The sun., 1903-11-05
PANAlMA'S BURDEN.
II Gets No Beneflts From Colombia for the
Taxes ana Soldiers II Gives

The Department Of Panama 10 bound bv
no strong ties to the remainder OF Colombia.
Its position is anomalous in this respect.
All who are familiar with Isthman affairs
agree that IL is in touch with the republic
at scarcely any point except that it shares
the national misfortunes and hears heavy
part Of the burden of taxation.
Panama is not even sef-governing
State. 1t was called State till 1885, since
which time It has been ranked merely a. a
province, one Of the nine departments Of
the republic whose government Ia entirely
centralized at Bogota.
Geographically and geologcally 1t is not
a part Of The republic, The I,thmus belongs
geographically to North America and it is
treated by scientific men in this relation
In his Universal Geography" Reclus
treats the Department OF Panama in his
second volume on North America and re-
serves the remainder of Colombia for hS
first volume on South America. Sievers.
the German authority on South America,
says that geographically the Isthmus be-
longs to Central America. Hill, our own
geologist. says that the Department OF
Panama is a typical section of Central
America, Many other authorities might
be quoted to the same effect.
Panama has no communication with the
rest Of the republic, except by sea The
south part Of the Isthmus is a painless
wilderness inhabited by unfriendly Indians.
and Colombia has generally let them alone
The Colombians have never thought OF
uniting Panama with the rest Of the country
by a safe highway or railroad. II takes
month to cross the mountains from Bogota
and reach Panama by way OF the little
Pacific port Of Buena Ventura
Panamas commercial relations with the
rest of the republic are insignificant The
reason is because the Isthmus is a panhandle
enterprise as the South American part OF
the republic possesses. The exports Of
Colombia never touch the Isthmus. but are
sent out through SabaniIla, Car,agena or
the Venezuelan port of Mara acaibo, None
OF the imports comes 10 tho Isthmus except
those that are locally consumed
The prosperity of the 1sthmus depends
not upon the material condition OF the res,
OF the country, but upon its own Importance
in international trade. which brings in money
and creates demand for labor and for
local products. The Isthmus fourishes
when thousands OF workmen are digging
on the canal. The towns Of Panama and
Colon are little more than forwarders Of
international commerce. Their well.beng
depends upon foreign nations
Colombia confers no henefits upon the
Isthmus in the way of development, bus-
ness or education; but, none the less,its hand
rests heavily upon Panama 1t loads the
Department with burdens grievous to be
borne Many OF the conscript soldiers
who fought for the Government in the re-
cent prolonged civil war came from Panama
A gentleman who was in Colon during the
war wrote that it was pitiful to see these
poor boys, mere children, a great num-
Der Of whom were shot down for the cause
Of the Government. which they defended
merely because they had been forced away
from their mothers on the Isthmus and com
PEELED to shoot
The fact is that the inhabitants OF the
sthmus have the privilege of paying the
most onerous taxes to the general Govern
ment and of suffering from the frequently
recurring revolutions; and they get little or
nothing for their money and sacrifice: The
Bogota Government pockets the. heavy
annual tax on the railroad concession and
saueezes the Isthmian orange dry.