The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1900-02-16
NICARAGUA CANAL AND MONROE DOCTRINE GONE,
(New York Journal.)

might rip out some bottom plates, or
any one of dozen things might occur,
exceedingly annoying to the officers of
the hostile squadron. 1t would then be
the right and duty of all the neutral
powers under the Hay-Pauncefote
agreement, to investigate these Incl
dents, and if they became convinced
that we were not living up to our obli-
cations as custodians of the canal in
good faith, it void be their duty to pro-
ceed against us by force of arms.
The introduction of the Concert of
Europe into the affairs of the American
continents is the most ominous of all
the perilous features Of this ill-starred
compact. The day it is ratified will be
the blacklist day in the diplomatic his
tory of America. If the interference of
the powers in the management of the
Nicaragua canal can be recognized, it
may be expected anywhere else. We
may expect the European concert to
consider the question whether Brazil
would not be better governed If Germa-
ny had slice of it on the south and
| France on the north. whether Buenos
| Ayers ought not to be a colony of Italy
and whether England ought not to have
at least one part in Alaska.
The provisions in this treaty are SC
utterly preposterous throughout that
| 1t is hard to resist the conclusion that il
was never meant to govern an actua
canal, but that its purpose was to pre-.
vent the construction of any canal al
all. This suspicion is strengthened by
reading the arguments of some of the
advocates of the treaty.
One newspaper, for instance, aftel
praising the work of Mr.. Hay, and ex
ultingly announcing that he has alread!
given the deathblow to the scheme Of
fortified canal, proceeds to argue tha
this makes the whole idea of an Amer
fcan canal out of date. with the mil
itary and patriotic issues left out o
it, it remarks. what does the cana
question amount tor
"Is it any more than a simple bushes
proposition to dig ditch, not for tn
United States but for the whole world
The world is to have the use of it at a.
: times, in peace and war, and not eve
the builder and owner can enjoy specis
| privileges in it. Thus the proposed ca
| nal becomes inevitably an internationa
| rather than national work. The Uni
? ted States government may tax it's eli
izens to build it, and may assume til
burden of controlling and policing
yet, practically, the American peop
q will not enjoy single extra advantag
> from the waterway compared with a
the rest of mankind.
e Why, then, should the American pet
4 pie be so anxious to build the canal ;
t their own expense? The administratic
e has correctly taken the position that Il
= canal shall be made for the world. Whi
e reasonable objection, therefore, ca
e there be to having the world help pa
s for it,"
And as the world will not help pay f
It it, the argument would logically col
y clude, why should we have any canal
e all?
d The fertility of resource of the RAJ
If road obstructionists who have be-
h fighting the Nicaragua canal is inc
n haustible. They seemed to be beaten
a the ground at this time when the He
IS burn and Morgan bills were reported
" the house and senate with no appare
TX opposition. But when Hanna voted
lie the canal it's friends knew that som
l. thing was up. Hay and Mckinley ha
al shown us what that something was.