The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-12-28
The SCHEMES AND SCHEMERS
fpy a. A. EDwARDs.)

tai )--Tbe Schemes that people try 70 wof'
on Uncle Sam arc not only numerous Du
prol1i, of dollars to the scheners Tn
latest Ia to grab all the osblc francnise'
from the Unfted States to Hawaii ana I'M
philippines. Congressman Corliss OF Mich
tgsn has driven spike into this scheme
and 1t rs aakely to kill It. His bill provides
fer the construction Of a cable by this gov
ernment from the United States to Hawaii
the Philippines and japan.
4 II kn5cks the tar out OF the scheme o.
I man named Schrymser, who Is worth al
i sorts OF money and who is making strenu-
Gus efforts to get mere by grabbing on .
i monopoly OF the Pacific cabls business.
/ Slchrymser Is a. man who has had the mon
opoiy ct an the cables to South America
and who ~ said to own all the cables enter
ing this country except the Postal com :
pany's. Schrymser, who appears to know
bis business, has a bal pending in con-
grees giving him 500, 900 a year for twenty
years. or enough TO build the cable to Ha-
wah. He is now In japan working TO get
similar concession from japan to Hawaii.
! II he gets 1t and his bill here goes through
he will be able to blIiqd a cable CLEAR across
without spending a cent OF his own money
as the subsidies win foot the bill.
| ~
| But this isn't all OF Schrymser's shrewd-
ness. Last summer he went to Hawaii and
got President Dele to grant him monopoly
of all cable rights in the ISLAND republic
| for a geng term OF years.
The only hitch in Il was a proviso Dole
He made Schrymser agree that his contract
| for a monopoly would only hold good IL 1t
was not disapprovtli by the United States
secretary Of state within six months. The
six months are up on January and IL Sec
retary Hay doesn't put his n. 8. upon the
tontract before that date Schrymser has his
cable monopoly cinched, as Hawaii is al
most Indispensable as a handing place for all
cables crossing the Pacific
Mr.. Coriss has called upon Secretary Hay
and asked him to dsapprove the contract,
but HAY wk'uld only promise to consider the
matter. He has now written Hay formal
letter asking the annulment of Schrymsers
TO make 1t hotter than Santiago for Hay.
Mr.. Corliss says he wants his cable to be
built cut of the treasury by the president
and TO be operated by the postoffce depart
n1ent. The commission sent to Hawaii by
the president to recommend a form OF gov
ernmsnt for the islands ALSO recomme nds
that the government cable be operated by
.bs, rn- torfco dana nj ,,,s.rt
49,
The chances for the passage OF any Me-
aragua canal bin at this session OF con-
gress are growing Simmer each day. The
big lolbbhes here are nlat only throwing huge
obstacles in the way of any canal bill, but
Ike honest divergence of opinion among
members CT congress ais to the best plan
proposed Is also delaying the game.
The Morgan b3ll and the bill introduced
by Mr.. Hawley of Galveston as chairman
OF the subcommittee on Interstate and for
elgn commerce, Gre practically the same and
propose TO have the canal built under the
concessions granted to the Maritime Canal
company. Many members object to this
because they do not want the name of the
corptuei~lln. They demand an American
canal built directly by the government and
no cooperation business connected with II.
This brings US right bang up against the
government ownership OF transportation
companies and involves possibly the ulti-
mate ownership of all raGfroads and tele.
siaphs and such things. OF ocmrse, all this
d.nerence OF opinion is strongly augmented
by the arguments of the able gentlemen
VINO represent the tranScontinen tai railroad
lines and the Panama canal scheme.
~
The Hawley bill overcomes some of m.
objections OF men who want the govern |
nMit to OWE the canal outright, which it
does under the provisions OF
THAT bill, and which, in section 49, pro- |
vides that the canal shall be neutral at all |
times except in case OF war. 1t is. in all |
probability, the best bill SO far offered
Under which TO construct this absolutely |
necessary commercial ard naval waterway. |
The Hepburn bill has clouded the waters |
considerably, and If it is accepted there |
10 no telling when the canal will bs built.
His bill oontemplates tho purchase out
right from the governments OF Costa Rica
ani Nicaragua "full ownership, jurisdictio,
and sovereignty for and IN behalf OF the
United States" Of such territory In those
.wo countries as may be necessary to build
-he camel. 1t also appropriates $780, 900
o complete the work. This bill would en-
'ail endless negotiations with those two
Countries. and II might be years before n
proper agreement could be reached and III.
work begun. For that reason 1t will prob.
lbly be rejected.
long stride toward quick action on tbi.
'usiness developds, however. when 1t was
earisd that Dngland had practically with.
lrawn all her objection to the abrogation
Il the Clayton Bulwer treaty. The New
FORK Herald story was good as far as n
vent, but 1t did rot give the reason for !
lnglanos complatency in the matter Euy.
sr'd IS rot addicted to giving away things
or nothing ami she has not done q, a.
his instance. II seems that McKinley. IN
onsideratdon OF the fact that Ereiar.d,. /,
bsitude during our war with Spain kan,
fnra tnu l 4