Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1903-12-04
PANAMA AND NATIONAL HONOR.

The Panama situation has not ma.
eiially changed, nor has public opln-
on touching the action Of President
Roosevelt on the Panama incident
changed. There were those who would
condemn the President no matter what
be did, there We're those also v no
would praise him 10 matter what lie
did, but there was also great conset-
vatiVe element who whilst they may
have favored canal never so much.
wanted our actions with regard 10 it
to be regular. decent and of high order
aud not those of a buccanneer. OF
course the majority of the Republican
press has sustained-the President. at
least to the extent of not criticising
his action unfavorably. Nothing elee
could have been expected in the face
of fast approaching presidential cleo.
ton, and he the acknowledged candi-
date. But the Independent press has
not been so kind. especially since it
has been made public that had not
the Panama incident occurred Mr..
Roosevelt would have incorporated
into bis message to Congress these
words. THAT if they (the ColOmbians)
will come to an agreement with us in
straightfor ward fashion, we will in
return act not only with justice, but
with generosity: and that if they fail
to come to such agreement with US,
we must forth with take the matter In
our own hands,
This language is plain and uneqniv-
ocal. 1t says in SO many words that
We should seize the country and build
the canal if our terms are not agreed
to, and that quickly. There is laid
down the principle that when we want
q thing we can take it if strong
enough. On this theory should We
break into butcher shop and steal q
ham we could justify ourselves by the
fact that we were hungry, and we had
offered the butcher 12s cents per pound
for it, but he wanted 10. 1t is true
Colombia made mistake by not &C.
ceptlng our terms at once, but where
is tn ere trader who would not have
done the same thing? The ham was
hers and she had right to set price
on it.
Expediency is therefore about the
only excuse for our action, though
precedents are sought to be found in
the actions of Washington, Jefferson,
Monroe and John Quincy Adams, IN
their dealing with the Mississippi
incident, as we'll as that of Florida.
1t demonstrates one thing, and that
is that National honor is not so dear
a heritage after all. Not long since
National honor was about to be out
ragged by declaring dollar which we
then had, as good as any other dollar,
and opening the mints to silver as well
as gold, thing that had been done
for many years before. How the eyes
Of part of the nation were rolled
heavenward at such sin, how have
we heard the praises of those who
saved National honor, sung since,
and yet We knew then, as we know
now, that National honor had nothing
to do with it. National plumber was
the real motive.
1t is not strange. therefore, that the
country trembles when this fire brand
type of statesman handles the public
rein, when cowboy methods and cow.
boy diplomacy are dominant in Wash
ington. When indecent morals throw
treaties to the winds, and 3 great ma.
ton like ours Wanting itself hereto
fore as the personification of morality
seizes a small nation like Colombia by
the throat and holds her whilst it
filches from her person about all the
wealth she possesses.
We have always wanted the Panama
canal. We haye believed that
it would long ago have been built had
not the transcOntinental railroads
subsidized Congress, but we did not
want it built at so great cost. 1t is
sufficient that we pay for it many mil.
lions more than it might cost. but that
we build 1t at a sacrifice of our honor
is more than we ought to be called on
to do.
SENTENCE OF TRAIN WRECKERS.
On last Saturday Judge Lyman
Chalkley of our county court, sen
fenced to the penitentiary for 10 years
Mrs. Ellen Bailey, for IS years James
W. Bailey, and then sentenced John
Kennedy to be hung, and fixed the date
of his execution for January 18th next,
for derailing train on the N. & w.
RY. last December in which the engi-
neer was killed, and the motive of the
culprlts robbery. The leaning of the
juries toward Mrs. Bailey and her son
james Bailey, Is explained by the fact
that juries will not condemn women
to capital punishment in this section,
and the fact that the boy seems stu
pid and Irresponsible. We have no
desire to change this chivalrous feeling
toward the weaker sex. We have
always looked with adherence upon
those who condemned Mrs. Surratt to
be hangd, though possibly the fact that
she was innocent may have had some
influence on our minds. In the case
at bar, however, the woman was the
most guilty party. If the evidence
goes for anything she it was who sug-
gested and practically planned the
whole affair. Hers was the older and