The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-12-22
SHOULD ACT AS A UNIT.

The Democrats in the Senate should
vote as a unit on the Panama treaty.
The history of this republic does not show
as disgraceful chapter of buccaneer-
ing as the conspiracy to inaugurate Sc
cession in Panama. 1t was useless ex-
hibition Of power that has injured Ameri-
cas- reputation and has lost us the conf
dence of the South American people. The
president was authorized to construct the
Panama canal ''if possible otherwise he
was instructed to arrange to construct
the Nicaragua canal. There is great room
to doubt whether the Panama route is
SO good as the Nicaragua. There is sharp
division between the best experts as to
which is the best route. The man who
has given the most study. to routes and
done most to crystalize public sentiment
to constructing the canal is "Old man
Morgan, the wise statesman from Ala
bama. His argument for the Ncara guam
route is able and conclusive with most
Americans.
When Colombia refused to ratify the
treaty giving us the right to construct the
Panama canal, there were two sources open
to the President: 1. To say to Colombia
that unless it agreed to reasonable terms
within a short time, he would carry out
the legislative mandate and use the Nj
he
secession and by the exercise of the power
of a bully to coerce Colombia. He chose
the second plaza plan that has Deen
fittingly characterized by Senator German
and Senator Hoar, two of the Oldest and
wisest men in the United States Senate.
Their speeches in the Senate were worthy
of the days of Washington, Jefferson, Madi-
son and Monroe.
Unless some stop is put to executive
have king and be done with it. If 4
president can scheme to secure secession
in order to get what is virtually pro-
vince, and then have his usurpation af-
irmed by the Senate because it promises
a benefit, when and where shall such i'm
perialism be checked? No usucper ever
avowed wrong purpose. King George
put his right to tax the American peo
pie upon high grounds. Most OF the
crimes of nations have been committed
in the name of liberty. Mr.. Roosevelt's
appeal to ratify the Panama treaty is
based upon the advantages this country
will derive from the Panama canal.
business is disgraceful to our national
diplomacy But" some say there is
nothing left for US to do now but to ratifv
the treaty or lose the canal" That is
to say, they will condone a national
crime hoping that good will come Of this
evil. Is that the course that coordinate
1t is to be thus driven to condone exc
cutlve usurpatio1 because some pdrticu
lar good may come of it, when will Ell
fectual protest be made? There will
never come a time when the usurpation
will not promise some material good.
The history of ratifying the Philippine
treaty ought to teach a lesson Some of
the first Democrats in America, from the
highest motives. advocated ratifying the
treaty Ill the hope that afterwards they
could secure legislation giving liberty to
the Filipinos. What has been the result?
The ratification of that treaty opened
Pandora's box of ills. Those who op-
posed the ratification of the treaty were
wisest The time TO fight is before rati-
fication when the bill was before Con-
gross to repeal the purchasing clause
OF the Sherman act, the very terms of the
act promised later silver legislation. 1t
was a promise made to the ear that was
broken to the hope.
If the Panama treaty is ratified, who
can stop the present occupant in the