The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1903-11-10

the construction OF the canal through
| Nicaragua. The President j. as ave-sv
10 that canal a Senator Hanna IS =
| any canal. What more reasonable ;aaa
that certain opponents Of any canal a1t
the opponents OF Nicaragua should see u
a revolution IN Panama "a chance fo-
.t,ll further delay or for preventing the
construction Of any canal - ale -.
long as c. =. Huntington lived no cac2l
ill could pa.s Congress He lad t2e
most perfect lobby since Credit Aoblicr
after his death there was no man po~
crful enough TO do what The trans-cont!
mental railroads wished done. II was i'm
possible longer TO defer action on . canal
i Then. when action could no longer -
postponed. Hanna. tho representative q
the railroads who wish no canal sudden.~
became an advocate Of the Panama rou.r
He thought that he would secure a ten
year struggle in Congress between t.c
friends of the two routes and thus de.a.
action. To his great surprise. after hi
argument icr Nicaragua, Senator Morsaa
declared that he preferred the Panama
route to 10 canal. His Willingness 10 ac-
cept Panama so surprised Hanna ant
his followers that they couldn't back
down. ana 50 The Bill was neSsvl. It has
been SAID that railroad emissarlcs wc;,
at the bottom OF ColUmbla'a refusal 70
ratfiy the treaty, hoping that such action
would mean another ten years delay. WHAT
--1 - -..- w
il started BY the friends or the enemies u
a canal?
Senator Morgan. who understands all
the conditions N Central America be-ter
than any living man, take the ground that
this government, under the circumstances,
could not now build a Panama canal With
out war with Colombia, and that the
Presidents plain duty, IN view OF the
situation on the isthmus, is to turn 10
Nicaragua to avoid every possible appear
ance in the eyes Of the world OF en-
couraging the present revolution.
MIR. Morgan also in unmistakble terms
expressed his unqualified disappointment
that the President has not before this
ccnformed to the law as laid down II the
Spooner canal act. He is quoted as say
ing:
4 do not wish to say, nor can / be-
lieve that the officials OF this government
have in any way encouraged the present
revolution in the State CT Panama. BJt
l do wish to say, IN unmlstakable Ian
guage, that IN order 10 avoid every pos
sible appearance OF having given suCn
encouragement 1t Will be necessary -cr
the President to conform at once to t"c
terms CT the Spooncr act, adopt the al
tentative therein contained and negotiate
with Nicaragua and and Costa Rlca FOR
the construction OF the Nicaragua canal.
we must remain entirely clear Of the
present trouble OH the isthmus. If Nc
have any duty at all it is TO stand o.
the sovereign State OF Colombia, for We
are bound to this by the treaty obilga-
tlcns Of 1916. Three times IN history
we have fulfilled the obligations of this
convention, in which we guarantee Colon
bias sovereignty and ownership Of the
territory of its States. If we are called
OH now to take any action whatever we
should do nothing less than keep the
peace with cur good Offices and our treaty
obligations with Colombia.
The only way in which to put our
selves right in the eyes OF the South
American republics and the nations OF
the world is to prepare the way at once
for the construction Of the Nicaragua
canal.
Should this government be in any de-
gree guilty OF inspiring or aiding the OUT.
break in Panama the BELIEF would at once
be created that we intend to exert polit.-
cal authority IN Colombia now and here
after. This we cannot do, and it would
- - L ~ ~ 49, 1,~ -. =, ~
tility against the United States
The New York Herald has a strong ana
able editorial along the line of Mr.. Nor
gan's interview, closing with a ringing
demand for the construction of the Nice
ragua canal. The Herald closes it's eel
torlals with these words:
In this situation the plain and imper
atlye mandate Of Congress embodied il;
the Spooner act is for the President To
proceed with the Nicaragua Canal. Even
should the revolution on the isthmue
prove successful and the evolutionary
government be recognized by the Unltes
States, the administration would have n
authority to make a canal treaty with
1t, because the Spooner law empowers
the President to treat not with Panama,
but Colombia
1T is not easy to see what reason q
excuse President Roosevelt can have 1ol
not turning TO Nicaragua, IN compliance
with the provisions Of the Spooner Law.
Ii IS SAID that he has a marked prefer
cnce for the Panama route and is nc,
disposed to abandon it. But it is not !,
question OF the Presidents preference,
but of his duty under the law. It Is
Tor Congress, and not the President, TO
say what out shall be adopted, and
that body has directed the President to
move for the construction Of the Nicare-
qua canal on failure to ZONE to term,
with Colombia within a reasonable time
This contingency has now arisen. an1
Hence the mandate of Congress is tina;
the Panama affair be dropped and tbs
Nicaragua enterprise undertaken.
Q course the Panama scheners anc
the railroad ring will continue their e.
tcrts TO defeat or delay the NicarSr,.
49, I"A 60 NJ -