Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1901-11-26


sential to popular government 1t is
intemperance in this. as in many other
things, that deserves condemnation. No
sane man can consider the partisanship
of Kentucky admirable or beneficial,
even though it shows a dangerous ten
| dency to spread.-Indianapo Sentinel.
Panama VS.. Nicaragus.
| Within the last few days we have
had more than one intimation from
Washington that a majority of the
members of the Walker isthmian canal
commission are in favor of the Panama
route.
One correspondent goes so far as to
say that the report of the commission
win give a decided preference to that
route Another, who probably comes
nearer to the mark. says that for obvi-
Gus reasons the commission viii alb
stain from making any recommends
ton, or that at most it will content it.
self with supplementing the presenta
| ton of facts with the suggestion that
| it would be well to take over the Pan
ANA canal if the company would accept
reasonable price-say $50.000,0Oc
The principal reasons given for pre-
| ferring the Panama route are that it is
| free from the treacherous shoals and
violent winds of Lake Nicaragua and
from the difficulties which must be en-
countered in securing a safe and per-
manent channel through the San Juan
river. There are indeed river Difficult
! ties on both routes, but those on the
Nicaragua route the commission, it Is
| understood, find to be much more Sc
| rious.
Another reason sometimes given is
| because the Panama portion of the
| isthmus is much less subject to seis-
mic disturbances. Still another rea-
son is that the Columbian government
is more friendly and more disposed to
make satisfactory terms than are the
| governments of Nicaragua and Costa
Rica
These considerations are not likely to
prevail with Congress. The fact which
probably will have most weight is that
the distance between the east and west
coasts of the United States is consid-
erably less by the Nicaragua route. The
time would be less, though the time
consumed in passing through the canal
would be greater.
For commercial purposes it may yet
be found that the Tehuantepec route Is
the best, and a translsthmian canal
may never pay, in the commercial
sense. But for the transference of our
warships from one ocean to the other
canal is indispensable and may prove
to be of the highest Importance.
This is likely to be regarded as
vital consideration, not for commercial
reasons, perhaps, but for military rea-
sons.
While, therefore, much may be said
in Congress about the comparative COM
mercial merits of the two canal routes,
much more will be thought about their
military merits.
Senator Morgan is right, no doubt, in
assuming that the Nicaragua route is
the only one to be seriously thought of.
Chicago Chronicle.
Men Cannot Re Made Loyal by Laws.
The Philippine Commission having
found that soft words do not turn away
the wrath of the natives, who want
their liberty, and not hypocritical
smiles and fair promises, has drafted
an act against treason and sedition.
1t is drastic in its nature, and is ex-
pected doubtless to awe the Filipinos
into accepting the government provided
for them without their consent. The
act provides that death shall be the
penalty for treason, and is framed to
include those persons giving aid and
comfort to the insurgents as guilty Of
treason. Persons who utter seditious
words or speeches, or who write libels
against the United States or the insular
government are punishable by impos-
ing a fine of $1,000 or two years impris-
onment; for breaking the oath of ale
glance fine Of $1,000 or imprison-
ment for ten years is imposed. For
eigners are placed under the same law
as the Americans and natives. Such
law if administered with fairness,
would be tyrannical, but administered
as it will be without regard to the
kind of evidence against alleged viola
tors, and as weapon of ''forcible as
similation" 1t is oppression of the most
despotic character But it is just
the kind of law the imperialists believe
in, and would like to have enacted in
this country and then construed to sup
press free speech and free press. The
iron hand of tyranny is the preferred
method of imperialism to establish and
sustain its unholy purposes. 1t will not
be long before there will be an effort
made, under one pretext or another, to
curtail the liberties of freemen here by
laws similar to those this despotic COM
mission is promulgating in the Philip
pines. The Car of the Russias never
promulgated anything more arbitrary
and unjust than this ukase Of the Phil
| ippine Commission. Hundreds of inno-
cent people will be put to death or
thrown into prison to rot, under the
workings of this law. 1t ought to be
abrogated by Congress. 1t will create
nothing but contempt in the hearts of
| the Filipinos for this country, and will
! strengthen rather than allay the antag
! onisms that exist to the government
| that is being forced upon the people.
| No vindictive law ever made men loyal.
In order TO make men loyal to a gov
| eminent they must be led to respect it.
| If this treason and sedition law is car
ried into effect in the Philippines in the
| spirit in which it has been passed we
may expect more frequent outbreaks
| than ever, with more serious conse-
quences.-Illinois Register.
Young Men at the Head of Colleges.
| The youngest college president is
| said to be John Fl. McCracken. who. at
%, presides over Westminster College,
at Fulton. Mo-. while his father, Henry
| NJ. McCracken. is the executive head