wreck of
the French republic.
The Credit dfobelieT business of a
quarter of century ago is still fresh in
rhe minds of the middle.aged men of
fodRy, and they remember how this
government paid for the building of the
lirsr Pacific r, nd more than double liz
c''st in bonds btHFirg H high rate al in-
crest, aud ~ addition to that gHveSNay
.Buueh # the Inbic dnmain TO tgua
10 area nearly all five Of the New Eug-
md states, making ia this mnl,ner
many miIilOuaireS aud debanchiug cOu.
gees.
We certainly cannot affPrd another
rsdld Mubelier scandal, nor do we
ave any aIprsbepsIUDs Of anything If
be kind under existing circumstances,
AZ the time this vast scheme for pluB-
Ter Was so successfully executed the
RepubIioap party lowing tO-lhO disfran-
histmeBi If The southern states, WHs
~ an Overwhelming mei rItS, aud WAS
intoxicated With the magnitude of It's
,I,itIoai vIeluties, aud never before or
'luce Was such veuaIiiy and currup-
l'n in high places 30 prevalent.
The present existing circumstances
are far different. TheDemocratlc party
IS LOT cUITupt frpm hong continued aud
unrestricted power. aud iu it, past has.
tory has never been marked for prodi.
galIty and lavish extrsvagance. Ii IL
trne that the construction Of the canal
siii involve the * penditure OF vast
sum, but snm that can essily be pro.
sided. AS has been before Remarked
N these columns, the entire geometry
would be immensely benefited but th'
southern seaboard, more especially The
gulf states, wound reap the richest bar
vest. The subject of the advantages Il
be derived, commercially considered, il
too great for an attempted enumeration
here, and indeed volumes might bt
written. We cannot leave the subject
however, without saying that the eff
cheney Of onr navy would be doubled ,,
the construction Of the canal. Looked
At from any point Of view, the cana
would seem an absolute necessity, ans
once built, ii viii be. and forever re
main, the key to the navigation Of th,
waters Of the Western Hemisphere, ant
the wonder will be that its construction
was DO long delayed.