The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1900-05-01
ALARM SOUNDED
FOR A PURPOSE.
Secretary Roots Banquet Speech
Had an Object.
DEFEAT OF THE CANAL BILL
And an Excuse For His Treaty with
Pauncefote the Underlying Causes
For the Exciting Utter

PauncefOte the Underlying Causes
For the Exciting Utter
| Washington, April 30.--Secretary
Roots declaration at the Waldorf-As-
| toria that the time is coming when we
must abandon the Monroe doctrine or
| fight has created a profound sensation
at Washington.
| It was almost the sole topic OF con-
versation and discussion at the capitol
and during the three quarters of an
hour the senate was in session Saturday
the members of that dignified body did
little else but speculate about the causes
| that led the war secretary to make so
| grim a prediction.
| 1t has leaked out that Mr.. Root ex-
pressed the personal convictions Of
President Mckinley, who has been in
a state of mind almost bordering OIL
alarm over the contemplated Nicara-
guam canal legislation in the house next
week.
FEARS EUROPEAN PROTESTS.
| The president, relying on the inforna-
ton furnished him by the Secretary Of
State Hay, believes that the United
| States cannot proceed with that great
project without inviting France, and
perhaps several other continental
powers, to enter protest that will
lead to war unless the United States are
prepared to abandon the Monroe doc
trine.
Secretary Hays panacea and Presi-
dent McKinley's for that matter for
the disturbing events Of the future
which he forsees will happen If the con-
| struction of the canal Is decided upon.
was the Hay-Pauncefote treaty that
Is slumbering in the senate and a treaty
with France along the same lines that
was under negotiation but not con-
cluded.
FRENCH TREATY INTERVIEWS.
| France has a treaty with Nicaragua
whose terms give the big European re-
public rights and powers in any canal
that may be constructed which the
United States could never recognize.
She Is to enjoy equal privilege with
Nicaragua in the matter of tolls, to
have the power to land soldiers, under
certain contingencies and always to en-
Joy an open passage for her ships Of
| war. This treaty is the direct cause Of
Mr.. McKinley's disturbance of mind
and doubtless induced Mr.. Root to utter
the warning that startled congress.
YIELDS TO GOLDEN GATE.
The most extraordinary feature of the
situation was the conduct of the presi-
dent in yielding to political pressure
from a number Of California congress-
men at time when he had 1t entirely
in his power to prevent consideration Of
| the bill. Chairman Burton of the COM
mittee on rivers and harbors and
Representatives Hopkins and Cannon.
of Illinois, would never have consented
| to its consideration by the house IL the
president had not requested them to
withhold objections.
He did this because a few California
members informed him that IL they re-
turned to the coast without congress
having done something in the direction
| Of building the canal they could not
| be reelected. This statement, coupled
| with the prediction that the electoral
| vote of the state might be in doubt led
the president to consent to the con-
sideration of the bill.
HOPE LIES IN SENATE.
Now he is hoping that his friends
in the senate will be strong enough
to prevent its consideration there, but
| mingled with this hope Is the fear that
they may not be able to Withstand the
| enormous pressure that will be brought
| to bear upon them to pass the bill.
Favorable action by the senate would
| leave the whole responsibility for the
| success or failure Of the bill upon the
| shoulders Of the president, and accord
ing to'his friends at the capitol, he
would have absolutely no hesitation
| about signing the measure rather than
be in the attitude of being the only man
In Washington opposed to it.
OBSTACLES ARE MYTHICAL.
On the other hand the friends of the
measure will contend that the president
is unnecessarily alarmed by the stories
Of diplomatic entanglements that Secre-
tary Hay Is telling him for the purpose
of justifying his recent treaty with
Great Britain and that nearly all of the
alleged obstacles are purely mythical.
They will assert also that the friends of
the Panama route are using the sece-
tary of states fears to boom their
plans. also that Secretary Root was
initiating Kaiser Wilhelm in creating
public alarm Of sufficient intensity to
bring congress around to the point
where It would permit the armor plate
trust to exact exhorbitant charges for
| Its product.