Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1900-12-01

be allowed to embody its views in this
direction in it's report.
There will be, however, fight in ia
vor Of the Panama route. The United
States minister to Colombia, Mr.. Hart,
was with Secretary Hay today, and in
cidentially urged the value Of the Pan
anna route. He said that 1t would be
possible to get from the government
everything In the way of concession
| that might be desired and he strongly
believes the Panama route is the better
business proposition. There are good
many men who have heretofore talked
in general way about a Nicaragua ca
nal who believe that the time has come
when the matter should be treated in
an entirely business light and not SEN
| timental way, and that the Panama
people should be given a full hearing.
What the people of this country want,
| they argue, Is a canal across the 18TH
mus, and it makes absolutely no differ
ence to them through which countries
| 1t goes. If it Is better business propo-
sition to step in and complete the Pan
anna canal, which is certainly well un-
der way; If better arrangements can
be made with the governments there
than with the two governments which
are more or less tangled up with con-
cessions granted to different canal COM
panies-and especially If the final COM
pletion Of this great waterway could
be secured through Panama more
quickly than through Nicaragua and
Costa Rica, then a good many people
who have been favorable to the Mica
ragua route in the past will be found
supporting the more feasible plan.
I know that some very powerful in
fluences are just now friendly to the
Panama route. 1t is charged that peo-
pie opposed to any canal at all are back
Of the Panama matter In the hope Of
blocking all legislation, but I have
been able to find very little Of this sort
Of opposition. AS matter Of fact the
ltranscontinental railroads, which some
time ago were inclined to fight canal
across the Isthmus with all their pow
er, have apparently come to take diff
ferent view Of the matter. know that
Mr.. Huntington, before he died, had
modified his views no little, and that his
successors in control Of the Pacific rail-
roads are by no means strong in their
opposition. While some Of them still
argue that the building Of canal is not
a good business proposition, others
have come to believe that their rail-
road properties would in the end be lit
tie, IL any, hurt by the building Of the
canal. Such traffic as they might lose
would be more than made up in the
traffic that would come to them as
result Of the building up Of the Pacific
coast.
The difference of opinion between
those who advocate q strictly neutral
canal, operated on a strictly neutral
basis which would give the shipping
Of no country advantage over that Of
another, and those who believe the ca
nal being built with American money,
| should be. operated distinctly as an
American Institutions promises to bring
the greatest clash over this subject.
Chairman Hepburn, who drew the
bill which is now pending in the senate,
believes the canal should be operated
on strictly commercial basis, and that
American shipping should be given an
advantage in tolls over the shipping Of
other nations. Those interested In the
subsidizing Of American shipping will
be found strong advocates Of the Hep
burn idea, for that would mean great
er subsidy than they would ever dare
puS in direct legislation.
The president, however, Is committed
to strict neutrality. He believes that
the Hay-Pauncefote treaty should be
ratified, because he recognizes the ex-
istence Of the Clayton -Bulwer treaty
and argues that this later convention
is great improvement upon the older
one. The indication Is that he will use
the whole power Of his administration,
not only for the ratification Of the
treaty, but for the enactment Of canal
legislation in conformity with its ideas.