Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1903-12-19
DEMOCRATS in CONGRESS FIGHT
HARD TO DEFEAT CANAL
80,
MEASURE.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
Their Sole Aim is Apparently to Man.
ufacture Campaign Argument, But
Republicans View Their Action AS
Short-sighted.
TBY H. ]. MAHIN.l
Washington Bureau of the Courier.
WASHINGTON, D, c., Dec. 18.

Washington, D. c., Dec. 18.
That the democrats are not only go
ing to make a strong effort to defeat
the Panama canal treaty, but they &C
tually have dangerously good chance
of doing so, is one of the sensational
developments of the past week. A
gloom is beginning to pierce the rosy
hue which has been surrounding the
Panama canal treaty, and evidence is
given, that while the democrats in the
senate have been lying low, and are
not saying much lately, they have new
ertheless been preparing for stub
born and desperate fight at the last
moment. The fight will be made, not
on the canal, but on the policy OF Pres
ident Roosevelt and his administra-
ton, and the entire purpose OF the op-
position will be to discredit the Pres
ident and manufacture campaign ar
gument.
.The democrats lose sight of the
fact that if they beat the Panama ca
nal treaty the smallest part of that ac-
ton will be the discrediting of Presi-
dent Roosevelt, and the biggest part
will be the loss again OF the canal,
which is now practically within the
hands of the American people after so
many years waiting" said member
of the Iowa delegation today. If
they persist in this fight, and succeed
In defeating the canal, the democratic
party will go into the next campaign
with a great mill stone of public dis
approval about its neck"
This seems to be the general view
taken of the matter. The question of
President Roosevelt's policy is not dis
cussed any more Even those who
were little bewildered at the time,
and thought that the action was hasty,
to say the least, are now rapidly los
ing that view. Everybody is looking
forward to the digging of the canal.
The United States wants to see dirt
nv. Even those who favored Nicar-
aqua are now willing to admit that If
the President had given up the Pan
ANA project and turned to Nicaragua
there would very likely have been the
same delay, the same holdup methods,
and the same unsatisfactory negotia,
tions that marked the dealings with
Colombia, with the additional danger
that if the Nicaragua negotiations
came to naught there would be nothing
left to turn to. and the whole canal
I OTOJ6CE uQuSG AdN0 UCOh 6iNOh oPs
-
General Raphael Reyes, who is now
president of Colombia is still in Wash
ington on his vague mission, but he
has entirely lost his hostile attitude
He has admitted that Colombia car
not make war on Panama successful
( ly and is now said to be doing his
best to get into negotiations whereby
Panama will be forced to shoulder 6
portion of the Colombian debt That
General Reyes is furtively interested
in the hope Of democratic opposition
however. is undoubted and the demo
cratic attitude of thus stirring false
hope and encourag cement in a situa
ton which was practically settled il
rather unsavory.
The question Of public land frauds
came up in Major Lacey's committed
the other day and a resolution was in
troduced calling for complete inves
tigation of all frauds and the methods
used. 1t was the opinion Of Majo
Lacey that this would hardly be thu
proper move and his ideas on tn,
matter were thoroughly upheld whel
ne SuDmltleu tue piopoSitloA W tn'
secretary of the Interior later.
There is no doubt but what ther'
is some new legislation necessary,
said Major Lacey recently, "but ;
greater portion Of the alleged LAM
frauds could be prevented by the full
enforcement Of the present laws. II
fact these laws are being enforced al
the time and people are being punish
ed. Making laws will not proven
crime and we will probably Away
# have land frauds just as we will al
ways have crime in other forms AM
frauds in other departments Of tn
government"
Major Lacey feels that the idea o
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