Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1903-12-09

friendly cooperation exists in all the
departments of the government in the
enforcement and uniform observance
of both the letter and spirit Of the civil
service act.
The Army and Navy.
The effect of the laws providing q
general staff for the army and for the
more effective use of the national guard
has been excellent. Great improve
ment has been made in the efficiency
Of our army in recent years. Such
schools as those erected at Fort Leav-
enworth and Fort Riley and the insti-
tuition of fall maneuver work accom-
plish satisfactory results. The good eff
feet of these maneuvers upon the ma
donal guard is marked and ample APP
preparation should be made to enable
the guardsmen Of the several states to
share in the benefit. The government
should Us soon as possible secure suit
able permanent camp sites for military
maneuvers in the various. sections of
the country.
heartily congratulate the congress
upon the steady progress in building
up the American navy. We cannot
afford a let-up in this great work. To
stand still means to go back. There
should be no cessation in adding to the
effective units Of the fighting strength
of the fleet. Meanwhile the navy de-
partment and the officers of the navy
are doing well their part by providing
constant service at sea under condi-
tons akin to those of actual warfare.
Our officers and enlisted men are learn
ing to handle the battleships, cruisers
and torpedo boats with high efficiency
in fleet and squadron formations, and
the standard of craftsmanship is being
steadily raised. The best work ashore
is indispensable, but the highest duty
Of a naval officer is to exercise COM
mand at sea. 1t is eminently desirable
that naval general staff should be
established.
Isthmian Canal.
By the act Of June %, 1902, the con-
gress authorized the president to enter
into treaty with Colombia for the
building Of the canal across the 18th.
mus of Panama, 1t being provided that
in the event of failure to secure such
treaty after the lapse of reasonable
time recourse should be had to build
ing canal through Nicaragua. 1t has
not been necessary to consider this al
tentative, as am enabled to lay be-
fore the senate a treaty providing for
the building of the canal across the
isthmus Of Panama. This was the
route which commended itself to the
deliberate judgment of the congress,
and we can now acquire by treaty the
right to construct the canal over this
route. The question now, therefore, is
not by which route the isthmian canal
shall be built, for that question has
been definitely and irrevocably decid-
ed. The question is simply whether or
not we shall have an isthmian canal.
When the congress directed that we
should take the Panama route under
treaty with Colombia the essence Of
the condition, of course, referred not
to the government which controlled
that route. but to the route itself; to the
.erritory across which the route lay,
lot to the name which for the moment
the territory bore on the map. The
purpose of the law was to authorize
the president to make a treaty with the
power in actual control of the isthmus
Of Panama. This purpose has been
fulfilled.
For 400 years, ever since shortly after
the discovery of this hemisphere, the
canal across the isthmus has been
planned. For twoscore years it has
been worked at. When made 1T is to
Inst eai: Tie lltt1s to exc. ..i,e
geography of continent and the trade
routes Of the world. We have shown
by every treaty we have negotiated or
attempted to negotiate with the peo-
pies in control of the isthmus and with
foreign nations in reference thereto our
consistent good faith in observing our
obligations. on the one hand to the peo-
pies of the isthmus and on the other
hand to the civilized world, whose COM
mercial rights we are safeguarding and
guaranteeing by our action. We have
done our duty to others in letter and in
spirit, and we have shown the utmost
forbearance in exacting our own rights.
I
Last spring treaty concluded be-
tween the representatives of the re-
public of Colombia and of our govern
ment was ratified by the senate. This
treaty was entered into at the urgent
solicitation of the people of Colombia
md after body of experts appointed
by our government especially to go into
the matter of the routes across the
tsthmus had pronounced unanimously
in favor of the Panama route. In draw
ing Up this treaty every concession was
made to the people and to the govern
ment of Colombia. We were more
than just in dealing with them. Our
generosity was such as to make 1t a
serious question whether we had not
gone too far in their interest atthe ex-
pense Of our own, for in our scrupulous
desire to pay all possible heed not
merely to the real but even to the
fancied rights of our weaker neighbor,
who already owed SO much to our pro-
lection and forbearance, we yielded in
all possible ways to her desires in
drawing up the treaty. Nevertheless
the government of Colombia not mere
~ repudiated the treaty, but repudi-
ated 1t in such manner as to make 1t
evident by the time the Colombian con-
gress adjourned that not the scantiest
hope remained of ever getting salts
factory treaty from them.
Revolution In Panama.
The people Of Panama had long been
discontinued with the republic Of Co
lombia, and they had been kept quiet
only by the prospect of the conclusion
of the canal treaty, which was to them
matter of vital concern. When it be-
came evident that the treaty was hope
lessly lost the people Of Panama rose
literally as one man. Not shot was
fred by single man on the isthmus
In the interest of the Colombian gov
ernment. Not life was lost in the
accomplishment of, the revolution. The
Colombian troops stationed on the 18TH.