Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1903-12-11
LAWRENCEBURG, TENN, FRIDAY, DECEMBER II, 1908
asks for tn. latter new tarlff arrange.


public lands, and wants them held, so far
as possible, for the home builder. He re-
ports steady progress being made In irrl-
CATION IN the west under the irrigation law.
and does not believe new legislation along
this line Is needed now. He urses the con-
tinuation OF the work Of forest preserva-
tion, and the reservation Of the public
lands lying about the headwaters of the
western streams.
He notes the increase In the number OF
government employees under the civil sery-
Ice rules, and pronounces the results ad-
vantageous to the government In con-
nection with the army he recommends the
procuring Of suitable maneuver grounds In
different sections Of the country, and some
provision that will enable the department
to- recognize merit in making promotions
where such are deserved. For the navy he
wants naval base established in the Phil
ippineS without unnecessary delay, and
recommends the establishment of naval
general staff along lines similar to those
Of the army.
The Isthmian Canal.
More attention Is given the isthmian
canal and the Panama revolution than to
any other subject. The legislation leading
up to the present condition Is discussed
and reviewed, He sees no necessity for
reverting to the Nicaraguan route, and
pronounces present conditions ripe for the
building Of the Panama canal, and in this
connection says;
when the congress directed that We
| should take the Panama route under treaty
with Colombia, the essence OF the condi-
ton, Of course, referred not TO the goyern-
| ment which controlled that route, but to
the route itself; to the territory across
which the route lay, not to the name which
| for the moment the territory bore on the
map. The purpose of the law was to au-
thorixo. the president to make treaty
with the power in actual control of the
| isthmus Of Panama This purpose has
| been fulfilled"
He reviews the relations Of this govern
| ment with Colombia relative TO the mat
| ter OF transit across the isthmus from the
| time of the signing of the treaty guaran-
| teeing right Of way Of transit across the
| isthmus to the citizens Of this country,
1886, down to the present time. For an in
| depreciation Of the meaning of the treaty
| he quotes from the state papers Of previous
! government officials, including Secretary
Cass and Secretary Seward Says we are
| under obligations to the world to build the
canal; notes the reputation Of the canal
| treaty by Colombia and says:
| Nevertheless the government of Colom-
bia not merely repudiated the treaty, but
| repudlated 1t in such manner as to make
1t evident by the time the Colombian con-
( gress adjourned that not the scantiest hope
! remained of ever getting satisfactory
| treaty from them. The government OF
Colombia made the treaty, and YET, when
the Colombian congress was called to rat
| fy 1t the vote against ratification was
| unanimous. 1t does not appear that the
government made any real effort to secure
| ratification"
| The Panama Revolution.
He reviews the incidents of the Panama
| revolution, and says the action OF the
| United States was In accordance with the
terms of the treaty guaranteeing peace
| able transit across the isthmus, and could
| not have been otherwise. He reviews at
| considerable length the disturbances that
| have occurred in Panama since 1S47, and
| . nj States
the rights guaranteed its citizens by treaty
| and says:
"In short, the experience of over half
century, has shown Colombia to be utterly
| incapable Of keeping order on the isthmus.
! Only the active interference OF the United
! States has enabled her. to preserve so much
| as -semblance OF sovereignty: Had It
not been for the exercise by the United
States of the police power In her interest
her connection with the isthmus would
have been sundered long ago. In 1856, In
1860, in 1873, In 1885, in 1901, and again In
1902, sailors and marines from United
| der to patrol the isthmus, to protect life
| and property, and to see that the transit
across the lsthmus was kept open. In 1851,
in 1862, in 1885, and in 1900 the Colombian
| government asked that the United States
government would land troops. to protect
its interests and maintain order on the
isthmus"
CoIombia's Latest Proposition.
knowing that revolution has already
commenced in Panama ian eminent Co.
lombianl says that If the government Of
the United States will land troops to pre-
serve Colombian sovereignty, and tho
| transit, II requested by Colombian charge
d'affaires, this government will declare
martial law; and, by virtue of vested con-
stltutional authority, when public order
Is disturbed, will approve by decree the
ratification Of the canal treaty as signed;
or If the government of the United States
prefers, will call extra session of the con-
gress-with new and friendly members
next May to approve the treaty. IAN emil
nent Colombian] has the perfect confidence
of vice president, he says and If 1t became
necessary will go to the isthmus or send
representative there to adjust matters
the people there"
This dispatch is noteworthy from two
standpoints Its offer OF Immediately
guaranteeing the treaty to us is in sharp
uous refusal Of the congress which has just
closed its sessions to consider favorably
such treaty; it shows that the govern
ment which made the treaty really had ab,
solute control over the situation, but did
not choose to exercise this control. The
dispatch further calls on us to restore or
der and secure Colombian supremacy in
the isthmus from which the Colombian gov
bar us by preventing the construction OF
the canal.
Considering the canal question in all its
phases. and the inability Of Colombia to
maintain order on the isthmus, and its
reputation of the canal treaty which would
have guaranteed permanent peace there,
the president says:
Under such circumstances the govern
ment OF the United States would have been
guilty of folly and weakness, amounting
In their sum to a crime against the nation
had 1t acted otherwise than i did when
the revolution of November last took
| .laa In Dan 10 prfc ri CQ M
building the interoceanic canal cannot be
held up to crafty the whims, or out OF
respect TO the governmental impotence,
or to the even more sinister and evil polit-
ical peculiarities of people who, though
they dwell afar off, yet, against the wish
of the actual dwellers on the isthmus, as.
sert an unreal supremacy over the terri.
tory, The possession OF territory fraught
with such ptE.ltar capacities as the 18TH
mus In question cares with 1t obligations
to mankind. The course of events has
shown that this canal cannot Se built by
private enterprise, or by any other nation
than our own; therefore II must be built
by the United States.
The New Canal Treaty.
He refers to the new canal treaty recent.
| IL made with Panama, which he submits
with the message, and says of It:
by the provisions of the treaty the
United States guarantees and will main,
tain the independence of the republic Of
| GandInd, lHeTe 10 SldHttu " tHS CHitee
States in perpetuity the use, occupation
and control of a strip ten miles wide and
extending three nautical miles into tht
sea at either terminal, with all lands lying
outside of the zone necessary for the con.
struction of the canal or for Its auxiliar,
works, and with the Islands in the bay Of
Panama. The cities Of Panama and Color
are not embraced in the canal zone, but
the United States assumes their sanitation
and in case of need, the maintenance oi
order therein; the United States ENJOY:
within the granted limits all the rights
power and authority which 1t would pos.
sess were II the sovereign Of the territory
to the exclusion of the exercise of sover'
eign rights by the republic. All railwa,
and canal property rights belonging t
Panama and needed for the canal pass Il