The San Francisco call., 1904-03-24
THE CANAL COMMISSIONERS.

IT HE country will be gratihed by the brief and
pointed instructions given by the President to the
Canal Commissieners. Their work is the greatest
that has undertaken and its prompt and proper per-
Torrance is to be the of American capacity and
ergy We were the pioneers in difficult railroad con-
struction Our first transcontinenta line preceded the
Russian project for the Siberian road by thrts years
The Hoosac tunnel finished before the Alpine tun-
nes France and Italy, and these got their
spiral form for overcoming grade from the Tehachapi
loop the Southern Pacific. In all that branch of
gineerng and construction that concerns railways we
led the world, and accomplished what had been held
be impossible
All great canal construction heretofore accomplished
has been easy compared with that to be done the
isthmus Some of it has been conspicuousy slow The
Corinth canal begun before the Chr. stan era and
finished in the last FIVE years. The Suez canal was
easy construction, and its principal difficulty
political, rather than in its engineering The nations
concerned had make that all interests in and
peace were balanced The sthmian canal which now
undertake has been the victim of politics. One hundred
and ortytwo years ago the King of Spain his
colonial governor the isthmus rgidy exclude all
Englishmen from that territory, lest they the
advantages that would follow the digging of canal.
That political reason and from that time until the
Panama revolution put isthmian politics the side of
canal international politics has been obstruction.
The downfall of the French project due the
domestic politics of that republic De Lesseps had to
brbe and buy his way through the anagonsm of parties
and officials and lost in these corrupt subsidies the cap
ita intended for the completion of the work. Our posi-
ton is happily different from his and have taken all
the preliminary steps in cleanness and proprety Not
whstanding l-advised attempts to rob party of
honorable participation the Introductory to
the great work. nearly half of its Senators broke away
from faulty leadership for themselves their
constituency due share of the honor The enterprise
launched the of the American people, and every
sponsibility
The Presidents instructions to the commission dis
miss partisanshp utterly from the work The Commis
soners selected without seeking knowledge as to
their partisan bias but only for their fitness for the work
No left freer rein in great than
they. Only the President Them and he told
them that they be judged solely by their work. and
if any fail he will be removed no matter what political in
fuence he may bring bear. He admonished them to
follow the rule in selecting their
had guided him in selecting them, and to make untness
the sole for removal This gives free hand to the
commission.
The Presidents instructions will bear many readings
They form business document that should posted
every executive Office in the Union whether it be the
office of Governor of the president manager of
corporation great business enterprise The docu
will enhance the reputation of the President
of business and of action. 1t has moral feature
that is impressive Instead of lecuring the Commits
sones the need of honesty in the work. he said that
if any of them needed such admonon he would not
have been appointed That very high expression and
thought applicable to the discipline of those
who hold trusts. Perhaps many apses due harp
ing upon honesty that would not occur holding
told that they had been chosen because they
needed admontion be honest
Now the work begins in the plans which will be under
way while the Government is completing the acquisition
OF the rights of the French company and settling the
subsidy payment with Panama. When these financial
arrangements finished the commission will have its
plans in condition for disclosure the country We are
not that any decision is made whether the
canal shall operate with locks be tide level water
way If it be made the latter are sure that the
people will be better satisfied Locking delays the tran
sit of ships and adds to the of administration A
level ditch will and take time in con-
struction, but will than its 1t will be
more satisfactory to ship owners and masters and will
better serve the purposes of