The Hawaiian gazette., 1899-12-08
TNE NicAKA.uA canal

The nght In Congress for the Mica.
rasua canal Ia already under way sat
the House will be compelled to make
another record I'm that subject. en-
dlsmaycd by the triumph OF the r-ilJ
roads In the last House, triumph
which the easy passage OF the amend
ed canal bill In the Senate accentuatcd
MIR. Hepburn has resumed the Mica
rsgua battle and may be trusted TO do
all that any one man can to persuade
the House majority to take favorable
action. We wish we could anticipate
more.
IL is q sharp commentary on the idea
that the people rule In democratic Am
erica that the building of an isthmian
canal IL not now under way. When
President Cleveland, in the early part
of his second term, described the canal
as the most popular measure before
the American people he simply told Q
Truth which finds It's vivid attestation
in press and platform alike as 1t has
done for. twenty years past. Every
State on or near the Atlantic. Gulf and
Pacific coasts is In favor of building
the Nicaragua canal and doing so, II
necessary, at Government expense.
The interior States which raise wheat
for which quick export to the Far East
Is desirable are for the big waterway:
the manufacturing States want it for
a similar reason attaching both to the
import markets of the Far East and
OF the West Coast of Central and
South America. Before the war some
of the agricultural commemorative OF
the Middle West did not see the value
OF a ship canal from any point OF view
and during the hard times they were
fearful of its cost. But the patriot
ism aroused by the war together with
the easy financial market which came
of the tremendous uplift of values due
to the new tariff the higher price of
farm produce and the gold discoveries,
brought the Middle West around and
now the canal idea has. we believe, a
larger popular majority than ever be-
fore. a
But the majority was large enough
last year to have warranted Congress
in making the Nicaragua bill law.
Besides there was the spirit OF the
war and the memory of the Oregon S
long and fateful voyage-things which
ought to have inspired Congress as
they did the people. The Senate re-
sponded to these influences with a
splendid majority, but the House,
which Is supposed to be nearer the peo-
pie. was the one that baked. That
body simply chose to be unrepresenta.
tive, to veto the will Of the people;
and in doing 50 1t shook the whole
structure of popular government. Tina
was the time when the rights Of thu
electors were usurped and their wishes
denied by the Congressional majority
And why? Simply because the over
land railroads and the feeder line:
working with them, comprising the en-
tire railroad system of the United
States. did not want their high freigh
rates to be demoralized by canal trans
portation. Was that a sufficient reason
to defeat a measure which sought t
confer the greatest good upon thu
greatest number? Was 1t an homes
or even a decent reason? But char
acterize It as we please 1t was thu
actual reason and to it we owe the fac
today that Mr.. Hepburn and his loya
friends are simply fighting agains
fate. Try as they may they will no
be able to pass the canal bill. The all
powerful railroads will not permit II
The one hope for the canal lies in |
popular revolt against railroad infiu
ences in Congress and in politics gen
orally. There are symptoms of tina
, revolt on every hand, especially where
as in California, the railroad prestig
Is greatest, and as the rich corpora
tions. encouraged by success add pres
sure to the screws, the chances of thei
final overthrow increase. The tim
will come when the American peopl
will resume their sovereignty. The
only need to feel. a little deeper, tn
smart Of its loss. Unfortunately, how
ever, great bodies move slowly. eve
in response to urgent needs and :
their own best interests, and as
consequence no man can set even a
approximate date when work on tn
isthmian canal will begin.
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THE LAND CON CRONERSY