Iron County register., 1904-01-07
IRONTON. MO. THURSDAY. JANUARY z. 1904
Washington Correspondence.

Cne Panama SlCuaClOn, ana ClldC 10
condemnation of the administra-
ton for it's act of piracy against
Colombia. They say that if any
European power, or all the powers
of Europe combined, had done to
us what we have done to Colombia,
the American people would be
resolute for war. There would be
universal demand for the she'd
ding of the last drop of American
blood, and the spending of the last
American dollar to bring back the
seeding State and restore the in
tegrity of the Union. 1t is well to
bear this in mind if Colombia s
excitement is to be understood. In
the eyes of her people we have
ceased to be a great, free and
liberty loving Republic. We have
become a robber power and have
adopted for our rule of conduct the
brutal maxim that might makes
right. In their eyes we are lost to
all perception of justice and senti-
ments of chivalry and deaf to
every appeal that is not addressed
to our material interests. They
say that this piratical foray, which
disgraces us before mankind, has
been made by President Roosevelt
without warrant in law or excuse
in necessity. He has trampled on
the treaty under which we guaran-
teed the sovereignty of Colombia
over the Isthmus, and is continue
ing to defy the plain mandate OF
the Spooner Act. That statue pro-
vides that if the President cannot
get from Colombia permission to
dig the canal on reasonable terms
and within reasonable time he
shall turn to Costa Rica and Nicar-
aqua and conclude treaty for the
construction of the canal by that
route. The people demand an
Isthmian canal; the vote in the
House in favor of the Nicaragua
route was practically unanimous,
but the bill was held up in the
Senate and the Spooner substitute
adopted to placate and deceive the
people with the delusion that a
canal was to be built, but it was to
be one which, if built, would be of
no practical use, could never
antagonize the railroad interests,
land the men on the inside would
get the benefit of the rise in the
price of Panama bonds. Several
birds were killed with the Spooner
stone.
The persistent enemies of any
Isthmian canal, the transconti-
mental railroads, apparently have
accomplished their object and have
succeeded in forcing upon the
government the adoption of the
Panama route, we'll knowing that
if the work shall be commenced no
man now living will ever survive
long enough to see it's completion,
even if it should prove practicable,
which, in the opinion Of the best
Engineering talent, is doubtful.
In pursuing the course he has in
this matter the President of the
United States, in the person OF
Theodore Roosevelt, has accomp-
lished several things, and all OF
them reprehensible in the highest
degree. He has played into the
hands of the worst enemies of any
canal, he has played the game OF
the Senatorial grafters and ''gray
wolves" he has violated the plain
letter of the law on the statutes
which he is sworn to execute, he is
aiding and abetting secession in a
sister Republic, he is upholding
revolution in Panama, he is SEEK
ing to transform himself from a
constitutional President into an
irresponsible dictator, and, in the
language of the venerable Senator
from Alabama, Mr.. Morgan, che
has performed the Caesarian oper-
alton on Colombia and taken q
live republic from her womb ?
These are things for the people o.
this country to remember.
There is a lot of comment here
and considerable amusement thai
the erstwhile army bill-peddler
Gen. Leonard Wood, should at the
psychological moment, when he il
being toasted over the Senate
gridiron, break out and get into the
I. =. L L L. :