Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-06-18
ISTHMIAN CANAL BILL
VOTE TO BE TAKEN ON MEASURE
TOMORROW.
No Certainty Of the Result, but Pas.
sage of Hepburn Bill Would In
sure Building at Once.

On the eve of the taking Of vote on the
canal bill in the Senate there are express
sions of confidence on the part of advocates
of both the Nicaragua and the Panama
canal routes. The Panama advocates have
expressed confidence in the result for a
long time, but the Nicaragua advocates
have smiled at this claim and merely called
attention to the tendency of the faint heart
to whistle while passing by the graveyard.
When the vote has been taken it will be
found that party lines have not been drawn
Early in the debate it was quite generally
supposed that Senator Morgan would have
an almost solid vote on the democratic side
behind him. This is now known not to be
true On the republican side the same con-
dtion exists. That vote will be divided be-
tween Nicaragua and Panama
Mr.. Hanna and Mr.. Kittredge are work
ing energetically for the Spooner substi-
tute, which authorizes the President to
purchase the Panama canal property if a
satisfactory title to it. can be secured The
claims that have been constantly put for
ward that there is majority of the Senate
IN favor of that proposition are rendered
questionable by the fact that no one is pre-
pared TO say who will form that majority.
Inere is much mystery, and everyone
VINO undertakes to present figures to show
what the Senate will do when the vote is
taken tomorrow afternoon is forced to
favor Of the Panama and in favor of the
Nicaragua routes, together with doubtful
column. with ten or dozen names in it,
The doubtful column is the source of much
uncertainty, but it is ominous of surprises
Some senators are deliberating yery care
fully over the subject.
Hepburn Bill Will Insure a Canal,
While the motives Of senators who have
been led to favor the building tof a canal at
Panama are not questioned by those who
will vote for the Hepburn bill, at the same
time they declare that the influence of
transcontinental railways that has always
been opposed to the building of any canal
is very properly from the point of view OF
the railroad magnates thrown to the least
practicable plan.
The passage of the Hepburn bill would
insure the building of a canal beyond all
question. That bill providing for a canal
across Nicaragua, will be voted on without
any effort to amend it. The Senate commit
tee on interoceanic canals recognizing that
any amendment 1t might make to the Hep
burn bill would be aimed at minor matters
that can readily be provided for later
recommended the passage of the bill with
out any amendments.
If the bill is passed by the Senate it will
then only require the necessary signatures
or the chairman of the House, the Presi-
dent of the Senate and the President Of the
United States to make it a law. vote
Ior the Hepburn bill means the getting of q
canal without any doubt.
If the Spooner amendment should be
adopted the whole question would be
thrown in a state Of uncertainty. The
House, practically by a unamious vote, has
declared for the Nicaragua canal The
whole matter would be thrown into con-
ference with certainty of delay even II
any agreement could be reached.
Theoretical Recommendations.
The report of the isthmian commission
favoring the purchase of the Panama prop
erty Is having a strong effect on many
senator's. but 1t is recalled by others that
While the commission has made that rec
on.mendation they also are a unit in de-
claring that a canal by way of Nicaragua
would be entirely feasible.
Paying S4OOo0,0oO for the canal property
at Panama, the commission declares that
the total cost would be $5,000,0ID less by
Panama than by Nicaragua and figures by
a process that has not been the subject of
any discussion in the Senate that the an
nUal cost of maintenance by Panama would
be about 81 100000 less than at Nicaragua.
1t is declared that these estimates at PAN
anna are based purely on theories and that
the experiences in attempting to build a ca
nal there cannot be called up TO verify their
accuracy.
All these questions have been referred to
by Senator Morgan and they can be found
treated of in his remarks. They are today,
on the eve of the taking of the vote, being
considered carefully by many senators who
are anxious to secure the best route from
every possible point of view
These engineering questions are regarded
as or the utmost Importance, but of equal
importance is the matter of the title that
could be secured If this country should at
tempt to buy the Panama canal property.
There is widespread belief that ultimate
ly this title cannot be secured satisfactory
to the government, and that the only re-
suit Of attempting to secure it will be delay
that result always coveted by those in
nuences that prefer to always talk about
building canal instead of actually doing it.