Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-11-19

from responsibility. Much Of the revenue
Of the lottery comes from the tickets sold
on the trains. Since the railway is WITHIN
the canal Bone and since the United STATES
owns and operates 1t Gov. Davis act1eh an
stopping the sale of the lottery tickets was
both proper and fully within his authority.
Domestic Politics in Panama.
Some indications of Panama domestic
politics have been given in the treatment
of the questions at Issue with the United
States though denial was made that there
was an opposition party which sought to
make capital of the disappointment Of
Panamans over their lack of complete
control. 1t was perfectly natural Tor the
indictments to point out that the party
In power had not been able to shape the
American policy. When the new govern
ment was formed the effort was made TO
givern without parties. or. rather. with
all parties In the beginning of the repup-
lie no possible basis existed on whlch
rival political organizations could pc oulit
up, because no opposing principles or
policies could have a basis. EVERYBODY
wanted to get out from the authority OF
Colombia and come under the wing OF the
United States. Yet the old names OF Nber-
ais and conservatives were adopted, and
in way the identity of the former po-
litical groups was maintained.
The liberals always had been the most
numerous on the isthmus. They had be-
they had done most of the fighting. which
at times was bloody fighting. The con-
servatives were supposed to be in SYM
pathy with the central authorities of BO-
gotta, though since that authority had
few sympathizers they were not very
numerous. Yet, when the republic was
established some conservatives were
found and were invited to take office.
themselves with the new government.
Since then changes have taken place in
the cabinet and among the other officials,
but the conservatives always have been
recognized.
The people of the United States, as I
noted during the political campaign, are
in full sympathy with President Roose-
velt's purposes of dealing generously and
justly with Panama, but they show
much more lively interest in the plans
for canal construction and in the details
of the proposed sanitary works. The po-
litical questions they were entirely will
ing to leave to the national administra-
ton for adjustment They were always
inquiring about the engineering recon-
nolSSanceS.
Canal Construction.
The reports that a sea level instead of
a summit canal might ultimately be Sc
cured and the advance which had been
made in the dredging and other ma
chinery since the failure of De Lesseps,
and since the building of the Chicago
drainage canal, were read with decided
interest l do not know that any one is
yet competent to prophesy what advances
have been made, for American inventive
genius is still experimenting and wait
ing impatiently the opportunity for the
actual test. But the giant machines which
are now receiving the best thought of
inventors and experts are not likely to
prove disappointment. 1t will be no
wonder II within the first twelve month
of actual excavation and other canal con-
structton on an extensive scale electricity
scores new triumphs. Rather, the cause
for surprise will be if new applications
for electric power are not shown.
Difference of opinion exists in regard to
the best labor for the canal construction
Until the commission determines whether
the work shall be done directly by the
United States or whether it shall be by con-
tract not much progress can be made in
solving the labor problem. The extent to
which modern machinery has dispensed
with the necessity of manual labor also
has to be determined in the initial stages of
work and then it will be possible to esti-
mate the actual number of laborers who
will find employment. The estimate of ten
thousand seems too low, though it is ac-
cepted by some of the officials who have
made special studies of the work of con-
struction.
Whether negroes from the United States
Will care to go to the isthmus is doubtful
A southern planter told me some months
ago that If they could be assured of a safe
return home, that is, of their return pas
sage being paid, many of them would CO.
He was finding some of the field hands on
his own plantation restless because they
were getting as he said, the Panama fever
Nevertheless the greater probability is that
the bulk of the workers will be Jamaica
negroes. This class has done the railway
building on the unhealthy coasts of Central
America. 1t has formed the larger propor-
ton of the canal laborers employed by the
French company. With a spriEkling of Chi
nese and with small number of Italians it
is not an unlikely guess that the Jamaica
blacks will constitute the laborine force
which will build the canal
CHARLES NJ. PEPPER