The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-03-09
SENATOR MORGAN ON
DEFEAT OF RAILWAYS

a snip canal connecting the Atlanuo anu
Pacific oceans, believes that congress has
scored a strong point in legislation enacted
in the closing hours. Concerning the fu-
ture of the Nicaragua canal and the effect
of the canal item in the river and harboP
bill, Senator Morgan, in fulflment of the
request of the Journal, has written the fol-
lowing letter explaining the action of cone
gress - .4aaa
To the Editor of the Journal:
The efforts of the transcontinental rails
ways, including all of them, from the Pam
anna railroad to the Canadian Pacific, to
prevent the opening of any ship canal
across any part of the Isthmus of Darieu,
have been defeated by the passage of the
river and harbor bill. This has been the
real point in issue between these railways
and the people. Snd the people have TIRE
umphed over them. We are to have a ship
canal and 1t will be located at the point
stated by De Lesseps In his examination
before a committee of the house of repre-
sentatives March 8, $780, when he saidf
IF it were determined to build a lock ca~
nal, and If there could not be a canal be.
tween the two oceans except lock canal.
then there was no doubt that the Nicaras
qua route was the best route
De Lesseps expended $1S0.OO0,oO0 of the
money of the French people in the effort to
build a sea level canal at Panama and fail-
ed. Heartbroken and scandalized by the
methods of his associates in this futile
work, he really died of a broken heart He
knew that lock canal could not be cons
structed at Panama, and In his extremity
abandoned all hope of any canal on thnt
line.
The proposed plan of making a lock canal
at Panama with the remnants of the assets
of the Panama Canal company, by con-
structing dams and reservoirs On the moui-
tain sides to compete with the ground lakes
of Nicaragua in furnishing a water supply,
is too romantic for the practical common
sense of our people. 1t must be that the
so-called new company" Is seeking to en-
nance the profits over its short railroad
line of forty-six miles, and that 1t is not
the naval power nor the commercial pros-
perity of our people that stimulates them
to urge this pretense of lock canal
through the isthmus at Panama The COM
pany owns a splendid railroad property at
that point, and. as well as all the other
transcontinental railroad owners, is really
endeayoring to prevent the construction of
any waterway for ships across the conti-
nent.
1t is this combination that congress has
destroyed by the enactment of the river and
harbor bill. But, to satisfy all who may
have preference for the Panama canal
route, this measure includes that in the OK
animation required as to the Nicaragua
route.
The senate OaSSpd a oft
ture and careful consideration for con-
structing a canal through the Nicaragua
route and under the concessions of Nicara-
qua and Costa Rica to the Maritime Canal
company. The vote was forty eight to six
on the passage of the BILL
The bill went to the house and was
amended by the committee on commerce by
striking out all but the enacting clause and
substituting measure which looked to tho
acquisition of sovereignty over the territory
OF Nicaragua and Costa Rica sufficient for
the canal and for policing and defending it.
IMs apparently impossible plan WAS Of
Tered by the committee in the house of rep
rosentatives as an amendment to the sun
dry civil appropriation bill. 1t was fought
with desperation and was defeated on a
point of order, the speaker being In open.
active and desperate hostility to the meas.
ure. A resolution asking for a rule to f,,
a time for a direct vote on that substituted
measure was offered and went to the com.
mittee on rules of which the speaker was
chairman, but it was not reported to tho
house This defeated the only chance for a
vote on the bill separate measure. and
the canal was lost and the peace of the
county endangered by our refusal to de.
clare for canal, and by the complications
with other governments that would cer-
tainly follow.
The situation was desperate and required
hrmness and courage to meet it. Many
members of the house importuned me Ia
oIIer the bill that had been reported by Mr.
Hepburn as substitute for the bill that
mad passed the senate by way of amend
ment to the river and harbor bill then I'M
der consideration by the senate committee
on commerce. proposed that amendment.
by direction of the canal committee and it
was agreed to and reported by the commit
tee on commerce, and after full discussion
1t was adopted in the senate by a vote of
81 to 8.
Then began another desperate struggle, in
which the speaker led, to defeat 1t in the
house, and. being afraid of direct vote in
the house, the entire bill was placed in dis
agreement by the hope of its enemies that
the canal bill would be defeated In con-
IL
drag down the entire river and harbor bill
with it, and all those necessary public
works would fail of support.
The firm, reasonable and patriotic action
OF the committee on commerce resulted in
compromise measure, of which Mr..
Reeves, of Illinois, is the author, and after
a hard struggle 1t was voted in the bill by
both houses.
This result is due to Senators Frye, Ell
kfns and White, who, acting with two of
the house conferees, have saved the canal
to the people. This legislation is not COM
plete, but 1t is final decision that ship
canal Will be built by the United States
through the Isthmus of Darien without de-
lay. and 1t empowers the president to take
all necessary preliminary measures to Sc
cure that result, and gives him the means
to secure 1t.
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