Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1903-11-18
CHASING WILL o the WlSPS,

OuASh"O WILL "
There seems to be q disposition
among some of the democrats in con-
gress to try to make political capital
for their party out of the Panama af-
fair. Democratic papers in different
parts of the country also seem inclined
the same way. To the non. partisan
observer there appears to be very lit,
tie for them to gain by such proceed
ing.
There probably is not person in
the country who does not believe that
our government wanted to see revo-
luton in Panama and was prepared
to recognize it the moment it CON-
menced. Most persons probably be-
lieve that our government knew of
what was going on and encouraged it
in some way. The fact that it had the
warships at hand and the recognition
ready to send out indicates this. In
der ordinary circumstances q country
will wait till government is estab-
lished before it recognizes it. But
conditions on the isthmus and in
Panama are not ordinary.
In the first place, no one can SYM
pathize with Columbia for losing Pan.
anna. The Columbian grafters held
up the treaty merely because they
wanted larger slice of pie. It would
be case of poetical justice if they
should lose all profits from the canal
deal. When hoggishness meets with
great loss none but the losers mourn.
In the second place, the United
States is bound by treaty to protect
the isthmus railway from disturb.
ances. AS the people of Panama
would very likely have started trouble
in any case, the action of our govern
ment probably was the simplest way
to prevent destruction of life and
property on the isthmus. Columbia
will think twice before it runs up
against a country protected by Uncle
Sam.
It is nothing new for the United
States to recognize new governments
on this hemisphere and throw it's pro-
tecting flag around them. TWAS only
the suddenness of the action that
was new.
The people of this country want
that canal built. They believe that
the only opponents to the plan are the
transcontinental railways, and it will
not be healthy for any party to lay
itself open to the accusation of run
ming the errands OF the big railway
corporations.
The men who honestly opposed the
policy of forcible annexation in the
case OF the Philippine Islands can
find no parallel with that case in this
case. There we bought people
against their wish and forced upon
them government they did not want.
This time we help a state to get free
from lot of irresponsible grafters
who are looking out for their own in
tere SITS, not their country's. This
country gets what it wants; Panama
gets what it wants, and Colombia
loses what it did not deserve to have.
If the people OF the United States
could stand the forcible annexation of
the Philippines and return the party
guilty of that action to power there is
little chance for working up any
strong feeling against the administra-
'tion for helping the people of Panama
to administer a rebuke to the greedy
spoilsmen who rule Colombia.
If the democratic party raises this
question in the campaign it can be for
only one reason-the party is so torn
up on every vital question in politics
that it wants no other platform than a
lot of criticisms CT the administration.
The republican "stand-patters" would