The evening times., 1900-05-04
The Administration and the Canal

The Administration and the Canal
The Administration press is already at
work to promote suppression of the Hep
burn Nicaragua Canal bill in the Senate.
This morning tbG New York Tribune" in
its leading editorial outlined this position
which viii be taken at the outset by the
enemies OF the measure We quote:
The adoption Of Mr. Hepburn's bill for the
construction OF the Nicaragua Canal j. TO be re-
garded an expression OF opinion rather than
a act Of legislation IL cannot become leeis-
laticn without The assent Of the Senate, and there
j. ground for doubling that il viii receive that.
Nor at all II l. desirable that il
should For beyond doubt the bill conflicts with
the CLAYTON BulNer Treaty, which Treaty. de-
spite some pretences 10 the coltraTy. Is unques-
uunAblE still IN force II may be proper Tor the
House express desire for the modification or
ahrogation OF that Treaty. II would not be
proper for Congress TO enact law contravening
that OF any other existing treaty. Moreover.
there IS now penCing a new treaty for the ma
terisl modification Of that Of Nessrs Clayton and
Bulwer The Hepburn bill probably does not con-
hiCt with II nearly uuch with the original
with IL 10 some extent. Again such expression
OF opinion 10y the House NAV be legitimate. but
for the Senate also to adopt a bill conflicting
with treaty now before IL for ratification would
be FAR different matter. And finally. there s
the Governments Commission OF Investigation.
sent TO the isthmus at great eNpense, and soon 70
would seem 10 require that its report should be
received an1 considered before action j. takea:
else why WAS the Commission sent outf'
The view OF the Tribune" is that the
Clayton Bulwer Treaty, and the Hay
PagncefOte Treaty. either OF both amount
to an estoppeI on the Senate as far as
the Hepburn bill is concerned, and that,
if they did not Congress ought TO wait
mission. the general conclusions CT which
are already known. It is the same old
song of delay and obstruction with which
We have been familiar for ten years,
The House of Representatives has bro
ken the ice at last and it remains for the
Senate to do the rest. The alleged Clay
tOn-BulWer Treaty never had a legal be
ing. If il did England killed it by estaD-
fishing the Crown Colony of British Hon
duras. The Hay -Pauncefote Treaty seeks
TO enact it. Neither Of these obnoxious
agreements needs to stand for a momens IN
the path OF legislation. Adoption OF toe
bill TO construct an American canal would
wipe them out of existence, supposiIg
them to have any.
The Administration and its partners. the
enemies of the canal, may be expected to
make a hard fight to prevent action by
the Senate But il they succeed it will
be entirely by the fault of the friends
Of the American proposition among the
Senators. They have it in their power to
prevent any legislation. save on appropria-
tion bills, and to keep the Administration
and trust element glued to their seats
all summer. with consideration of and
vote on the Hepburn bill as an alterna-
tive.
The country expects the Senate to do
Its duty as thoroughly as the House has
done its Then let the President re-
frse to sign the act, IL he dare,