Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1904-01-01
Wasilln9tuu STANDARD
OLYMPIA, WASH.
FRIDAY MORNING, ANlAIY |, 1901.
Our Helpless Founding, Panama


Our Helpless Founding, Panama.
y stall correspondent of the Ore
qoatdn writing from Panama, under
date Of the 10Th nit, says that while
the American colonies revolted against
England under provocation Of lesser
grievances than Panama sustained
from Colombia, yet Panama never
found cause for rebellion until the
mercenary incentive was discovered.
There was not a throb OF patriotism
involved, nor any higher object than
to secure the construction of an 18th.
milan canal across the narrow Panam a
strip. This is shown Enthusiastically by
their correspondence, and it is woiully
apparent that the new republic pos
sesses none Of the characteristics es.
sential for free government. She
had to pass under the protection of
the United States at birth, and her
salient Municipalities show that she
will have to be controlled and guided
by this governm ent, without any hope
OF ever attaining the qualities neces-
sary for An independents career.
The territory embraced in the So
called republic is AIS miles in length
and Al to 100 miles in width. The
coast-line, considerable moro than
1000 miles in length, is rough and
broken. The surface OF the country is
generally mountainous, while immense
swamps and stretches of treeless up
land are frequent. Except along the
coast, the country is almost entirely
uninhabited, all of the cities and
towns being located near the sea.
Much Of the area remains unexplored,
and is inhabited by savage tribes of
Indians. The population, including
the latter, is estimated at 100000, al
though this is by no means certain, for
no enumeration has ever been made.
This territory stood in the Colombian
federation as the Department of Pa
mama, and was divided into seven
provinces, each having q Governor.
Each had its council and was entitled
to representation in the two branches
OF the Congress, which sat at Bogota.
The new republic. was not sstab.
lished by secession, for that would i'm
ply that the masses had some voice in
it. While it is not denied that the
sentiment was almost universal, the act
OF separation from the parent govern.
ment was by revolution instituted by
three men and conducted by seven,
working under the advice and counsel
Of four Americans. Those who were
in the secret, tho correspondent says,
may have been counted on the fingers
Of the two hands. The uprising took
place Nov. Sd, by the arrest of the
Governor and two army officers, ct Pa.
mama. The next day q public meet
ing was held in the Cathedral plaza,
and independence proclaimed-or the
manifestation" as it was called, was
signed. That the revolution was peace.
able is explained by the statement
that dollars swayed the judgment Of
the soldiery ~ we'll Is the populace.
A semblance Of authority Was used
by the City Council Of Panama, meet.
ing behind closed doors, who appoint.
cd three members Of the provisional
government junts, who assembled At
once and named the members of the
provisional cabinet. and the new 70.
public was established. It is quite
evident that It owes its strength to it,
inherent weakness, or in other words,
70 want of opposition, acquiescence
and federation of anything and every.
thing done by the vensl schemers 10,
self and incidentally those who have
beed aided BY inaction.
To our people such conditions seem
almost impossible. and it emphasizes
the fact that they are class Of people
widely different from those who have
shown . capacity for self-government
Instead of . congress Of the people
the City Council Of Panama declared
Independence, appointed the new rul
ers, and set the wheels of . new gov
eminent in motion, without any othel
province equally interested having Z
voice in the matter, and even the PEG
pie of Panama had the matter laid ou
for approval without consultation.
The junta, however, condescendet
TO make the fact known that q new
government had been established By
sending their best orators to all tn,
cities TO proclaim what had been done
and Why it had been done: to enable
the United States TO build the cana
and pay the people . sufficient sum o
money to make them all rich and pros
porous. This conclusion, addressed K
people mostly abjectly poor, nevel
failed to elicit enthusiastic approval o
what had been done.
This is the sort of material Uncl,
Sam has TO mould into . structur,
that may, in the course of time. be in
incorporated in our political fabric
The gu cries involuntarily arise: Viii
It be . success. Will it pay for th.
cost and troublei
SENATOR SHOOT MAY RETIRE.-It il
reported ~ . belief At Washington tina,
Senator Smoot, Of Utah, will resign
rather than submit to the rigid in
vestigation Of his religious convictions