The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-06-27
TO NOMINATE COL. LESTER.
DISTRICT CONVENTION MEETS AT
sTATEsBORO TODAY.

Savannnh's Delegates Will Leave by
the Georgia and Alabama This
Morning-CoI. Lester VIII Attend.
Snvannah's Congressman Tells
Why He Voted Against the House
Nicaragunn Canal BiI1-FRvOrs the
Building of the Canal, but COnsid-
ers the House Bill an Unvise Meas
ure-COngress an UnwicIdIy Body
Now and He Hopes Its Membership
viii Not Be Increased After the
Census.
The convention to name a Democratic
candidate for the First Congressional dis
trict will be held at Statesboro to-day.
The Chatham delegation. accompanied by
Congressman Lester and his secretary, w.
W. Sheppard, Esq. will take the S;25 train
on the Georgia and Alagama Railroad
this morning, which will place them in
Statesboro at 1915 o'clock.
The delegation consists of Col. j. II.
Estill Mr. p. A. Stovall, Mr.. It. P. Raw
enel, Mr.. S. Herman, Mr.. f. c. Ba.tey,
and Mr.. Gordon Saussy. The convention
will probably be called together at noon at
the Court House at Statesboro. All the
real business before the convention can
be transacted inside half an hour, but as
the convention will practically have the
day before il the members will doubtless
take their time.
Col. Lester will be called upon, of course,
TO address the convention after the nomi-
nation has been made. He will have am
! rala 10
the number the recent Republican Con-
vention and it's very vulnerab BILE platform,
the eXtravaganr record of the last Con-
gress, and the imperialisdc tendencies of
the present administration 1t is posi-
bic that Col. Lester may take occasion to
| explain his vote upon the Nicaraguan ca
nal bill, though this matter is PROBABLY of
more interest to the business men Of Sa-
| vannah than to the people of the district
| at large AS stated by the Morning News
| in its first interview with Col. Lester aft
| er his return home, the Savannah con-
| gresham voted against he ''isthmian ca
nal' bill, not because he is opposed TO the
construction of the canal but bee iuse he
| is opposed to the manner in which the bill
| proposes to go about this important work.
| THE Nicaraguan, or some other 18TH
milan canal will doubtless he built said
Col. Lester yesterday 10 Morning News
| reporter. In all probability a bill for this
| purpose will be passed at the session or
| Congress this winter but ii viii not be
the bill recently passed by the House"
What are your objections to the bill
as it now stands?" Col. Lester was asked.
| There are a number of objections"
| he replied In the first place the bill
locates the canal through the states of
Costa Rica and Nicaragua before any
agreement has been reached with these
countries, the President being required 10
negotiate with them as to terms upon
which they are TO permit the canal to be
| built. Reasonable business judgment
would require that the terms be agreed
upon before the location is made, as
otherwise those two countries will have it
in their power to exact any terms they
please.
Another ground for objection is that
it is not known yet which will be the
| most practicable route for the canal For
the purpose of de- ermining this a commits
sion. known the Isthmian Canal Com
mission, is now at work ascertaining the
best location. About 800 people are in
the employ of the commission. An appro-
priaton of S1,00 600 was made by the last
Congress for the purpose of investigating
the severel routes, a provision of the act
authorizing the President to make fun
| ana compete lHNGStlEdNlOn Ol any ana All
practicable routes across The Isthmus of
Panama and particularly to investigate
the two routes known as the Nicaragua
and the Panama routes. with a view of
determining the most practicable route.
The commission has not yet made its re-
4 port, but will do so some time this year
Another objection to the bill in its pres
ent shape is that it does not meet the
obstacles interposed by the Clayton Bull
hpfWeeD the TTpitpd
Great Britain. These obstacles can
doubtless be overcome in some way.
Every member of Congress is in favor
of building the Isthmian canal" said Col.
Lester. land bill for the construction OF
such canal will doubtless pass both
| branches of Congress at the next session.
| The House bill referred to carries an ap-
preparation of $10OOO,OOO, and in addition
authorizes the expenditure of $4,000 600
more, besides committing the government
to all other charges which may be in
| CURED, such as claims by Nicaragua and
Costa Rica and by citizens of those coun-
tries for land taken and property dam
aged and also for the compensation of
parties who have already undertaken TO
build canals, should any of their routes be
| adopted
The opposition to the bill included some
of the leading Republicans of the House
| besides anumber of Democrats. among the
former being Burton of Ohio and Deliver
| of Iowa.
An interesting question which came up in
| the conversation with Col. Lester was as
| to the possible increase in congressional
| representation as the result of the census
which is now being taken.
| Il hope there will be no increase in rep
resentaton,' said Col Lester 1--WE have
$50 representatives in the House now AMI
| it Is entirely too many for the proper
| transaction of business. The conditions are
| BAD enough now without making them any
| worse"
Al the session of Congress following the
| last census Col. Lester introduced a bill
materially reducing the number of repre-
sentatives by increasing the proportion of
| population to districts. 1t was a bin
which Col. Lester thought would meet
with favor from the thinking members,
but it received just four votes.
The last census gave Georgia popula-
ton of 1887, 35S The state has eleven
congressman, which should give popula-
ton of about 167 goo TO the district The
| increase in population, according TO the
census of 1890, was 295, l73, and the present
| census is naturally expected to show a
still greater increase, placing the state 5
population considerably over 100000. With
no change in the basis of representation,
Georgia should easily get one more con-
gresham, at least.
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