The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-03-09
The Panama CannI scheme.

The dark form OF the plot TO unload the
worthless De Lesseps ditch upon the peo-
pie of the United States. looms up behind
the picture Of a Senate majority so SUI
pinely subservient to organized monopoly
and public exploitation that it would not
permit the Nicaragua Canal bin to come
to a vote. Upon what grounds the Ad-
ministration viii account to history for its
bitter antagonism to a national project
of enormous advantage. as well as vital
public necessity. while at the same time
smiling complacently upon a scheme of
plumber like that OF the Panama concern,
we are quite at loss TO imagine.
It is easy enough to understand that the
consolidated trans-continentaI railway
interests would oppose the Nicaragua Ca
nal It's construction would threaten their
monopoly of the present trade between
our Atlantic and Pacific Coasts But the
canal on the other hand, would excite
activities and bring developments now
Impossible because of the prohibitiye cost
of rail carriage across the continent, null
tiplying production, and creating and oil
versifying industries that speedily would
supply the waterway with traffic and the
railways with more freight than they can
considering the normal conservatism OF
capital, and the abnormal greed of mo-
nopoly there is nothing surprising in the
unPatriotic determination Of the transPor-
tation nagnates to XIII the Nicaragua Ca
nal.
What may appear stranger Is the will
ingness OF his same influence 10 see the
nation take over the Panama Canal. at d
profit OF sixty million dollars or more to
the promoters, and undertake to complete
il. The reason for this diferential atti-
tude regarding the TWO inter-oceanic prof.
ects. on the part Of men who consider that
they would be damaged By any canal
across the Isthmus, is perhaps not far TO
seek. 1t is to be feared that it Is q reason
born Of the most coId-bIooded and heart
less cynIcisn- The monopolists are mex
orabIy opposed to the Nicaragua Canal be
cause they know il 10 be feasible They
are not averse TO the sinking Of a
couple Of hundred millions Of public
money IN the De Lesseps ditch. firstly, be
cause they are satisfied that II is an i'm
practicable scheme; secondly. because na-
tional bonds probably would be issued 20
cover the expenditure in whole or in part.
and thirdly, because some Of their own
lTiGT.ftS associates Ore IN the
deal The transportation nagnates have
not allowed any string connected with the
subject TO escape their fingers. They have
killed the peoples canal because il can be
built and operated successfully; they have
also prepared a way to aHay and finally
suppress inter-oceanic canal agitation il
the United States for a generation or two
10 come. firstly by the pretence Of con
structIng the Panama Canal in good faith
that viii keep the people guessing for
three or four years-and, secondly, by
means Of the intense disgust which the
country win experience when. after squan-
dering a hundred and fifty or TWO hundred
million dollars, it shall be demonstrated
at last that the Panama Canal cannot be-
completed and operated at any cost.
We commend the inter-oceanic waterway
situation TO the prayerfuI attention Of the
large and enthusiastic majority Of voters
who. last November decided to continue
the national rule of the trusts and mo-
nopOlies, as an object lesson showing very
pictoriaIIy and brilliantly one Of the
things they bought with their ballots