The times., 1898-07-01
CIRCULATION STATEMENT
FRIDAY. JULY !, 1898.
The Nicaragua CannI.

A splendid thing would haze been ac
complished for American progress and
prosperity if Senator Morgan's amend
ment TO the general deficiency bill. Of
fered by him on Wednesday. had been
adopted instead OF being ruled OUT on
q point OF order. As readers Of The
Times are already aware, it provided
Tor a commission to settle the Central
Pacific indebtedness TO the United
States, on the basis Of a sum not less
In amount than the principal Of the ra-
tional claim with interest, and devoted
all the money so obtained by the Gov
ernment 10 the purpose Of constructing
the Nicaragua canal
In explaining his amendment, Sena-
tor Morgan stated that as the claim
against the Union Pacific Railway had
been settled by judicial and executive
action in the same way, a precedent
had been established. and there was
no ground for expecting that any better
terms could be had in the case of the
Central Pacific That being so, he
and other friends Of national expan-
sion and commercial growth had
thought it well TO authorize such a set
tIement, and TO devote the funds de-
rived from il TO the great national un-
dertaking Of the inter-oceanic canal
The amendment was strenuousIy op-
posed by Mr.. Hale and others and, as
We have said, was thrown out on a
point Of order. If it had been adept
ed the Sicaragu guam canal question might
have been at an end, and the building
OF the ditch under way within three
months. That prospect. golden for the
country, but obnoxious to certain inter
ior railway interests, was not lost upon
the anti-canalers, who promptly form
ed in line Of opposition, with the result
stated
1t is pity. The money which Will
be returned TO the Treasury by the Cen
tral Pacific corporation was originally
drawn from the people in the way of
taxation. 1t has served the purpose
Of building up the vast interior Of the
Continent Nothing would be better or
more popular than to use il again for
the construction Of a work, the success
ful completion of which viii change the
whole course of the worlds trade and
transportation systems and transfer
their center and exchange point to the
United States
When the last Pacific settlement has
been made, a sum approximating s125.-
O0000 viii have been turned into the
Treasury or amply secured. That would
be more than ample to cover the cost
Of a much more expensive work than
the Nicaragua canal, but, to the extent
that might be necessary, every dollar
of il should be subject to draft for
the benefit Of the national enterprise.
The American people are wide awake
at last to the need Of this avenue of
commerce. as well as to the risks they
run in permitting action TO be deferred
Before long the American concession
will run out, and lapse to the British
Atlas Company which has a conflict
ing concession and is waiting greedily
for ours TO fall so that it may be grab
bed, and the canal constructed under
British auspices. This is perfectly
plain and notorious, yet senator's and
representatives in Congress are not diff
fcult to find, who are open to the argu-
ments of the lobby employed in opposi-
ton.
1t is disheartening TO observe that
nearly every measure of pressing ma
tional Importance must be painfully
and patiently fought through against
a solid wall Of hired obstruction, erect
ed by sordid interests whose exponents
would cheerfully sell their country to
the Sultan Of Turkey if that course
would put money in their pockets.