The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1899-12-07
THE NICARAGUA CANAL.

The fight in Congress for the Mica
ragua canal is already under way AM
the House will be compelled to max,
another record on that subject. I'm
dismayed by the triumph OF the rail
roads in the last House-a triumph
which the easy passage of the amend
ed canal bill in the Senate accentuatei
Mr.. Hepburn has resumed the Mica.
ragua battle and may be trusted to dc
all that any one man can TO persuade
the House majority to take favorable
action. We wish we could anticipate
more.
IL is a sharp commentary on the idea
that the people rule in democratic Am
erica that the building of an isthmian
canal is 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 a
Il nth which finds its vivid attestation
in press and platform alike as it has
done fer 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. If
necessary, at Government expense.
The interior States which raise wheat
for which quick export TO the Far EasS
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 ship canal from any point of view
and during the hard times they were
fearful of its cost. But the patrioe-
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.
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
ong and fateful voyage-things which
ought to have inspired Congress as
hey did the people. The Senate re-
iponded 10 these influences with a
plendid majority, but the House,
which is supposed TO be nearer the peo-
lie. was the one that baked. That
'ody simply chose TO be unrepresenta-
i've. TO veto the will of the people;
nd in doing 50 il shook the whole
tructure of popular government. That
Fas the time when the rights of the
lectors were usurped and their wishes
enied by the Congressional majority.
And why? Simply because the over
md railroads and the feeder lines
-orking with them. comprising the en-
re railroad system of the United
tates, did not want their high freight
ates to be demoralized by canal trans
ortation. Was that a sufficient reason
} defeat 4 measure which sought to
lnfer the greatest good upon the |
reatest number? Was it an honest l
r even a decent reason? But char '
cterize il as We please it was the 1
ctual reason and to it we owe the fact
,day that Mr. Hepburn and his loyal
lends are simply fighting against Q
ne Try as they may they will not n
able TO pass the canal bill. The all ~
1werful railroads will not permit it. ,
The one hope for the canal lies in 4
5pular revolt against railroad infiu- h
ices in Congress and in politics gem q
ally. There are symptoms of that e
volt on every hand. especially where, A
in California, the railroad prestige a
greatest, and as the rich corpora a
pms. encouraged by success add pres +,
re to- the screws, the chances of their n
lal overthrow increase. The time
IN come when the American people
III resume their sovereignty. They