The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1903-11-18
WASHINGTON POLITICAL GOSSIP.
What is Said of RooseveIt's Dec
larations Concerning the
Panama Situation---The
Fight Against Mor-
man SmO0t.

washing ION, ~ ", NOt. 4O. W. uo1
might be termed the Roosevelt Doc
trine" has just been announced from
the White House in that part of the
Presidents message which referred to
the canal negotiations and was writ
ten before the revolution broke out in
Panama.
It had to be cut out of the coming
message, but the President took care
that it should not be lost to the pub
lie and gave it out for publication.
He says very plainly. if Colombia will
not come to satisfactory arrangement
with us let US build the canal in spite
of her. The following quotations give
the substance OF the remarkable state
ment. "High authorities on the in
ternational law hold that the canal can
be dug as an incident to exercising
the power to prevent the obstruction
of traffic across the isthmus. - I'm
my Judgment it is time to declare that
the beginning of the canal cannot be
much longer delayed. This nation
does not desire to be unreasonable or
impatient, but it cannot and will not
permit any body of men permanently
to obstruct one of the great world
highways of traffic. It seems evil
dent in a matter such as this we
should finally decide which is the, best
route, and if the advantages Of this or
any other possible route are sufficient
ly marked, we should then give notice
that we can no logger submit to
trifing or insincere dealing On the
part of those whom the accident of po
sition has placed in temporary control
of the ground through which the
route must pass; that if they will
come to agreement with US in
straightforward fashion we shall in
return act not only with justice but
with generosity: and that if they fail
to come to such agreement with US,
we must forthwith take the matter
into our own hands, This is to be
cut out of the Presidents message
because Of the changed conditions on
the Isthmus. Why therefore should
the President of the United States
publish such gratuitous insult to the
sovereignty of the South American
countries? What right has he to talk
about Colombia or Nicaragua being
in temporary possession of the land
through which the canal must pass?
How can the South American countries
believe in the sincerity of our carry
ing cat treaty obligations on the
Isthmus when the President declares
that this treaty gives US the right to
build the canal without Colombia's
consent? Why, after using this dcti-
tious argument in the case of Colon
bia, did he farther on declare that we
had the right to build either route,
without the consent of Nicaragua or
Panama.
The Senate Committee on Military
Affairs has decided to hold a public
hearing of AL the protests, which are
being made against the appointment
of Leonard B. Wood to be major
general. His nomination has just
been seut to the Senate by the Presi-
dent. At the beginning Of the Spanish
War, Wood was an army surgeon. He
was made Colonel of the Rough Riders
and later appointed Brigadier
General in the regular army. If this
appointment as Major General is con-
frmed, he will become head of the
army in 1908 and remain such until
his retirmnt in 1924. All the older
officers over whose heads he has been
appointed, and who will thus be pre-
vented from ever becoming head of
the army, are bitterly opposed to
Woods nomination, which they claim
was received through political infu-
enee. Senator Teller, who has no per-
sonal interest in the affair, has come
forward as the champion of these Off
GERS and demands that the appoint
ment be held up until there can be a
thorough investigation Of Woods
milstary record, and Of his record as
governor general of Cuba Serious
charges have been made against him,
especially by Major Rathbone, the
friend of Senator Hanna, who was
con0icted of postal frauds, while serv-
ing as director general OF posts in
Cuba. Wood was largely instrumental
in zGoepriag Rathbone7s conviction.
The Cuban postal scandals will be
aired again at the bearing and Gener-
al Wood, through his friends, will
have to show that he was not respon-
sible for, or implicated in, the loose
administration Of Cuba Wilde he was
governor of the Island.
There has .beea q lively debate in
the Senate OH the numerous petitions
from adj over the country sent to that
body, protesting against the seating
of Reed Smoot, the Mormon senator
from Utah. Senator Hoar claimed that
the petitions we're out of order as the
question was a jndicial one for the
Committee on Privileges and Elec-
tions. and it was as wrong to petition
that committee as it was to petition
the Supreme Court of the United
States. Senator Dabois OF Idaho took
issue with this statement and declar-
ed that the petitions were entitled to
the serious consideration of the Sen
ate as they represented the, moral
thought of the country. AS there is
little hope OF proving Senator Smoot
a polygamist the petitions declare that
he is wholly ineligible to seat in the
Senate because he is an apostle of the
Mormon Church, which claims aH-
thority to control it's members in civil