The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-12-29

nominal rents from the natives and non- descripts, are turning these people out of Wthn few days there w Se such nn influx of Americans as. to send ronts booming. Speculation of every sort ls rife, based upon this belief, and upon ev- coming" To Panamaians, who saw and participated in the riot of French extrav- agance and corruption, the fact that the canal Is coming means flush times; and the moment of actual operations arrives. . From this condition there is certain to be reaction. The United States will not begin canal operations for months. for if the advice of men like Admiral Walker, Colonel William Murray Black. the army sanitary expert, and other Americans now here Is accepted, months must eiapse, oven after the ratification of the treaty by the United States Senate. before saii- itary conditions can be so improved as to permit the work of canal construction to begin. This means that season of dire tion with the government, is certain to prevail: and facing this prospect the gov- ernment lacks proper recognition by the people. All thought Of creating 6 govern tuition and the election uf administrative officials waits upon Dr. Manuel Amador,s return from the States; but the wiser ,nsS heads q, believe is serious mistake Is being 2 constitution convention, with represen- tatives from all the provinces, be called is becoming insistent. the more farseeing among the Panamatans believing that it Is essential that the republican govern ment be given . more substantial founda- tton. and something upon which 1t can more certainly claim the adherence of
 mere fact that it exists now because it is without opposition.
 Another disturbing factor, and one bound to assert itself sooner or later, is hA nn ANrAx hhn rnln fnsam HxmkNa church and state The policy of the Con servattves-who for years governed the country-was that the state should sup tIIss and the sentiment among the SsS IeedeM of the new republic is that, while there should be no interference with tho estab- lished religion-the Roman Catholic--the and not to the state, for support. AmOng people so poverty stricken as are the Panamafans the support of the church would mean the imposition of a serious burden, and, as the padres are surc to encourage the people when the new policy shall have been actually inaugurated, that they are being imposed upon, the re- ligious unrest will assuredly provoke problems with which the government win have to deal
 Already there are rumors of dissatisfac- ton. Jealousies are beginning to crop out among those who stood shoulder to shoulder in the creation of the republic. The sentiment prevalent a few days ago, that Dr. Amador should be the unopposed choice of the people for the first president of the republic is beginning to modify, and an Arrange party, fostered by powerful in fuences, ss coming into existence, and when we remember that down here polit- ical campaigns are carried on in the form of revolutions. there is every necessity for the United States to insist upon imrne- diate action toward the formation of stable government chosen by the people and to which all the people will give their allegiance. The republic of Panama be- ing non-existent so far as the people are concerned and existing only because the provisional junta's authority has not been disputed, 1t is required, to correct this contradictory condition and to enable the serious problems which will shortly arise through disappointment and religious un- rest to be properly and effectively hand led, that a government be quickly estab- lished upon the consent and free partici- patton Of the people. Until that Is done the republic of Panama will conti2ue as an anomaly, secure only in the fact that the interests of the United States are such that that government will not permit this one to be destroyed, either by invasion from without or by disturbances within.