The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-10-17
pIAIN nrpunLIcAN TALK.

PLAIN REPUBLICAN, TALK. i. The Portland oregonian IS one of the most consergative and ably-edited Rcpub- iican papsrscf the country. but 1t lacks much of Aeing a partisan organ. u ar sers with Its party very seriously on variety of subjects. and on none IS IL more outspoken than when is speaks or the canal project. From recent edito- rial we take this extract:
 Y The enemies of the canal have piayee lnelr game with great advantage anu effect. They have played Ns". NicaTasaS. Nicsraeua. have thrown their weight inso both scales against either scale, ana have dealt with friends and enemies oI either or both alternately. but aiways with the one end in view-Iefeat or tne cana, project They have lobbied both at Washington srd Bogota. and now Will oe lobbying at Washington ana Mahasua' They will be on hand !n Nicaragua 10 TO- ment opposition in any possible way Dy making appeal to pride and patriouss, and supporting with money, as they ola in Colombia. Anything to dcfeat tne ca- nal. in the interest of our transcontinen'- al railroads
 If vas most unfortunate when the Ser- ate ,f the United States decided to turn away from Nicaragua and to take up 'ne rotten Panama scheme. Even II Sena- tors were honestly misled 1t was inexcus- phle. On the part of the intriguers wno induced the substitution of the fahaHi1 It scheme there was a double purpose. II haRe aa rake-ofr: e if 1t shouldn't ''go" they would have helped the railroaus ana .. uo tained their reward that way. % tne Panama bill was used as the means oa setting Nicaragua aside; and then the same forces transferred their efforts 10 Colombia working for defeat or tn" treaty. or making such conditions 70 ee cure immense booty, in case It shooio
 Pretty tired of this game of intrigue and villainy, employed to defeat Srsas National object the people of the t'nned States are; and yet nonoay ,nred can for "i, n period indefinitely longer. No doubt there are Senators who sincerely oppose any canal. The tact there never nas peen a canal at the Isthmus of Amei1ca Is 10 them a sufficient reason or argument wny there never should be one. But 1t seoins ilard to believe that this kind of marrow stupidity can be a controlling force Tn tne Senate. For the rest. motives can only be surmised. The fact remains that all plans for the undertaking get turned down. one year after another.
 Beyond doubt there are many inteiii- gent and we'll informed men who really believe the Panama route Is the best. and there have been so many arguments statistics and figures on the subject that an honest difference of opinion Is not surprising or discreditabie. They see and understand differently and may not be blamed because of that difference of of the times If all Americans. even those who have striven hardest to inform them- selves. should agree on a route.
 But, leaving out all honest differences of opinicn. 1t Is plain to all except those who are wiifully blind. that there are aer opposed % any isthmian canal and wfc are determined that there shall be none, if they can prevent it. Whether these determined opponents are controlled by tGe railroad interests. or whether they have been bought up by other opponents of the canal schemes. is not so material as is the fact that they have labored de- terminedly. and so far effectually. to thwart all efforts to carry out the work.
 We shall not go 80 far as The Courier Journal does in It's figures and charges. for such charges, without positive evil denCe, are of no avail It is enough to know that there has been an organiza- tion, a cabaI or a lobby, by whatever na ne we may call 1t. which, has stood in the way of the canal promoters and which has so far triumphed. As The Or egonian says, they have played their game. and they have played it shrewdly ard effectualiy. Just who they are and how much they get for their services ru:y never be known, but it is enough to know that canal movements are block ed.
 Just what course the President will take contended that when the time limit fixed by the treaty expired the President should have considered that as a finality. so far as the Panama scheme was con- cerned. and should at once have turned his attention to the Nicaraguan route. This he has not seen proper to do. for reasons best known to himself no doubt. and any prediction as to what he intends to do is only guesswork. If other Repub- lican newspapers would speak out as The Oregonian does 1t might have a good eff feet, and If the "grafters" who are op- posing any canal could be made known 1t would serve good purpose. Doubt less they have not failed to cover their tracks. but their work has been well done So far.