The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1904-01-13
A SOUND DOCUMENT.

A SOUND DOCUMENT.
The Presidents message read
in Congress is a document which
will go down in history as one
among the strongest State pa
pers that has ever emanated
from the White House. 1t will
be recalled, how the press of the
country and especially that OF
the Democratic party assailed
the President. and charged him
with diplomatic trickery in his
recognition of the republic OF
Panama, and it has been the
constant effort Of those opposed
to the President to shake the
confidence of the country. IN
their zeal to discredit the Presl-
dent his conduct in the Panama
Colombia affair has taken a po-
litical turn, and bis party oppo-
nents even carried their opposi-
ton to the extent Of charging
him with dishonor. But when
esends his message toCongress,
the wild charges and theories
are knocked into smithereens
and all unprejudiced minds cred
it him with having argued well
-Afs position, and that his acts
are sustained by law and prece.
dent.
= The canal proiect is entitled to
support from every Southern
representative, b1t,as is usually
the case, everything~pust be
subserviant to politics. Nhe
building of the canal will be Of
great advantage to the cotton
growing South, and yet because
It is the product of a Republican
amin0 The Democrats will, if they
can, block it's construction, on no
other ground than, it will inure
to the Republican party's credit
in the coming campaign. The
peoples interests are not to be
Considered; politics is paramount
with the politician. and if by
thwarting the Republicans IN
the great work they have pro-
jected they can hamper that par
ty, they regard it Of more impor-
tance than doing something for
the peoples good. The South
has much to gain from the canal;
it means the opening up Of our
shriveled-up ports, and the add
ing an impetus of our Southern
commerce, especially cotton to
foreign markets. It means a
nearer route, and the saving to
cur Southern farmers the enor-
nous railroad freight rates
across the continent, and what's
saved in freight rates, can be
added to the profit OF the pro-
Queer. This is recognized by
the legislature Of Mississippi to
the extent that it has adopted
a resolution instructing the rep
resentatives of that great cotton
growing State to vote for the
ratification of the canal treaty.
We hope President Roosevelt
will succeed in getting the canal
started, whether our obstruction
statemen give him their support
or not. Senator Morgan Of Ala
bama has announced that he will
not vote for the treaty ''to gave
spectacular effect to the leader of
a campaign for the Presidency,
and right there is the milk in the
cocoanut of Democratic opposi-
ton = an exceedingly narrow
view for statesmen. The Demo
Gratis in the South realize, the
building of the canal means un-
told millions to this section, and
yet because the credit may so to
the administration in power,
they prefer letting the conntry
suffer, hoping by it to gain some
political advantage.
It is such a narrow spirit that
has made the Democratic party
a minority, and it is such a spirit
that shakes the confidence of
the country in its policies. No
party can inspire confidence with
the business interests, whose
leaders openly say they will OBJ
struct a measure which is calcu-
lated to advance the country's
interests, simply because it may
rebound to the credit of the op-
position. We venture to say
if a vote was taken by the peo-
pie of the South, the canal trea-
ty would receive an almost unan-
imous support outside Of the pol
iticians.
In our opinion any unbiased
man who will read the Presi-
dents message will be impressed
with the strength Of the case,
and instead Of his being unmind-
ful Of the rights of another na.
ton, the President has acted
with a wise craftsmanship, and
for our representatives to lend
themselves to the obstructing
Of the ratification Of the treaty,
will not only throw the respon.
sibility upon the Democratic
party, but they will be aiding
aud abetting the great contlnen-
tai railroad interests, that has
50 long been reaping rich har-
vests from the people Of the
South from long haul freight