Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-03-26
NICARAGUA CANAL.

NICARAGUA CANAL.
10 The Editor OF the Register.
III Lny last article / showed that both
u me political parties-Democratic
anu Repu0!lean-3re fully committed
10 american control and construction
OF the Nicaragua Canal
40" proceed 20 prove that this oues-
tloh Is paramount i'm imDortarco IN any
o1ner at present agitating the public
First:
THE FINANCIAL PROBLEM
This viii sooner or later worl, ON.
us own solution. - maintain the sim
Sie sold standard, as now established
i-uoni-!tely ana permanently. Is lust as
iuipOssloie as 10 stand a pyramid unon
~ epeA' OF cause a river 10 run ND
ST e'In' We cannot reverse the laws Of
nature. The famine in India and Lou
lSlaha, the distress fin all c0ogcs.ad ce0-
Tres OF population. from Chicago "a. Ber-
I'm; the universal decline in the nrice
OF commodities, labor. and real estate.
anu the weekly increase of failures. in
dlVldual ana corporate. as reported by
the journals OF trade. will compsl the
new administration "a adoDt measures
or relief. Agreed of this fact. we can
anCrd 10 wait
THE TARIFF.
The raising Of revenue by a tax upon
consumption has SO long been the pol
Icy OF the Federal government. that we
may regard lt as firmly established. Let
Us concede that, for revenue 20 support
the annual expenditures. we are 10 look
manly to TAX upon consumption.
nevertheless. changes should be intro
dueed cautiously and gradually. The
Niison-Gcrmon bin was merely initial
and experimental L. was no- i'm any
sense radical or purely Democratic
measure. Any proposed reformation
by a return TO higher rates Of protective
duties will doubtless De made with SIM
liar cautious and prudential step. AS
there IS no urgency about it. so there
need be no haste, no hurry.
THE ARBITRATION TREATY.
No man i'm this state. perhaps. has
taken a prof0under interest than / i'm
the establishment Of an international
tribunal, or boarG of arbitration, where
by the final arbitrament of war should
be superseded by an uWpirage more i1
accordance with the religion and civil
iZatiOn of the age. But. as Nj Glad
stone ohserveC-in substance when
lpologizi1g for Eugland's devotion and
adhesion 90 the single sold standard.
There is q point where mere Cr.imelt
must give way 90 material iotercsts.
The question Of international arbitra-
-
under discussion for q century or long
er, and can now bee neither delayed nor
fastened bv turning it over 90 q school
of pure gush or religious sentimental
ity. Should any controversy arise be-
tween this country and England, iJ is
morally il not absolutely. certain %
arise about an American question, and
not upon an European. or AsiG-ic or
African question. There are therefore,
many reasons why We should proceed
with supreme caution a-G without the
least haste or precipitaucy. / venture
70 suggest that the umpire. IN case of
disagreement between the members of
the board of arbitration, should be an
American-Say the President OF Mexico
or Brazil-instead OF an European king
or pOtentate. For example. the Mon
roe doctrine was q challenge To all OF
Europe. IL meant America for the
a ,ss--eaps was first projected
against Russia. aNd thence hurled. with
a ricOchet. against the whole eastern
hemisphere. Now. suppose q question
about the validity or application of the
Monroe doctrine. When arhitrators are
evenly divided. the umpire becomes the
court of last resort. Shall this court
he an European tribunal, On European
king under the thumb of England II
so. the war OF the revolution was tousht
In vain. The poison Of British inhu-
once will have done it's full and perfect
work in America.
vital question which may at any
moment be sprung upon the American
peOple is this. Did the notice served
uD0n England by Blaine, Fish, FreIing-
huvsen and the rest suffice 90 abrogate
the Clavton-Bulwer treaty. and open
tbe vav 10 the construction by the
United States of the Nicaragua Canal?
This is strictly an American question,
ard ask i'm all earuestness, ought IL
n no submitted to- the king Of a second
class European power as court or last
-o,ort9 God forbid, His Judgment
would be a f0reg0ue conclusion
While therefore the adoption of the
proposed arbitration treaty is a consam-
nation most devoutly 20 be wished
nrovertbeless. as for as the United States
are concerned. its consideration should
he deliberate and prolonged, rather
than precipi-ated and hasJY. OpoH IL
tLo besf Judgment Of the nation. win
.obor second thought. should be in-
I'oi-ed The only question which can
not wait is The construction OF the Me
n ar, Canal. We have now ON OBJ
Dortunitv which may never present ''-
sslf again. We have now concession
GA on administration in Nicaragua IA
vorable to our construction OF tnis great
work. Why neglect So great an opp''-
tuhi''' DANIEL. b. LUCAS.
charles Town. ". Va. March 20, 1917.
BFLLAIRE.
r.T ~n-UfrfTi aI