The morning call., 1893-03-08
HOPE FOR THE DITCH.
Report of the Canal Agents at
Washington.
They Speak of Maiign Influence That
Has Been Brought to Bear
on Congress.
Special to THE MoRNINe CALL

WASHINGTON. March THE Nicaragua
Canal Commissioners having failed in Sc
curing the passage of the canal bill to-day
Issued the following address:
To the Delegates of the New Orleans
National Nicaragua Canal Convention:
With the close of the present session of
Congress your committee is also obliged to
rest from its labors at Washington in the
interest Of the Nicaragua canal, and begs
10 submit herewith its report of the present
status of the enterprise:
The session was a short one and many
important measures had precedence of the
canal bill. Your committee has earnestly
endeavored. and they believe with fair sue
cess, TO remove the widespread misunder-
standing as to what this Government can
and cannot do in connection with the con-
struction. ownership and control of the Mic
arRuga canal. and to that end has issued IL
circular historic letter. which was fayorably
received by Congress and the press of the
country. They have sought by every
argument at their command to place this
greatest American enterprise far above the
reach OF party politics into the purest and
finest air of patriotism. They have shown
that to construct and control it and make it
part of our mighty scheme of national
development would seem to be the newt
able evolution OF our destiny: that we
are impeled to this by every law OF
political and commercial gravitation;
that 1t is involved in and inter
woven with the industrial expansion of
the United States; that either commercial
profit or political expediency would consti-
tute sufficient reason for the construction
of this great work, and that the obligation
and OunortnOitV ~ hand n hand. hot in,
doing this we but do what we owe to our
selves aud to all American republics; that
we shah thereby increase our own and their
strength and promote our own and their
prosperity.
1t is to be expected, as matter OF course,
that it will meet with continued determined
opposition in the SenHte and house by GER
tain transcOntinenta tai railway interest. Their
well-trained and disciplined forces are here
now as they have been for years, and
are yigllant to secure what they
want. The Panama investigation devel-
Oped the fact that the Pacific Mail Steam
ship Company, subsidized by the Govern
ment, has been paying the Panama Railway
Company $4,000 per month for the exclu-
siye privilege over its lines, while the
transcontinental railroads, also subsidized
by the Government. have for a term of
years been paying the Pacific Mail Company
$4,000 per month In consideration that that
steamship line would permit them to fix the
rate to the Pacific Coast and to ind cate the
kind and quantity of freight they should
carry.
And it is not these elements alone that
are here engaged in opposition to this
work, but all the other competing routes
across the isthmus as we'll In addition to
these the extraordinary and startling dis
closures but recently made in connec-
ton with the Panama canal scandal
have revealed the fact that most
formidable mercenary political agencies
have also for years past been employed here
by the use of millions of dollars sent
from Europe for the purpose of defeating
the construction of the Nicaragua canal
They have succeeded. We appeal TO you to
preserve and enlarge your organization, and
to continue the work of agitation and edu-
cation now going on withIsueh high promise
OF success.
GEORGE L, CONVERSE President