The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-12-30

|
The Spooner amendment to the Panama
bill required the President, in the event
OF the failure to ratify the treaty with
Colombia, to proceed with the Nicaraguan
project. Colombia refused to ratify the
| treaty, for reasons, righteous or other
wise but satisfactory to itself. And then
came the Panama act OF Secession, that
opera bouffe Revolution which all the
causistry this side the Judgment wit;
not be sufficient to justify or even con-
done. And some Southern papers, having
forgotten even the existence, presumably
of the alternative route by Lake Nicara
qua a better route every way for the
South and just as good route for the
North with the one disadvantage that il
is a better route for the South-southern
papers are talking as though the refusal
of Southern Senators to endorse that
niquity were tantamount to their fight
ing against any canal.
Time is sometimes saved by waiting.
The canal is going to be dug and be-
fore very long by one route or another
Every three hundred and sixty-five vessels
that may go through the Nicaragua canal,
from whatever Eastern port will save a
year of time when trading with the
Western Coast of North America. From
Southern ports a week will be gained for
every vessel, even the swifest. And
time is money.
The Washington Post has the following
adequate comment upon the situation:
No careful and attentive reader of
the Southern newspapers at this time
is at all likely to make the smallest
mistake as to the attitude of represen-
tative men in that section toward the
Panama question. 1t is, of course, OBJ
vious that the people are practically
unanimous in demanding an lstbmian
canal but nothing could be further
from the truth than to say that they
take the smallest pride i'll the part we
have been made to play in Colombian
affairs.
1t is one thing to want a canal.
Upon that point there is no dissension
whatsoever. 1t Is quite another thing,
however to depart from our national
traditions. No doubt we have gone
mad with acquisition and commercial
ism. The country's conscience has
been debauched, and we revel like
so many children in the false glory
of success. Our expense account will
correct that later-in fact, it has al
ready begun to restore few OF us to
our senses Meanwhile it cannot be
said of the better CLASS of Southern
newspapers that they go beyond mere
abstract approval of "a canal" No
one who intelligently consults them
can think so.
Perhaps a fair idea Of representa-
tive feeling in this respect can the
derived from the following utterance
by the New Orleans Picayune:
cit is true that the construction
of this canal would be of extreme
value to this city and State and to the
entire Mississippi Valley, but it would
be immoral in the highest degree TO
condone and excuse a wrong because
it may result in benefit to US"
The South like all other sections OF
this vast country, is afflicted with pre-
tentious blatherskites, both In poll
tics and Journalism, and perhaps In
no more painful form than by the
particular blatherskites who claim to
speak for the ''new South" the spirit
of progress and all the rest OF the
catch-penny nonsense and hurrah But
such newspapers as the New Orleans
Picayune, the Savannah News, the
Mobile Register, the Charleston News
and Courier, and so on, do not pro-
TESS pride IN the Panama perform
ance, however speciously they may
urge the utilization of its conse-
sequences. We are far from saying
that their arguments are legitimate,
for it is by no means true that Pana-
ma is the only route, even II an 18TH
nlian canal were indispensable to our
happiness and honor. Our contention
is. simply, that the real representa-
tives of Southern opinion cannot be
truthfully accused of lauding the ad-
ministration's policy In this regard,
and that if Southern legislatures,
newspapers, and public men demand
a ratification of the Loomis-Varilla
treaty, they do so not proudly, but
IN shame.
We confess to astonishment and
sorrow, even as things stand. The
South has always stood, IN our phllo-
SONNY. for conservative and conscien-
tious adherence to the time-honored
ideals of true Americanism To see i
now so much as compromising with
the Panama outrages is an experience
of pain.
eve do not believe that the real South
ern attitude is one of compromise with
sny such iniquity Southern people gen.
erallv have a pretty clear idea that right
is right. and that it is wrong to do
wrong for the sake of supposed advan-
tage. The advantage never comes that
way"