The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1901-01-04

slsvv the Admini>srattoa IL ncsPay-
ing che tntercsts Of the
People.

An administration is TO be judged
| quite as much by what II attempts
10 do as by what il actually does.
| The success OF The -Pauncefote
treaty and Of the ship subsidy bill is
not necessary TO show where the Nc
Ninlvy administration stands. Ii has
attempted To dish" the Monroe doc
igine and it has attempted TO open the
doors OF the treasury 10 4 raid as
ineNcusabie rs II is dishonest.
I he suspicion existing for some
time that there is a secret under
sinnding Of some description between
the American and British governments
j. Immensely strengthened by the cir
eumsiances under which the Hay
PaNncefote treaty MAS negotiated and
ha~ been pressed upon the senate.
In one sense il j. not important
whether the Nicaragua canal be for
iifed or not. The nation with the
most powerful navy viii probably con-
troll the use OF il in ease OF war. 1t
is OF importance. however. whether
the United States shall recognize the
right OF amy European nation 10 in
,erfere in matter concerning Amer
iean interests so Closely as the MIC
aragua cana, does.
II has been known and admitted for
so years that the Clayton Bulwer
treaty. in which British claims TO
rights on the isthmus are recognized.
was a mistake OF great magnitude. to
call il by no harsher name. and. in
view Of the fact that the treaty has
been violated. and by one American
administration has been denounced. il
has been held By some of the ablcst
of American lawyers that it is no
longer in force.
The present ad ADMINISTRATION has act
ed on the theory that the treaty was
still OF binding force. and that in ne
gotiating a new convention it was
necessary to renew the recognition of
British claims which made the earlier
treaty so offensive to most Ameri-
cans.
There was one excuse for Mr.. Clay
ton which Mr.. Hay cannot urge. In
Mr.. Clayton's day il was proposed TO
construct the canal with British cap
i'al. In Mr.. Hays day il is the inten-
ton 10 employ American money. and
the peoples money at that What
might have been urged as conces-
sion Of necessity in 1850 becomes. I'M
der the changed conditions in 1900.
surrender without palliation and with
out purpose. except as there NAV be
La ,
between the two governments.
II the right Of any European power
to interfere N the matter Of an
isthmian canal in America be admit
ted we shall prepare n world of trou-
bic for ourselves. While the Monroe
doctrine does not specifically cover
this question. the Importance Of the
canal in military sense 5 SO great
that the nation in Europe which has
anything 10 say about the canal will
be in position also to say a great
deal about the matters with which
the Monroe doctrine does deal with
much Particularly.
Whether there be Notifications at
the entrance Of the canal or not is a
question which should be settled by
the United States and bv no other
nation. The canal is to be built. If
built AZ all. with American money. II
viii necessarily become an important
factor in the coast defense Of the re-
public. To complete this great enter
prise with American money and then
70 rclinfnish American sovereignty
over IL would make the canal a source
~ weakness rather than of strength.
II were better that there were no
canal than that hundreds OF millions
Of American money should be expend- |
cd in an undertaking so vital TO our
own interests and which on compile
ton would pass beyond our control
II has been held for half century
that Mr.. Clayton was hoodwinked In \
his negotiations with Bulwer. with |
his example before the people all /
these years and with the knowledge \
" his mistake impressed upon all his
successors. as il has been. what shall
he said Of Mr.. John Hay. who enters
deliberately into such another tran.
baited. in all probability. in exactly
the same manner? The apparent I'M
of the United States SEN
ate TO become a party 20 his folly is
very creditable 10 r.
Mr. Hanna's intense personal inter
est in the proposed ship Subsidy bin
furnishes stronger evidence OF the adj
atti.l,ie on this subject
than anything VIII III has appeared in
the written or spoken utterances of
the president.
The subsidy SCI sme is an admins
fration measure. l. is intended to en-
rich men who have commended them
selves TO the administration. II is I'M
necessary. IT is xtra,agant. 1t is
corrupt. Ii certainly
yill take millions of money wrung
rom the people by taxation and be-
tow IL upon interests which have no
lain whatever upon the generosity OF
he public. In its best aspect II Is a