The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1903-02-05
A MELANGE OK LIVE TOPICS
Penned for IO& 20 seaders
by a Local Scribe.
SETTLED AT LAST.

At last the treaty between the
United States and Columbia III
regard TO the proposed Panama
canal has been signed and we may
expect to see in the near future
work or the great waterway to be-
gin. The Importance of this
movement to the South can hardly
be. overestimated. In q bright
and interesting letter which APP
peared III last weeks Journal from
Los Angeles, California, signed
"W. D. n. )" 1T was stated that
'the chief articles shipped to Chi
ma are -four and cotton, (from
the port of San Francisco The
wheat exports the past year
amounted to $40, 100000, flour ex-
ports 1000, 600 and merchandise
to $40, 434, 870," Probably the
bulk of the last amount was for
cotton goods. Other Pacific ports
such as Seattle, Portland and
ports in British Columbia also do
ali immense cotton exporting bus
mess to the orient At present
the tlanscontinental railways haul
these cotton goods, the most of
which come from the south, to
to the Pacific to be shipped by sea
to the east. The long railway
haul necessarily adds much to the
cost of the article in the orient,
and thus prevents our commodi-
ties from being used to the extent
that they otherwise would. But
with the Panama canal in opera
ton vessels loaded in Charleston,
Savannah, Pensacola, Mobile,
New Orleans and Galveston could
sail direct to their destinations
by short route with cheap water
rates SO reducing the cost Of trans
portatlon as to enable the manu-
facturers of the south to sell in
the east their fproducts at a much
lower price but with the same
profits they now enjoy. This
would increase very much their
business ing that quarter. The
southern ports being nearer to the
lsthmus, would receive all of the
southern trade and a great deal of
the northern, and as conse-
quence would Je stimulated az
never before in their histories.
The Philippine Islands would if
retained benefit to limited OK
tent the southern cotton mills.
Thor retention would benefit very
materially all the southern ports,
since the immense shipments for
the army and American interests
there, public and private would
be made principally through them.
But it is probable that the Phil
lpplnes will be abandoned no mat
ter what may be the result of the
next election. Before the war of
lS61-65 it was the south which
controlled all national matters
Whatever this section decreed was
executed by the general govern
ment. Since the war the. south
has lost its primacy and New Eng.
land has fallen heir to it. Oppo-
sltion in that section to the per
manent retention of the Philip
pines is perhaps stronge: now than
it has ever been, and las it has
been shown that it costs $40, OOO,-
600 per annum to hold the islands
which give us in that time only
$12 100000 in trade, which con-
dition is likely to be permanent,
1T is easy to see that the average
American outside of the southern
cotton manufacturer, is likely to
be impressed more and more with
the New England idea. Congress
has just been asked to appropri-
ate SO, 100000 to relieve suffering
in the islands, and Aguinaldo asks
for 500, 900, 600 to aid the Filipi-
nos to get upon their feet again. |
10 the Americans who expected
the islands to be source of profit
to this country this is very disap-
pointing. 1t now seems probable
that the strenuous Teddy who
wishes the flag to "stay putt will
not be renominated or if he is that
he will be defeated.
So