The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-10-10
LEAST STEP
IS COVERED
MORE TROUBLE AHEAD FOR PAN
ANA CANAL.
WHERE REAL DANGER LIES
N~icarasuans. in the Senate May
Still Put Up Fight
Against 1t.

Washington, Oct. while the as.
surance of William N. Cromwell, the
attorney Of the French company Id
the recent Panama transaction, that
the title to the property which the
United States purposes to buy has
been found to be fawless, is most
welcome, it covers the step towards
securing the Panama canal of which
there has been the least real doubt.
The danger point today is not there,
nor even in the disturbed and upset
conditions of Colombia, but in the
possibilities of the John T. Morgan
contingent in the United States sen
ate. It. should be remembered that
when Morgan and his associates yield
ed to the Spooner amendment, they
did so proclaiming their belief that
it would mean the Nicaraguan route,
in spite Of the preference expressed
for Panama. This was what Mr.. Hep
burn said in the house, and 1t was
repeated all along the Nicaraguanists'
line. They yielded to the spooner
compromise becaues they thought
they saw ultimate victory in 1t.
The situation will be entirely diff
ferent when Mr.. Morgan and his as
sociates come to vote on the ratifica-
ton of a treaty with the Colombian
government which would be the last
decisive step in securing the Panama
canal. The fight against that treaty
would then be a last ditch affair, and
hence the hostilities which were tenn
porarily quieted for the Spooner COM
promise, may be expected to break
out anew with all the virulence Of
the year.. Mr.. Morgan, who is chair
man of the committees on the inter,
oceanic canal, has W yielded one
jot of his preference for Nicaragua;
he would not yield, it is thought, if
the French government were to pre-
sent us the Panama canal, or il Lake
Nicaragua should be drained dry,
through the action of earthquakes.
No arguments can be expected ITO
have any weight with him. The ques-
ton then arises whether he can hold
the democrats in line with him so as
to prevent the Colombian treaty's re-
ceiving the necessary two-thirds'
vote. There will, of course, be plenty
of material within the treaty on which
to base such opposition.
Thirty votes will defeat the treaty,
unless Delaware fills it's two vacancies
and then 81 votes would be necessary.
On the Spooner amendment Mr.. Nor
gan summoned "a votes, he also had
five votes and five pairs, making AZ
in all, for the other side, Two SEN
ators declined to go on record; there
were rather two vacancies. The ques-
ton of the ratification of any Colon
bian treaty thus depends on holding
80 of these 80 senators in line, or srath-
er upon winning cver nine men to the
Panama side.
It will he recalled that there were
nine republicans who in this contest
voted for Nicaragua, and four demo-
Gratis supporting Spooner. This came
pretty near being a party question, .es-
peciaily since two and possibly three
or four democrats will retire from pub
lie life with this session. They We're
Jones of Arkansas and, McLaurin OF
South Carolina, whose successors
have already been named, and Teller
of Colorado and Rawlins of Utah, who
have a fight on their hands. The re-
publicans who could not be won. over
by Spooner included Platt of New
YORK, Quay and Penrose CT Pennsyl-
vania, Hawley of Connecticut, Per
kins, Mitchell and Stewart of the Pa
ciflc coast, and. two senators from
Minnesota. When the easons which
presumably actuated several of these
men are taken into account, 1t will
be e that the cause is not greatly
strengthened, but their votes count
just the same.
The argument which will prove
strongest against the Morgan contin-
gent is the threat that if a Panama
treaty is killed in this way no Mica
raguan treaty can eve be allowed
~ ~ +hro,,uh tho senate. This would
mean no canal. When that point is
made clear, and it. will be, if neces-
sary, those who profess to desire an
isthmian canal would have some trou-
bic in justifying a vote of opposition
to a Colombian treaty This consid-
Grafton promises to save the day.
The fear that no treaty can be had
with Colombia on account OF its dis