The Red Cloud chief., 1903-11-20

ence to present and future possibili.
{ es To the broad American concep-
ton ! goes without saying that the
United States must dominate the
inter oceanic highway whenever con-
structed. Its availability TO the
worlds commerce on substantially
equal terms is not denied, but the
United States cannot tolerate any
other %guarantor thereof than itself
alone. That point was not too strongly
stated by the late James G. Blaine, in
his famous letter, whether or not it's
PRONUNCIATION at the time his letter
was communicated to the British gov
eminent was discreet or opportune.
This much we may assume as the
sober conviction Of the American peo-
pie. No less is it the r conviction that,
the fullness of { me having come for
the financial and engineering exploit.
at on of the work, and IN opportunity
under favorable circumstances now
occurring, the thing be now done, that
the canal be forthwith undertaken aud
completed, and not paltered with or
on any pretext postponed to the in
definite future. The American people
are doors il they are anything. And
1t is q safe prediction that the present
administration will be disposed to
arise to the present need and oppor-
tunity and do this thing-to 60 ahead
and have a canal with entertainments
and locks aud water and the COM
MERGE Of the world using it This is
what the American people want, and
they will back up an administration
that verify does it.
We must, Of course, expect political
opposition. Whenever a great thing
is to be undertaken, whether it be a
war, the acquisition Of vast new terri
tory or a project Of national import
ance like this canal, an opposition
party will always resist and criticise
1t. 1t Is, too, alwas possible for such
opposition to invent arguments more
or less plausible, or to find or create
lions in the path. The democratic
party may be trusted to turn know
ingly and z~ealously to this sort OF
thing. for it has been for half a CEN
fury mainly engaged in opposing what
was doing.
Moreover, there are some interests
and forces to help in delaying and
frustrating any positive line Of action
for the actual present installation of
the canal. There are those great trans
continental railroad corporations
which certainly do not welcome an ef-
fective water competiti on, whether
they have heretofore done all that
some imagine they have to defeat it
They are powerful, they represent un-
numbered hundreds Of millions, and
they and their allied interests will not
be forgotten by a partisan political
opposition. Beyond such material in
terests we must reckon upon consid-
cradle elements Of timidity, of the
,dealists Of all varieties, Of the mar.
rowness and smallness no less than on
that assortment of political odds and
ends which are always ready to o
Lessee against any positive and agrees
i've line OF action in any new or dis
tant field.
If we were to wait for all these ele
ments to consent or to cease protest
and cutlery, we should wait forever.
Nothing would ever be done. The
American people are not in the habit
of waiting. II is their record to go
ahead in srite of such elements. 1t
would be very much like President
Roosevelt to lead off and go ahead
to do so. in fact, even more rapidly
than many approve of, although fol
lowing him therein 1t would be very
much like the republican party to do
this thing very much as it finished up
the civil war after the democratic
/ party declared it a failure.
, And, so far as we are concerned, we
[ will put a canal digger against a
speechmaker every jump in the road
y Lincoln Daily Star.