The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1904-01-29
A FOOLISH ooNrEn TON

ment In the Democratic party. which
is constantly evincing u disposition t.
endorse Republican policies and prin-
eiples in order 10 gam RepuolIcaI
votes In their overanxlety to be en-
gagged IN a winning fight they take q
supsl tciai We v of things and sndeavor
to eItch up with what they think Is
tn , drift of popular opinion without
reference to the intrinsic Significance OF
tne issue involved as affects the vital
ten ITS of the Democratic party. This
element has maze obstreperous profert
of itself in the last few weeks in refer
ences TO the Panama canal treaty.
Tney started Of with recognizing tine
trulh that canal was wanted by the
people. THIS was well enough. The
people do demand a canal, for nothing
would be mole conducive to the con-
tinued commercial prosperity OF the
country. But they next jumped to
the unfortunate CONCLUSION that the
country was facing the alternative
of voting for the Panama treaty Ur
surrenderlng all hopes of any canal
whatever Having reached this con-
clusion without rhyme or reason, they
insist that the treaty with Panama
shall be ratified. 1t matters not to
them that the methods employed by
Roosevelt Leading up to the negotia-
tion of that treaty are such as to
tarnish the honor of their nation.
They insist that the United States
must have the canal, whether they
can get 1t fairly ann honestly or not,
and they ask the Democrats of the
Senate to repudlate the party pledges,
rhe treaty obligations of the country
and their sense of national honor and
fair play in order to uphold Roosevelt |
In his unnecessary policy OF cruel.
criminal ana ruthless commerciaIism.
We have constantly urged that the
Nicaragua route was the proper route,
and that the failure to ratlfC the
panama treaty would insure the i'm
mediate construction of the Nicaragua
canal. We have insisted that it IS not
a question of Panama or no canal, but
in reality 1t is question of Nlcara-
qua or no canal. We are not alone in I
this opinion ana we are very glad of /
the opportunity of here reproducing [
IN article from the Washington Post |
iwelling upon the absolute folly OF the
belief that failure to ratify the
Panama treaty will mean the abandon >
nent of the canal projeot. Says the q
Post: .
s'We are amazed and shocked to find y
Southern newspapers so easily deluded r
~ the impudent, the ridiculous PROPOSE :,
ion that the only question at issue is h
me OF an isthman canal, and that, !,
herefore, to oppose the administration .
olicy is to pat obstacles in the way of ;,
ational progtess and to strike a das ),
ard blow at our commercial expansion. u
he country is confron ted by no such 8
dilemma, and no one can :,
'utn1uily declare that ne must Choose 81
etweeu his conscience and his avarlce.
Everybody knows that the wreckmg of !,
le Columbian union is not iDdisI ensa .,
e 10 the construction of an isthmian n,
NAL, and none knows it better than the p,
,uthern newspapers and politicians
no bow exploit the mischievou5 fal
cy =,
"Oaly little while ago these very or do
lna Of Southern ser tment were clamor n.
g for the Nicaraguan route, proclaiming oo
superiority .denouncmg the 'rapaclous M
iway trusts, which, as they alleged II,
sre schemipg for the Panama alterna- ~
20 ia order t. defeat competition. 1t is \
It more than year or so since these no
riekers for American progress were /. /,
actically unanimous IN demanding a
caraguan canal as the Only expedient NJ,
which our trans. continental com g.;
,rce could be freed from the relentless 8 :.
asp OF the octopus. The POST has -,
yer expressed the smallest preference
either route as practical propos ton. -.
e do not now pretend to 8 " that one il -,
tier or more desirable than the other,
far as concerns its abstract and in
nsic merits But there is no doubt 10,
our minds that the United States does -,
/ need to browbeat and crush Colon 49,;
in ordor to secure an isthmian A.
,al, and the spectacle now present ed h,.
Southern newspapers which advocate nor
LOOMS Varilla compact of spoliation - ,
spectacle of sorrow and amazement. n.
demphis Morning News. "a,
We Are Tie