The citizen., 1901-05-24
FROM THE CAPITAL.
Our Correspondent Talks in
General About Wash
lngtOn.
WASHINGTON,
Communicated.
May Il. 1901.

ton favor for the notoriously dis
reputable Panama Canal. the men
who are manipulating the scheme
to make millions by unloading the
Panama Canal upon the United
States are now working to create
public sentiment in favor of the
Panama Canal and against the
Nicaragua Canal, and it cannot be
denied that they are doing it
cleverly. Some high-priced brain
work is being put into articles
given to the press, under Wash
ington date lines and otherwise,
in which advantage is taken to
point out everything that can be
called an obstacle to the Nicara-
qua Canal, and specious reasons
are being given for changes of
opinion among Senators and Rep
reSentativeS who favored that
route. And the most is made of
the opposition of England and its
right to oppose the construction
of the Nicaragua Canal, except
upon conditions of which it APP
proves. The last reason is also
being made use of by the admin
iStratiOn in an indirect way. Tips
are given by prominent officials to
the correspondents Of influential
republican papers, limiting at the
possibility of political complica-
ton with England, making it
necessary to abandon the idea of
a Canal over the Nicaragua route,
and, of course, those hints are
reflected more or less in the mat
ter sent from Washington. AS
yet, neither the Panama Press
Agents. nor the administration
men venture to use names public
ly, when speaking OF Senators and
representatives who have changed
their minds and now favor the
purchase and completion of the
Panama Canal, but privately the
former are not so discreet.
The news of this change on the
part of the administration towards
the Nicaragua Canal, has reached
Nicaragua. and the Nicaragua
minister to the United States.
who had gone home on leave of
absence, has hurried back to
Washington 10 do what he can
for the interests of his government.
He has notified the State Depart.
ment that his government and
that of Costa Rica, regard the
procotol they signed last wear
with Secretary Hay, as commit.
ting the United States to the Mic.
aragua route, and barring the
Panama route from consideration.
That position is strong one, too.
but Nicaragua and Costa Rica
haven't the pull with this admin
istration that England has, and
1t may not help them any. If the
administration isn't careful. it
will make this Canal question one
of the leading issues of next years
Congressional Campaign. as there
are men in both the Senate and
House-they are not all democrats
elther-who will do some talking
that will stir the country during
the next session of Congress, if
the administration uses its intlu.
ence to prevent Nicaragua Canal
legislation, as it did at the last
session. Then, it succeeded in
keeping many quiet by putting up
the plea that it would be viola
tlon of International courtesy to
stir tine matter up while England
was considering the Hay ,Paunce
fote treaty. There will be no such
plea to use next winter.
Notwithstanding the failure of
the experiment Of placing the
Federal patronage of the state of
South Carolina, at the disposal of
Senator McLaurin, with the hope
OF building up white administra-
tion party in that state, there are
reasons for the belief that the ex-
pertinent is TO be extended to
other Southern States. In fact.
1t is known that men, who have
formerly been active in the demo-
cratic party in several other
Southern states, have been sound
ed to ascertain whether they
would be willing to assume the
role that McLaurin is playing in
South Carolina in their respective
States. The responses have not.
so far, been satisfactory, but the
sounding is still going on, and
men will doubtless be found. but
outside of administration circles.
nobody really expects any serious
inroads to be made upon Southern
democracy, by these experiments.
but they will result in one thing
that will be satisfactory to the
white people of the South, and
that will be the abolition of the
"nigger' Federal officials.
Evidentialy some of the men
whO haVa ornwn rioh Nv ,N,++;,.