Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1901-11-25
WASHINGTON NEWS.

President Roosevelt has expressed
himself as ~"siDcerely hoping that
the Hay-Pauncefote treaty will be
promptly ratified, that work may be
begun on the Isthmian canal at the
earliest possible date" and, by infer
ence, he has indicated that he does
not consider the Panama route as re-
curing further consideration. These
views were expressed in a onversa
ton with Representative H~epburne,
and with Representative Sherman of
the same committee. With regard to
the Panama route, although Mr.. Hep
burne has stated that the government
"would not accept it as a gift" it
must be remembered that at the time
of his conversation with the president,
it was known that NJ. Hutin, president
of the Panama company had refused
to make a formal proposition to the
Isthmian canal commission, and it
was believed hat he was acting in a
most unbusinesslike manner. 1t is
now known hat M. Hutin has deter
mined to present his proposition
directly to the president, believing
that it would stand a better chance of
fair consideration than it would have
If it a been incorporated in the al
ready voluminous report of the COM
mission. I understand that the COM
mission will report in favor of the
Nicaraguan route, that it will recon-
M I'D n on-a1 It'll I-AG--- HI
of n hundred and fifty feet and a
depth of thirty-fv feet at mean low
water, h estimated cost being about
two hundred million dollars.
The reciprocity question is still at
tracing the greatest interest and the
president is acquiring an extensive
knowledge of the views of the bust
ness men of the country. He stated
to Mr.. w. o. Smith of Hawaii, a
prominent sugar producer, that he
would not, favor any reciprocity ar
rangement with Cuba that would
prove injurious to the interests of fhe
American sugar producers, including
in the latter term the sugar producers
of Louisiana, Hawaii and Porto Rico, |
and the beet sugar growers of the
United States.
Representative Babcock, of Wiscon-
sin, who has been so emphatic in his
assertions that he would press his
bill revising the tariff schedule on iron
and steel products, has made a state
ment defining his position. He says
that where changed conditions have
resulted in cheapening the cost of
production so that the present rate of
tariff is not needed for the protection
of labor he would lower the rate until
it was only sufficient to make up the
difference between the cost of Amer
lean labor at present wages and the
cost of foreign labor. He says the
protection policy means protection to
American labor and the end and aim
of the tariff is the maintenance of the
workmen, but as 500 as the tariff
does more than that it becomes a bur-
den on the people. 1.-THE question
this congress will be called upon to
answer is, will it permit a tariff duty
to remain in force to enable a trust to
pay dividend on watered stock?" said
MI. Babcock. "The question 1 have
raised will be met and I want it solved
by the republican party"
"Merit and merit alone will win ap-
pointments in our dependencies"
we're the words in which the presi-
dent expressed himself to Mr.. Clinton
r. Woodruff, chairman of the commit
tee on dependencies of the National
Civil Service Reform league. This is
quite in accordance with the policy of
the president in all of his appoint
ments. He has positively refused
to appoint anyone whom he did not
believe deserved the appointment
from the standpoint of merit.