Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-02-17
EArE OF TIE cANAL NIL.

The failure Of the attempt made IN the
! House TO fastcn the Nicaragua canal Dill
upon an appropriation bin seems to dis
pose Of the canal bin for this session OF
Congress.
The Senate had passed Bill. and, we
believe. the House was willing 10 do Ike
wise but Mr.. Reed and Mr. Cannon have
thrown insurinountable obstacles in its
way.
The plan Of crowding the bin through
the House in the form Of a rider was I'M
doubleday Objectionable, and could only be
defended as an effort Of some of the mem
bcrs Of the House to break away from
the tyranny Of the Speaker.
What the Speaker and his henchmen
should have done was to permit ,..e mea-
sure to-come up upon its merits for fair
discussion. In that event the majority
could have said whether they wished to
pass the Senate or House bill or neither.
But no. the Speaker took It upon himself
TO decide that no action should be had at
this session.
OF course. Chairman Cannon's state
mcnt as 10 the country's finances was
mere subterfuge. Whenever the canal Is
built our government will have 10 issue
bonds thercfor-and built it will be- some
day.
Though we now despair Of favorable ac-
ton by the present Congress. we are not
dismayed. At worst. the friends Of the
canal will only have to wait till the FIT
ty-siXth Congress meets. At the latest
that meeting Will bee in December next.
and it is possible Congress may be call
ed into extraordinary session on the
4h of March or soon thereafter.
II is given out i'm administration circles !
that unless this Congress passes salts
factory army bill. the President will call |
the new Congress together at an early |
day. just now il seems unlikely that the |
Democrats and Republicans will agree to
give the President the large stand |
ing army that he demands. The |
opponents of an impenalisuc policy |
are willing 10 consent that the |
regular army should be recruited |
up TO the full number authorized at the |
beginning Of the war with Spain, and so |
continue for a limited time; but We are |
informed that this plan does not suit the
AT the present moment it, therefore, /
seems possible that the Fifty-siXth Con-
eress Will be called upon to do what this |
Congress Will not do But, before any de-
clded step is taken I'm that direction, we
euupose Mr. Hanna will ascertain the |
views of the members-elect, and see if he |
can surely rely upon the new Congress to |
put the cap upon the pyramid of imperial
ism. which Congress has been building so
this session.
But to return TO The canal bill We are |
aware that powerful influences are being |
eXerted to defeat It. These, we are sure, |
cannot always succeed. The Republicans
canal. and many Democrats are ready to |
support a reasonable and practicable bill. |
Moreover, the people are heartily in favor
If the canal. and the policy Of expansion
makes that waterway between the two
oceans a necessity. So. while CONGRESSES
delay is annoying, we cannot but look for
ward confidently to the future. Meantime,
the President may, and should, make
good use of the interval by coming to an
with Nicaragua and Costa
Rica and England as to matters of con-
troversv. which must be settled before
we begin spending our money on the
canal