Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1893-01-21
NICARAGUA CANAL TO TEE
FRONT

The caucus representing the maj
ority of the United States Senate
has acted wisely in giving the re-
vised Nicaragua Canal bill prom
nent place upon the proposed order
of business for the winter. 1t is a
non-partisan measure, for both of
the two great national parties have
Endorsed the enterprise in their
platforms; and this is pre-eminent-
ly the time to enact non-partisan
legislation of value to the whole
country. This is in a certain sense
a non-partisan session, for, with the
Republicans controlling one House
and the Democrats the other, no
legislation is likely to get through
which is distinctively partisan in
character. The next Congress,
however, will be under strong par
tisan pressure, and non-partisan
bills will probably be swamped in
the multitude of partisan schemes.
1t is impossible to tell when the
Nicaragua Canal can be built under
auspices favorable to American in
terests and the Monroe doctrine if
not now. Long before another such
opportunity offers itself Great Brit
ain, which is even now at work de-
veloping British railroad and min
ing interests in Nicaragua and Costa
Rica, may get such hold of Central
American concessions that Ameri-
cas- opportunity will be lost.
The opposition arrayed against
the Nicaragua Canal bill is signif-
cant rather of what ought to help
the bill than of what ought to hurt
it. 1t bears striking marks of being
the concerted work of literary
bureau, operated, probably, either
in Great Britain's interest or in the
interest of the Panama scheme.
To give its prospects FEASIBILITY,
they are made to seem to come
chiefly from Southern and Western
cities, the great centers of those
parts of the country which would be
most benefited by the canal, as
their leading statesmen, such as
Senator Morgan, plainly see and
avow. Clearly no patriotic motives
inspire such opposition as this.
The bill in its mod flied form is
shorn of the principal features that
caused objection to the former
measure. 1t is hardly too much to
say that, instead of the government
helping private capital to build the
canal, private capital is to help the
government to build it; for the ele-
ment of governmental control is
much more pronounced than be-
fore, both as to the building of the
canal and as to its operation after
it is built. This change is in har-
mony with what the press has con-
tended for all along, namely, that
in its far reaching Importance the
canal is national and information
al rather than a local or personal
enterprise. All the world will want
to use it, and the United States
Government is the agency through
which we negotiate with the world
in international matters, and the
power which is to enforce the Mon
roe doctrine to prevent foreign ma
tions from getting dangerous foot
ing upon this hemisphere. The
Nicaragua Canal is the lever with
which any Archimedes among "a
tions who gets hold of it can move
thesworld.
To US, in particular, its undis-
puted and indisputable control by
the United States Government
means vast opportunities for Amer
lean commerce and a vast saving
in American administrative ma
chinery. Without the canal we
need two navies, one for each ocean;
with it, one navy sufiices. Without
our control of it, we may have end
less international dispute and en-
barrassment. With our control of
it undisputed, our other rights will
be undisputed.-N. Y Press.
THERE are three important bills
before the Legislature so far. That