Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1904-09-08


..aaemo' Advances Some Nov.
81 Objections to It's Con-
otruction.
OF all the gigantic plants con.
ceived BY mortal man the Panama
Canal 10 the chief and ~ q parent
trunk for Tho unlimited age Of
erafters IL n speculative, aud the
prevailing imprsasion seems to be
that IL promises TO be the most
beue6cent and commerce advanc-
ing ediflce ever conceived and
brought into practical form by
statesmen Of any age.
The colossal character Of the un-
dertaking has been presented as SO
ave inspiring - to place it's con-
alteration in detail beyond the
comprehension Of ordinary human
ity, and place il solely within the
scope Of the most orthodox elect,
that is to say, the class that for
some inscrutable reason have in
recent years assumed to represent,
not only the patriotism, but the
intelligence Of the nation, and in
this case the idea has prevailed
that opposition to the Isthmian
canal project Of barely less than
treason to the great interest Of the
Unissd States, and apparently for
this reason feeble opposition was
made by democratic legislators in
either branh Of Congress and even
In the selection Of the route, the
adoption Of the Panama az opposed
to the Nicaragua was demonstrated
10 be . financial graft from start to
finish, the latter showing advant-
ages patent to all except the afore.
said elect, Senator Morgan know.
ing it from observation, and the
highest class of American engineers
have the data to prove it, but a
lump sum Of forty million was to
slluring osteasibly to be paid to
the French company, but suscept.
ible to . great many divisions.
This is the first graft, and has been
followed by . number of very ques.
tionable. expenditures and shady
methods.
Now as to the benefits that will
follow, the money for the construc-
ton, that is for labor, will be ex-
pended in a foreign territory and
paid to the lowest class of labor,
and in some few favored manufac-
turing districts for machinery and
tools, and the class that will do
the work would have to be fed,
canal or no canal, SO alleged bene-
fits to American farmers and stock
raisers is fallacious, and the con-
struction expense will drag along
through the years and finally be-
come . department., the same as
war, navy, postoffice, etc. From
any point Of view the benefits are
questionable. Other nations will
avail themselves Of its use and
compete stronger with American
ship owners. Trans Continental
lines will be forced to make com.
peting rates, and see q large portion
Of present and future traffic per-
manently diverted. and have an
excuse for lower wages all along
the line of operations. Again it
will retsrd the development of the
west, that naturally follows the
track OF q great trans-continental
commerce., the great portions of
ORIENTAL shipments going around
the country instead Of through the
country. Town building would be
interfered with and the benefits
that come from an army Of en-
ployes entirely lost. Extremely
low rates would be in order for all
ocean cities in order to meet ocean
competition.
And TO . greater extent even
than ct present the highest possible
rates would be established ON all
business for interior points, when
as . matter of fact, freight and
passengers can be transported by
railways - cheap or cheaper than
by stcsmship-all risks and time
considered. The cost of operating
freight trains, run at q speed Of ten
or twelve miles an hour, is as near
. minimum Of transportation ex-
pense - possible, useless aud reck-
less speed Is costly and uncalled
for.
So it appears that the most pro-
nounced mission Of the great ditch
will be to divert oriental commerce
from United States territory and
check internal developments Of the
west especially.
This waterway develops no new
territory, opens no new avenues
for American industry. But il
does open the doors for unlimited
peculation and all imaginable in
ternational complications.
The fact will always remain thai
it is present administration con.
ception, born in diplomatic sin and
disgrace. Nothing Of a like char
acter appears in our national his
tory, and will always remain q
bar sinister I'm the national shield.