The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-04-09
The Nicaragua Canal.

Nothing Is more EVIDENT than ina
the Admin tration has finally decided
that there snall be no inter-oceanic cana
legislation et the present session of Con
gress. Having failed 10 secure ratification
by the Senate of the Hay Pauncefot5
Treaty. an agreement designed to resusci-
tate the void and dead Clayton BulweI
Treaty of 1850, to work a surrender of the
Monroe Doctrine by the United States, and
for ether and concealed purposes; and
being prevented by its engagements from
eonsenting to any amendment TO the first
named, the Administration is determined.
il it can, to procure an indefinite postpone
ment OF action on the Hay Pauncefote
Treaty. and to prevent any canal legisla-
tion until after the Presidential election
Ii is a question whether the splendid
Anglo diplomacy of President Mckinley
and his Foreign Secretary. has not been ad-
dressed TO this purpose from the beginning.
In the light of recent developments the
suspicion is excusable that the whole
course of the Administration has been
based upon conviction that. if recognition
of the Clayton Bulwer fraud upon the Sen
ate and the country, ard abandonment OF
the Monroe Doctrine were made conditions
precedent TO engagement in the Nicaragua
Canal enterprise Congress and the Ameri-
can people would refuse to undertake It,
vitality important to the commerce and
prosperity of the nation as all citizens OF
the United States regard the proposed
waterway In short the time may soon
come when the public can judge whether
the Administration does or does not take
issue with the country on the proposition to
build an American, or any Isthmian Canal,
General Morgan in the Senate and Mr..
Hepburn in the House. severaily in charge
of the American canal measure. appear to
be optimistic as to the prospect of favor
able action upon it. irrespective Of the
Executive fiat that ratification of the Hay
Pauncefote Treaty must preeede canal
legislation; and of the notorious fact that
all the Administration forces have been
mobiIized against any such legislation at
this session. We are unable to coincide
with such view The facts and circum-
stances Of the situation are all opposed
to it, We have seen that although the
moderate amendment to the Hay Paunce-
fote Treaty proposed by Senator Davis
giving the United States some general au-
thority to protect its own property and
coast line-according to that statesman,
has the sanction OF the British Govern
ment. the Administration has resisted its
adoption with vindictiveness and so far
with entire success. We can discover nc
reason TO doubt that the machine whip,
spur. buck. and gag will be used with
equal efficiency up to the minute when
the gavel shall fall in the Senate and
House some day in June.
This is a reasonable deduction from the
conduct of the Congressional majority
since the beginning of the session. In
order to raise huge corruption fund for
campaign purposes the Republicans in
Congress have been coerced into support
ing such a barefaced measure of oppres-
sion and national dishonor as the Porto
Rican Tariff bill, They have accepted and
acted on the mandate with supreme SER
Witty. knowing that in bowling TO the will
Of Caesar they violated the Constitution
of the United States and their oaths TO
needs the money Of certain trusts and can
secure it only at the price of abandoning
"our plain duty" breaking our plighted
word to Porto Rico and trampling the Con-
stitution under foot. An Administration
and legislative majority Of the sort now
pressing like an Old Man of the Sea on
the neck of the country, of course, would
not hesitate between honor, duty, and
obedience to fundamental law on one hand
and cash on the other.
We mention the Porto Rican infamy in
this connection to emphasize the certainty
that, If all thought Of integrity and pub
lie decency were thrown to the winds in
that case, in the interests of one class
of campaign contributions. why should rot
the same thing happen relatively to other
measures, also involving political fund
subscriptions? The enemies of the Nieara-
qua Canal proposition who have been
fighting it bitterly for years, with all the
power of vast wealth and political in
fiuence. and with wholesale bribery and
corruption, are still in the field and stil
struggling TO defeat the project. They are
prepared ROW. as they always have been.
to pay for delay or obstruction, continually
hoping that something viii happen ulti-
mately to kill it. That their hope is not
without excellent foundation, assuming an
other Republican quadrennate, is exen-
plitied in the -Pauncefote Treaty with
its treacherous attempt to knife the Mon
roe Doctrine and to revive the Clayton
Buiwer alleged ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS null
and void, because never constltutionally
ratified.
These anti-eanal interests are not less
likely to be generous TO the Republican
barrel this year. supposing the considera-
ton to be adequate than they Were four
years ago. or than their congeners the
oil. sugar. tobacco. and rum trusts. are
expected to be. Indeed. there is the same
Involvement to the Administration to thrbt
tie the canal. as there is to perpetuate
misery and famine In Porto Rico. Con-
sidering the abject and humiliating plia-
bility Of the Republican machine, Senator's
and Representatives under the Joint ma
nipulation OF the trusts and monopolies.
and OF their agent, the Administration.
who can doubt what the net result Will be !