The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1904-09-15
THE PANAMA CANAL

lExtacts from an address made by
Hon Elihu Root. at Chicago. February
%. 1904, printed in Congressional
Record. June 90. 1901
Reluctantly, and with a sense that il
was unjust eXaction. the United States
agreed to pay S1O.O00,00o down. and
| $500 per annum in perpetuity-
substantially the entire amount eN
acted by Colombia. We were not go
ing into the enterprise to make money,
but for the common good. We did not
expect the revenues of the canal to
repay its cost, or to receive any bene-
fit from it, except that which Colon
bia would share to a higher degree
| than ourselves.
! The concessions made in the treaty
| to the government of Colombia, how
ever. seemed merely to inspire in that
government a belief that there was
no limit to the exactions which they
could successfully impose They de-
manded further S10,000.000 from the
Panama Canal Company, and upon its
refusal they rejected the treaty.
This rejection was substantial re-
fusal to permit the canal to be built.
1t appears that the refusal contem-
plated not merely further exactions
from us, but the spoliation of the canal
company That company's current
franchise was limited by it's terms to
the 31st day of October, 1904. There
was an extension for six years granted
by the President and for which the
company had paid 100000 francs.
These patriots proposed to declare
the extension void and franchise
ended and TO confiscate the 100000
600 worth of property of the company
and take from the United States for
themselves. in payment for it, the $4O.-
OO0, 900 we had agreed to pay the com
many
BY becoming a party to this scheme
we might indeed have looked forward
to the time when, the appetite of Co
lombia being satisfied at the expense
of the unfortunate stockholders of the
French company, we could proceed
with the work, but such course was
too repugnant to the sense of justice
that obtains in. every civilized commu-
nifty to be for moment contemplated.
!" Sleidcu ~ tiiS iei'I l'oiibe ~ Il
yond reason and justice in agreeing
to pay for a privilege to which we
were already entitled. and we could
not with se1f-respect submit to be
mulcted further. We could negotiate
no further Rejection of the treaty
was practically veto of the canal.
These were the conditions existing
when the revolution of November
happened To an understanding of
that revolution knowledge of the
character and history of Panama is
essential Some uniformed persons
have assumed that it is merely num-
Der of individual citizens of Colombia
living in the neighborhood of the pro-
posed canal who combined to take pos
session of that part of Colombia terri
tory and set up government of their
own No conception could be more
The sovereign state of
Panama was an organized civil society
possessed of territory extending over
400 miles in length, from Costa Rlca
on the west to the mainland OF South
America on the east. 1t had popula-
ton of over 100000.
ne people OIL dilalll hStS Liz |
owners of the canal route; 1t was
because their fathers dwelt in the
land, because they won their indie
pendence from Spain, because they or
ganized a civil society there, that 1t
was not to be treated as one OF the
waste places of the earth. They own
ed that art of the earth's surface just
as much as the State of New York
owns that Erie Canal. When the SOW
ereisn State of New York owns with
the other States of Colombia under
he constitution of 1863 it did not part
with its title or its substantial rights, I
out constituted the Federal Govern
nent its trustee for the representation |.
If it's rights in all foreign relations
md imposed upon the government the
iuty OF protecting them. The trustee
vas faithless to its trust: it repu-
lated its obligations without the con-
ent of the true owner; it seized by
he strong hand of military power
he rights which it was bound to pro 4