The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1904-03-03
THE CANAL TREATY.

The Panama Canal treaty is now
an actuality in full force and effect.
A bill is already in Congress to pro-
vide for the temporary government oil
the ten-mile strip territory over
which the United States has acquired
the right of perpetual control. 1t is
proposed to give the legislative and
administrative powers of Congress tc
a board of governors until other pro
vision is made. They will be respon
sible for the sanitary conditions, and
will be bound to protect the canal
and maintain order. In case OF
emergency they NAV call upon the
United States military or naval
powers which are to be stationed
within reach.
The work that President Roosevelt
and his advisors have done in connec-
tion with this matter is worthy of
the highest praise. The securing of
a canal treaty is a work of great
national and international import
ance. Not foreign country has OBJ
jected, wants to object, or could OBJ
ject to the course the United States
pursued in the events which followed
one another in such quick succession
The whole country-in fact the whole
civilized world-wanted the canal,
The United States is the only govern
ment that could build it,
The United States at last awoke to
the exigencies of the situation and
proceeded to treat with the Colombian
government to secure the necessary
rights in order to. build the canal
The treaty was finally arranged salts
factorily to both sides when suddenly
the greedy treachery of the Colon
bians became apparent. The Colon
bian congress rejected the treaty-re-
jected 1t at the command Of President
MarroquiD, who thought he saw a
chance to get few more millions of
dollars because the United States was
so anxious to get the canal started.
This Marroquin is no president" in
reality, but dictator, despot in
everything but name, chosen at an
election in which, as United States
minister has said, "None but the SOL
diers, police, and employees of the
government voted. - This autocrat
rejected the treaty, because he thought
the United States was easy and
at once doubled the price of ratlfica-
tion,
That was the situation when sud-
denly cog broke in Marroqui' S
machine tor extoltion. The residents
OF Panama, enraged at the way the
canal which meant so much to them
was put aside, arose and declared their
independence. The events since then
are too we'll known to need repetition.
The President seized the golden OPP
portunity, eluded the snare of the
willy blackmailers in Bogota, and this
treaty is the result. The treaty is a
better one for this country than was
the one rejected by the Colombian
congress at the command of Mario.
quin. The world approves.
The whole world approves? No!
Not quite Seventeen Democratic
Senators do not approve, or if they
do, they have been so surrounded
with Authorizations by Senator Cor
man that they thought it best for
party reasons to appear to di7approve.
The vote on the ratification of the
canal treaty showed every Republican
for it, and fourteen Democrats like
wise for it rs against fourteen who
voted in opposition and three more
who were absent but paired. 1t was
Germans idea of good politics, but it
was about as poor politics rs one can
we'll imagine. OF course the Demo
Gratis are hard up for an issue but il
would be suicide Tor them to try to
make an issue of the Panama cues
ton. Nearly all the leading Demo
cratic newspapers in the country sup.
port the President in his course. The
undoubted public sentiment is over.
whelmingly in favor of the treaty
and approving Of the way it was
secured. The Republican platform
will praise the Presidents course and
ask the votes of the people because Of
it. If the Democrats want to get or
the other side in their platform
nothing would be more pleasing tt
their opponents.