The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1898-06-30

ulOu beubc " VIC tOiiOWeo, tubt lucy
will be able to do but little damage.
The quicker the dishonest and Wild
eyed impractical element gets out OF
tn. Peoples Party the better it will be
for the party and the country.
-
CONTRACTION OF THE NICAKAuGUA
CANAL.
The Senate Committee on Nicaragua
Canal last week reported the bill pro-
viding for the construction Of the Nj
caraugua Canal. There has been .
long contest As to how this canal should
be constructed, that 10, whether it
should be constructed and operated by
the government Of the United States,
or whether the government should
permit . private corporation to con-
struct it and take the peoples money
and lend to the private syndicate, for
the purpose, As we did in building the
Union Pacific and Central Pacific Rail-
roads.
The scandals connected with the
Union Pacific Railroads are fresh 10 the
minds OF the public. No man who is
opposed to the rOttenness OF those
transactions can be in favor Of fur
nishing money to the private syndicate
to build the Nicaragua Canal. 1t
seems to us that all right-tbinking
and patriotic people would unquestion-
ably favor the canal being built and
operated by the United States. 1t is
necessary for this government to own
the canal, not only for our protection
and advancement of our commercial
interests, but as strategic means of
war OF the greatest importance.
1t will remembered that Cleveland
was in favor of lending the peoples
money to q private syndicate, and tried
to force such a bill through Congress.
1t will also be remembered that Sena-
tor Morgan, who was then chairman
Of the committee, and who had, for a
long time. favored the governments
building the canal, at last yielded to
Cleveland's idea, and favored the pri-
vate syndicate scheme. Senator Nor
gan's sudden and radical change of DO
sition on this most important question
was a surprise and disappointment to
his friends and to the country
generally. But there were enough
men in Congress opposed to such a
a scheme to prevent its passage.
The bill which has just been reported
is not all that could be desired, but it IL
much better than any other bill that
has been reported from the COMMITTEES
The bill practically provides for the
construction of the canal by the United
States Government, and provides ab
sOlutely for its control by our govern.
ment. but the bill contains a provision
for the payment Of five million of dol.
lars to the stockholders of the private
canal syndicate, which has been tryins
to lobby through the old bill. Thes.
stockholders claim that they hav.
done q great deal of work already
on the canal. We do not know wheth
er they have done five million dollar
worth or not; but we suppose a part O
this is to pay for their lobbying ex
penses, and, besides, to put good IA
bonus in the pockets of each one. Tn,
bill further provides that a small par
of the stock is to be held by the gov
ernments of Nicaragua and Costo Ri
ca. Treaties had to be made will
these countries to enable our govern
ment to build the canal across thei
territory. There is no objection t.
these governments holding part Of tn
stock as long As our government com
pletely controls the enterprise.
This Canal should be built withou
further delay. The estimate OF the cos
runs all the way from seventy million
to one hundred and forty millions o
dollars. But let the cost be either tn
minimum or the maximum amour,
and yet it is a comparatively small en-
terprise for a great government lik
this. 1t is of the greatest lmportanc
to this government that the canal b
built and controlled by our govern
ment, and we can build 1T and neye
feel it. We pay out each year for pen
sions more money than it would take t
build every foot of this Canal from
ocean to ocean.
In addition to the great value of tn,
canal to our commerce, we have re
Gently seen Of what great value tn
canal would be to US in times of wa,
II this canal had been finished tw
months ago. the battleship Oregon
which was on the Pacific coast, coul
have Joined our fleet at Cuba in les
than half the time that it took it to z
around South America, passing tn
danger point of Cape Horn.
The canal should be built and bull
at once.
. TIE CONSPIRACY STILL AT WORK,
Its reasonably certain that som
. corporation and monopoly money wa
contributed to try to control the receu