The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-04-20

reason that it will remove the obstruc-
 tions to industry and commerce that have
 so long chained the right arm of their
 strength in almost helpless paralysis.
 also assume that the honest enthusi- asrn that moved the House of Represen-
 tatives as one man to vote a second time
 for the Hepburn bill was not merely the
 result of thoughtless rejoicing that the
 Clayton -Bulwer treaty had been put aside and that the way was at last open to success, but that it was the result Of long and mature study of the whole situation,
 and of a noble and patriotic impulse to
 accomplish a work that no other people
 could perform, for the benef1t Of the
 world. Blind zeal has never led in such
 toilsome work. where the dredge. the
 pick, and the shovel are the instruments
 of winning national honors instead of the battle ship. the sword, and the rifie. It is only a choice Of methods and
 comparison of national advantages that
 we are left to decide; all questions or financial ability, of private interests and
 preferences, of political bias. and other influences and antagonism having been relegated to the rear by the command or free honest, and powerful people. The honor and the high duty of making
 this choice now belongs to Congress. In its performance. on my part, l will not
 permit any doubtful to sway my
 Judgment nor will I shrink from pre- senting the whole truth, as l believe 1t, under the pressure of any inftuepce or the bias of preconceived opinions. It IS to reach the logical results that should fol- low the actual merits of the claim of either canal route, in deciding the pre- ference. that l will try to present an outline of the questions that now require discussion.
 r x.-tIl n discuss exhaustively any point l may state but I will present some of the leading points which control my Judg- ment, leaving their more complete presen- tation to others who have studied them with greater care and will discuss them with greater ability than I could bring to their. consideration.
 The subject presents itself to my mind
 with conclusive force in the form stated in the six propositions will now state; First--we have reached the point where
 investigation Is complete by observation. experience, scientific research and fore cast and these means of knowledge are as conclusive of the facts as we could hope to make them in another half cen- tury of delay.
 This knowledge of the controlling facts, as to the practicability of a canal through the American Isthmus. satisfies the peo- pie of the United States that the time for final action has come.
 Second-The question now to be decided is the choice of either of two routes for
 a canal; whether it shall be located at
 Panama, or through the valley of the
 San Juan River in Nicaragua and Costa Rica. Third-The controlling factor in making this selection is the assurance Of success in constructing a canal that will be per manently useful for commerce. and for the needs of the Government and it's policies, and for the benefit of the people
 of the United States.
 Fourth-A sum of money necessary for expenditure in the work of construction | such a canal. to accomplish such ends, can not be reasonably compared with the l real value of the results to the people and the Government of the United States. and the choice of either route, with safe. 1 intelligent, and sincere regard to it's per manent usefulness and advantage, should not be controlled or affected by diff | ference in the present cost of construc- | tion.
 ! An assumed or suppositious difference in the cost of construction of either canal
 that does not exceed s6.0o0.000 is not a
 real factor in the choice of either route. | if the route that is cheapest to build | is not the route that will give to the
 people and Government of the United | States the most certain assurance of sue
 cess in constructing canal that will be | permanent and the most useful for the | industrial and commercial needs of the l people and the most necessary for the
 government in its domestic and foreign
 relations and its military and civil | policies.
 Yet, will discuss the question of the 1 Al nf e.
 move. if I can, the impression that there | is a real margin of expenditure in favor
 of the Panama route, the cost of which ] is estimated at slS4, ,22S.SSs if we should purchase that canal and tho railroad
 alongside it. for $4o,oo0.0OO,
 1 I will recur to this matter later on. Fffth-The assured certainty of success
 in the construction of permanent canal | is. of necessity, the basic or foundation | fact upon which Congress must act in the | selection of the canal route.
 l Considered as a simple position of civil
 engineering, there is no doubt-not even | a shadow of doubt-as to any fact touch | ing the practicabilty of a ship canal from Greytown to Brito. in and along the San
 Juan River and across Lake Nicaragua.
 It is certain, beyond a reasonable doubt | that its cost Is as nearly within the limits
 of exact estimates as any great public l work that was ever undertakeI'
 | As to this fact. there is no difference Of
 opinion among the great number of en- eineers who have surveyed the Nicaragua route or the boards and commissions that
 have studied and reported upon it. or the | contractors who have examined and counted it's cost in every element Of cal cnlation with view to making contracts l for it's construction. or among the great engineers sent out by European countries to ascertain the feasibility of d proposed great highway of the world.
 Ii is upon this ascertaiu"d and settled basis of certainty that 1 rest my tude mont. have been compelled tn accept the conclusion that the Nicaragua rou.'
 is The true and safe route to be adopted