The San Francisco call., 1897-03-29
THERE HOPE FOR THE CAN AL.

There was good deal of sanguinen ess
in the country twelve years ago. The
bright, healthy people of the West were
ready to pin their exuberant faith to any
prospect that struck them as desirable.
What they wanted they believed, with in
genuous optimism, they would eventually
attain, especially if it were proposed in
due authoritative form by their official
representatives. 1t is not too much to
say-for we are confident that the older
residents of San Francisco Will bear US out
III it-that not longer ago than twelve or
fifteen years it was complacently assumed
by half the people of the State that some
bright day the gods would look down and
behold completed new" City Hall in
San Francisco or some other wonder OF
equal magnitude, and the same hopeful
spirits, with y lot of others, were quite as
firmly persuaded that within few years
they would witness the opening of the
Nicaragua canal.
In 1885 majority of American Senators,
moved partly by impatience and partly
by unbroken faith in the future, at
tempted to force things in the direction
OF a canal by voting in favor OF treaty
with Nicaragua, whereby our Govern
ment was to enjoy an exclusive right of
way across that country on strip two
and a half miles wide, and in return
therefor was TO loan Nicaragua 81 600, CO.,
TO be expended in public improvements,
and give her specified share of the net
earnings from the canal, together with a
guarantee to protect her territory thereto
adjacent
President Arthur, after securing the
ratification of this treaty by Nicaragua,
presented the document to the American
Senate for Endorsement. The vote stood
80 to %, but more than a third voted
against it, thus d feating it for a time
Then a move for reconsideration was
made. While this was pending in stepped
Mr.. Grover Cleveland as President, and
into the capacious pocket of that great
| mans waistcoat went the ill-fafed treaty.
He blandly intimated that his careful
examination OF the paper might visibly
improve the whole situation; but it may
as well be remarked here that in this he
erred, since he has been examining" it
for twelve years, more or less, and the
situation has improved neither itself
nor him.
Now, however, the treaty of twelve
years ago has been recurred TO by Senator
Sherman, upon the suggestion of Minister
Rodriguez of Nicaragua. and the Senate
has been considering it anew. 1t is not
at all likely that it will pass now, nor
would it be advisable to have it passed at
this late date, when conditions are all
changed from what they were twelve
years ago. There have been wars in
and about Nicaragua, and the lat
ter has become part of the
Central American Republic, thereby
in all probability precluding any arrange
ments for United States protection to her
territory as was formerly proposed. Be-
sides, the construction of canal has act
ualIy been commenced by private ar
rangements with Nicaragua, ana the
projectors thereof would require reim-
bursting by whoever took the JOB off their
hands.
But something on the primary lines of
the original treaty might be passed. Such
treaty would undoubtedly conflict with
the Clayton Buiwer treaty now existing
between us and Great Britain, but Sen.
ator Morgan boldly proposes that this lat
ter be abrogated. Considerable discussion
must necessarily follow so important a
proposition, and the Senate ii likely to de-
vote large amount of its spare time
upon it while the House is lettering over
the tariff bill.