The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-01-27
THE CANAL TREATY FAVORED.

THE CANAL TREATY FAVORED.
OF course the Chamber of Commerce,
at the meeting called for this after
noon, will pass a resolution asking the
senators from this state to vote for
the ratification of the Panama canal
treaty. The purpose of the members
who signed the petition for the meet
ing was to have a resolution of that
kind adopted and there is no doubt
that the sentiment of the business men
of the city is ripe for 1t.
AS far as we are informed it is the
intention of the Georgia senators TO
vote for ratification. They are not
against the canal and it isn't their In
tention to let the Republicans put the
Democratic party in an anti-eanal po-
sition. 1t is we'll known, however, that
they do object to the methods believed
to have been adopted to secure the ca
nal concessions embodied in the treaty.
They are satisfied that the attitude OF
this country towards Colombia in the
matter of the Panama revolution was
not creditable to it-that. as matter
of fact. the Panama treaty wasn't ob-
tained by methods that the American
people approve-and they want all the
facts connected with that revolution
brought out, and the responsibility for
the part played in 1t by the United
states placed where it belongs, name
ly, on the Republican party.
It is impossible. however. to undo
what has been done. The Republic of
Panama is one of the family of ma
tions, and the Indications are that 1t
will remain so. While therefore con-
demning whatever is wrong in the
course pursued by the administration
In securing canal concessions the ma
jority of the Democratic senators.
yielding to the desire of their constltu-
ents, will, in all probability, vote for
the treaty.
Nothing is TO be gained by rejecting
the treaty and much harm might be
done by its rejection. If the United
States were to withdraw their protec-
ton from the new republic Colombia
would doubtless make war upon it, and
devastate it, and drive into exile or i'm
prison its leading men. Panama would
be made more OF a wilderness than it
is already, and the construction of the
canal would be delayed for many years,
perhaps for a half a century.
There are some reasons for thinking
that the Republicans wouldn't regret
very much the defeat of the treaty by
Democratic votes. They would then
be in a position to say. in the presi-
Dental campaign. that the Democratic
party defeated the canal. that it was
a progressive party. The desire
for the canal is so great that 1t would
be difficult, IL not impossible, to get
the country to understand why the
Democratic senators voted against the
treatx.
The policy for the Democratic sem
ators to pursue is the one they have
apparently adopted, namely, to vote
for the treaty but to place the respon-
sibilIty for encouraging and assisting
the Panama revolution on the Repub-
lican party. II 1t be true, as believed,
that the Republican administration Sc
cretly promoted the Panama revolution
and prevented the Colombians from as
serting their authority on the isthmus,
in order that II might have the credit
for securing canal concessions, there is
ample reason for questioning the adj
visibility of entrusting the government
to an administration OF that party, for
the reason that it would hesitate at
nothing to accomplish it's purposes.