The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-03-05
CONDEMNATION NOT oBsTRuc.
TON,

The position of Democrats with ref
erence to the Panama canal should now
be the same as their position with ref
erence to other obnoxious and i'm
proper policies carried out by this adj
ministration. 1t should firmly stand
for principle and repudiate the wrongs
that have been done without forever
ringing changes upon facts accomplish
ed or attempting to base programme
for the future upon events that now
lie In the irrevocable past.
If the Democratic leadership in con-
gress for some years past be open to
criticism, it is that it was too obstruc-
tive and not sufficiently constructive.
While the American people are, in the
long run, sensitive to an appeal to
moral ideas, they are not patient with
a criticism that degenerates into mere
scolding, and that offers them nothing
positive for the future That party
will best succeed which, while point
ing out the errors of the enemy and
refusing to condone them, still lays
down definite lines of it's own without
demanding that the country act in its
behalf upon purely negative considera-
tons.
There will, therefore, be no Demo-
cratic opposition to the carrying out
of the Panama canal scheme. We hold
and we shall say, and we shall appeal
to the country on that as one of the
planks in our platform, that the adj
ministration committed crime against
liberty and crime against the honor
of this country in it's unprecedented
and objectionable course in Panama.
For that it deserves to be punished and
repudiated by all right thinking men.
We shall not include in that, however,
any attempt to set the hands Of the
clock backward. The Panama busi-
ness, evil though it be, is done. The
country has been committed to a
course of action that cannot now be re-
versed. We may be able in the future
to make some honorable reparation and
some financial compensation to CO.
lombia for the territory that we have
reft from her in defiance of our prom
Use. That is a matter for the future.
For the present none will be more eager
attendants or more helpful than Dem
ocrats to the completion of the great
| work itself.
This is a type Of the policy that the
country demands. A majority of the
| people are thoroughly dissatisfied with
| the policies of this administration and
| weary Of the inefficiency or worse of
Republican rule. They are turning
about them to look for something bet
| ter. What they want is a virile criti-
| cism, provided 1t be conjoined with
ability to act. Let us devote no COM
| plicated sentences to denouncing our
course in the Philippines. Let us
| rather, since the Philippines are and
will remain under our power, be faith
| full to our institutions and ideals by
pledging the faith of Democracy to an
independent government like that of
| Cuba for them in the future.
Panama, through our unrighteous
| act, has become an independent state
| and canal rights have been acquired.
Let us unsparingiy eensure those who
planned and executed the deed, and
promise such monetary restitution as
alone remains possible. and then let us
lend all our energies to the early COM
pletion of the canal.
This is practical working common
sense; this is good Democracy, and this
is the line of action most promising OF
] success.