The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-12-28
Neav Panama Republic a Queer Can
hadIchon Among W0rld's Nations

anna.
In each Of these cities the emissary
would, upon his arrival, employ the local
band OF musicians. Taking a stand in the
principal plaza, he would draw his crowd
by the bands efforts and when number
sufficient for his purpose had assembled,
he would read the Declaration OF indie
pendence Following the reading would
! come his harangue, the burden OF which
was that the establishment of the republic
meant the construction of the ship canal
by the United States across the iSthmuS,
and that the construction or TINS canal
meant that the United States would pay the
republic sum OF money sufficient 10
make all of the people rich and prosper
Gus. This was done in every instance, and
the orators argument being addressed 10
a people among whom poverty in its most
abject form prevails never failed to elicit
enthusiastic responses in approval or what
had been done. The business OF the ennis
sary was then 10 report TO the junta
that the people of that town accepted the
republic and glOried in its creation This
procedure has been followed in treating
with all of the people Of the isthmus In
a more formal manner some of the prov
inces have communicated with the junta
through their governors. Support has been
rendered this way of men and arms TO
support the republics independence, and
while il is not pretended that anything like
all of the people of the republic have been
communicated with, the assurances,
through the emissaries and the governors,
| have been sufficient in number TO carry
the conviction that the people of Panama
| generally approve the severance OF their
| relations with Colombia. If they lack pat
riotism of their own. they certainly have
no love for Colombia and are glad TO
escape her dominion, their Willingness eX-
! tending to ready acceptance, after the event
| of all that was done by the City Council
| of Panama, which enjoys the unique dis
| tinctiOn of having by simple ordinance ere
| ated a republic so far as the formal
| structure of this republic is concerned.
| From this ii will appear-and such is the
| indisputable fact-that the Republic of Pan
1 to-day governmental
| lures because it is unoppOsed. The junta
| is governing without opposition, and while
| the allegiance of none OF the people except
| the soldiers and sailors has been pledged
to the new republic, the junta constitutes
| a governing body de jurc because there is
| no dispute as TO its authority.
\ REACTION is CERTAIN.
Into the situation created under and by
these contradictory conditions and methods
there enter several elements of danger. The
first and most important of these is delay
IN giving to the government the form of
more certain acceptability to the people
| The people are acquiescent now because the
condition is new and novel; but how long
| they will remain so is problematical The
conviction is universal among them that
the United States will begin actual canal
| operations at once. Everybody is expecting
money to flow freely within the next few
|
| to believe that the establishment of the
| republic means the immediate beginning of
| work on the canal. This is seen in divers
| ways. Hotels whose bars have been closed
| since the cessation Of canal work by the
| French-fourteen years ago-are preparing
| TO open them within few weeks. Owners
| of renting property In Panama and Colon,
| who have accepted nominal rents from the
| natives and nOndescripts, are turning these
| people out of their premises in the expecta-
ton that within a few days there will be
| such an influx of Americans as to send
| rents booming. Speculation of every sort is
| rife, based upon this belief, and upon every
tongue is the slogan, THE canal is COM
| ing" To PanamaianS, who saw and par
| ticipated in the riot of French extrava-
| gance and corruption, the fact that 1.-The
| canal is coming means flush times; and
| Panama can hardly restrain itself until the
moment of actual operations arrives.
| From this condition there is certain to be
| a reaction. The United States will not be-
| gin canal operations for months, for if the
| advice of men like Admiral Walker. Col.
| William Murray Black, the army sanitary
expert and other Americans now here is
! accepted, months must elapse, even after
| the ratification of the treaty by the United
! States Senate, before sanitary conditions
can be so improved as TO permit the work
| of canal construction to begin. This means
that a season Of dire disappointment, invit-
| ing to dissatisfaction with the government,
is certain to prevail; and, facing this pros
pect, the government lacks proper recogni-
ton by the people. All thought of creating
a government by the formal adoption of a
constitution and the election Of adminiStra-
| tive officials waits upon Or. Manuel ANA
doris return from the United States; but
the wiser heads believe a serious mistake
is being made in thus delaying. The demand
that constitutional convention, with repre-
sentatives from all the provinces, be called
is becoming insistent the more far-seeing
among the Panamaians believing that 1T Is
essential that the republican government
be given a more substantial foundation, and
something upon which it can more certainly
claim the adherence of the people than Ii
ranC ell 10 hn naf ~ o.
lists now because il is without opposition.
CHURCH AND STATE.
Another disturbing factor, and one bound
to assert itself sooner or later, is the con.
fict over the relations between church and
state. The policy of the Conservatives-whC
for years governed the country-was tha
the state should support the church. This
Liberals opposed this, and the sentimen
among the leaders of the new republic i:
that while there should be no interference
with the established religion-the Roman
CathOlic-the church must look TO its com
municants, and not TO the state, for sup
| port among people so poverty-strickel
as are the Panamaians the support of tn
church would mean the imposition of a seri
Gus burden, and, the padres are sure L
encourage the people when the new police
shall have been actually inaugurated, tina
they are being imposed upon, the religious
unrest will assuredly provoke problems
with which the government will have t
| deal
Already there are rumors of dissatisfac
ton. JealOusies are beginning TO crop on
among those who stood shoulder to shout
der in the creation of the republic. TIL
sentiment prevalent few days ago, tina
DIR. Amador should be the unopposed choic
: of the people for the first President of tn
republic is beginning TO modify, and al
Arrange party, fostered by powerful infiu
enceS, is coming into existence, and whel
We remember that down here political cam
paigns are carried on in the form of revolu
lions, there is every necessity for tn
) United States to insist upon immediate &C
J ton toward the formation of a stable gov
} eminent, chosen by the people, and I
which all the people will give their allegi
, ance. The republic of Panama, being non
existent SO far as the people are concerned
junta's authority, has not been disputed,
{ is required, to correct this contradictor
condition and to enable the serious prob
lens which will shortly arise through dis
appointment and religious unrest to b
properly and effectively handled that
government be quickly established upon tn
consent and free participation of the people
Until that is done the republic of Panam
will continue as an anomaly, secure only i
/ the fact that the interests of the Unite
I States are such that that government wi
] not permit this one to be destroyed, eithe
| by invasion from without or by disturb
3 ! ances within MERRILL A. LEAGUE.
EJCIJT' NTETIT CICEC 1NTD