The San Francisco call., 1899-03-08
THE NICARAGUA CANAL.

ENAIOK MORGAN, the sincerity OF WHOSE
\ support of the Nicaragua canal project is not
- to be doubted, is reported to be well satisfied
with the results attained by the friends of the mea-
sure in the late Congress- letter attributed to him
says: The earnest and patriotic purpose OF the
President to construct canal has been responded to
by Congress in decisive and conclusive way and the
foundation has been laid which will never be shaken
for this work of universal benefaction.
1t is to be hoped this sanguine view OF the situation
is correct for it is much more hopeful than that taken
by the public Despite the high authority OF the Sen
ator however there will be widespread doubt OF its
correctness. The Senator is growing old and has
acquired a habit OF seeing things he desires them
rather than as they are 1t is possible and prob
able that in this in many Others he has per
mted the wish to be father the thought, and in
dulges the belief that he has accomplished much for
the canal, when matter of fact the enterprise has
been stalled for years to come.
Congress voted an appropriation for survey OF
all the suggested routes for the canal but dollar
for beginning construction on any OF them. Under
the act the commission charged with the survey will
have to report upon the Panama route we'll upon
that OF Nicaragua This the face of it is victory
for the Panama Company. Their project now stands
On the same footing with that of Nicaragua and an
opportunity is afforded them to make a strong fight
when the next Congress meets
for the opponents OF the to set up one
against the other and thus provoke rivalry which
will indefinitely postpone action If public sentiment
becomes divided as to which route would be the bet
ter there will be an inevitable weakening OF the
forces favor of canal while the antagonists OF the
enterprise will remain firmly united as ever and
have the further advantage of pretending support
one project or the other, while really preventing the
adoption of either.
We have seen such tactics employed with success
for good many years by the opposition to the pro-
posed reforms in the postal regulations designed to
make the service self-supportng- Two plans were
| advanced in the late Congress for that purpose-one
proposed to check the abuse of the second class mail
privilege, which entails such heavy expense upon
the service the other proposed to reduce the
paid to the railroads for carrying the mails
The adoption of either of these would have resulted
in a saving sufficient to put an end to the annual
deficit in the Postoffice Department.
When the first plan was submitted to the House
however, it defeated by who said they pre-
ferred the second plan. When the second sub
nlitted it defeated by men who declared them
selves in favor OF the first plan. Thus nearly every
member OF Congress made record in favor of pro-
vding remedy for abuses in the postal service and
establishing the service on an economical basis and
yet nothing accomplished Congress, it appears,
we'll nigh unanimous that something should be
DONE and equally unanimous in resolving not to do it.
There is danger that such tactics will be used
against the canal enterprise The friends of Panama
will vote against Nicaragua, and the friends OF
Nicaragua will oppose Panama Such is the situation
it appears to-day, and it behooves the real adj
of the enterprise to be active and vgilan or
the results in the Congress will be only another
postponement and appropriation for another
survey.