The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-03-10

tby Cot Timothy Cede, late Of Arkansas
The people in our section are considera-
Oily excited just now over the Nicaraguan
canal and the Clayton-Bulwer treaty.
Several mass meetings have been held,
and one of our ablest inhabitants says he
has not seen SO much enthusiasm since
General Jackson captured Pac1Senham's
army at New Orleans.
We are all in favor of the canal and if
an election could be held today, with the
canal as a prominent plank in the plat
form. the vote in this district would be
unanimous.
If the people of this country can't have
the free coinage Of silver, they should in
sist en- having a canal. We think that
in the near future every nation is going
TO be judged by its canal capacity. Eng
land has a canal at Suez and Germany
has one at KEEL. Germany was not in
actual need Of a canal, but was determin-
ed to keep pace with the progress of the
world We can't afford to have the ma
tiOns of Europe point to us with the
finger of seOrn because we have no canal.
1t should be Constructed regardless of cost
and if that Clayton-Bulwer business
stands in the way, the treaty will have to
yers in our county say the treaty has no
force because 1T was never ratified by the
last session of the Utah legislature
Butler is now engaged in the war in
South Africa and if he ever gets out
alive, he ought to be willing for some one
else to run the canal anyway. Powell
Clayton, another signer of the treaty and
formerly neighbor of mine, has a gov
eminent position in Mexico. I am will
ing TO use my personal influence to have
him relinquish all his canal rights. He IS
a generous, public spirited man and has
never refused a government Office when
he could serve the country. He would be
Il good man for general manager of the
canal. Now. unless Nephi Clayton has
some kick coming. there is no fear of in
Jernational complications.
1t appeasr that the necessity for the ca
nal was demonstrated many years ago.
The Aztecs, in the early days of Mexico.
thought of putting into operation this
great commercial ditch, and the enter
prise was only abandoned after a failure
10 float loan of SEQ. 600 900 from the Sem
mole Indians of Florida.
The recent report on the canal by Con-
gresham Hepburn was an able document,
but some Of the chief advantages were
overlooked. Some of our distinguished
statesmen think the canal should be for
tilted. SO that no ships could get through,
and in addition, I would suggest that fish
traps be put in at each end of the canal.
so that all kinds Of fish, including whales,
could come in during high tide. In max
ing the Notifications, masked batteries
could he placed 50 as not to excite the
suspicion of the fish. The actual fish
catch would produce food enough for the
world and would open up a trade for the
Central American states that would make
the salmon industry of the North Pacific
pale into insignificance- The canal could
also probably be utilized for some other
purpose.
The labor for the construction is going
to be one Of the easiest problems. Noun
tain ranges are to be cut at each end of
the work. These mountains certainly con
tain mineral. We have 100 miners in our
county that viii work for their board and
the right to all the mineral they find.
Most Of them strike water when digging
for gold. and they believe that in digging
for water the chances would be more than
even that they would strike gold.
The early completion of this great
waterway is foreshadowed by the prog
ress already made. The discussion of the
past hundred years is already bearing
fruit. and a commission has now been
suggested to make a preliminary sI1rvev
Everybody realizes that a preliminary
survey is always a wise thing. It is bet
ter TO go little slow and do a thing
right.
Our past progress would indicate that
the work could be completed in 800 wears
say Ammo DOmini 200. We viii unoues-
tionably open the canal with a banquet
to be followed by a reception to the chief
promoters, AMI if Senator Morgan is Sc
iected as the orator of the day, there is
no reason why he should not make the
greatest effort of his life.