The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-02-02
LET US BUILD THE CANAL.

cacy of the Panama treaty is being
widely quoted and seriously COM
mented on by the great papers Of the
country. That his position is the
correct one for a southern senator
hardly admits Of a doubt. That
this position will prevail, and the
Panama canal be opened, is just as
certain. The contamination of this
enterprise has been a pet scheme
with the south for years and years.
Now we have the opportunity to get
it. Mr.. Simmons and other sagacious
party leaders are too wide awake to
saddle upon their party the reSpon-
sibility of bringing indefinite delay
and even possibly final defeat to an
enterprise of such vast. such uni
versal utility.
The above IS from the Raleigh
Times, Of Friday. We endorse every
word Of the article. Now is the time
for the democratic senators from the
south to put themselves on record as
favoring and doing all in their power
to secure this great boon for our
section of the country. We wish the
people of the south were unanimous
on this question. We cannot under
stand how any of them "a oppose
the ratification of this treaty on the
ground hat the conduct of the adj
ministration in the Panama secession
was not what it ought to have been.
II the president or the state depart
men had any thing to do with the
secession of Panama it has not been
shown and we have the positive as
sertion of the authorities that they
had no hand in that affair. But sup
pose they did. What has that got
to do with the present question? Is
the country to be deprived of the
great good that will come to it from
the construction of this canal just
because Mr.. Roosevelt or Mr.. Hay
did something which they should not
have lone and which now cannot be
undone?
In great contrast with the senti-
ments of The Times above quoted is
an editorial in The News and Obser-
yer of the same day. Editor Daniels
cannot understand why any demo-
cratic senator should hesitate to vote
against ratification of the treaty eff
they believe the president was guilty
of u~surpation and that he virtually
seeded Panama" He further an
nounces that there is not an intelli- |
gent twelve yea old boy in America
does not know that the whole
Panama affair shows
more than any other single thing |
Roosevelt's reckless disregard of the |
constitutional limitations placed upon
the executive"
Mr.. Daniels in order to make this |
positive statement must have infor-
nation on the subject which has not |
yet been given to the public. If he
knows the fact he should give us less
ones the Information on
which he bases his assertion. No
doubt h democratic senators would !
be glad to have him furnish them
with his private information regard
what the administration did to
bring about the secession of Panama. !
The democratic senators are trying |
to get all information possible on
subject. We think it his duty, |
as it should be his pleasure, to en-
them on this important mat
er. He seems to know some facts
existence of which have been
kept from the knowledge of the
president and his advisers or the lat
ter are willfully lying to the public
n denying their existence. Mr..
Daniels should give the public the
benefit Of his private information on
his subject.
What we want is to see this canal
quilt. To reject the pending treaty
will indefinitely postpone it's con-
If Mr.. Roosevelt and his
'abinet have acted improperly In
about the present state of
iffairs the public should knew it,
'ut that fact should not be allowed
o stand in thn wav of Soorr;,- thA