The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1904-02-12
CANAL WITHOUT LOCKS
Growing Sentiment In Favor
Of Sea Level Waterway.
SOME TALK ABOUT DARIEN ROUTE
Representative williams Tells a Zeb
Vance story-MOre Islands For the
United States-No Corporation Leg
Islation This Session.

! Washington, Feb. To- Special. lit
may be sea level canal that will
finally be constructed across the 18TH
mus. AS we get closer to the com
mencement of the work the desire to
have the best possible canal is taking
hold of senators and representatives,
and in a quiet way Il strong sentiment
for sea level canal one without locks
is growing. l hear ii stated that the
canal at Panama can be made a sea
level route by the additional eXpendi-
ture of $100,000000 and that the work
can proceed after the canal on the
lines Of the isthmian commission, or,
rather, the French company has been
completed. OF course the real desirable
sea level route would be at Darien,
where the neck of land is only twenty
nine miles wide. 1t is more than likely
! that after the treaty is ratified and
/ the canal is an assured fact strong
efforts will be made to have thorough
examination of the Darien route made,
with Il view TO finding If ii is feasible.
Hanna and Scott.
|
/ inal scheme of Senator Hanna, which
was championed by Senator Scott. |
am told that Senator Hanna, now
| chairman of the committee on inter
oceanic canals, has given the matter
deeper consideration and is convinced
that the sea level proposition is the
best and believes il is feasible at Pan
anna, even if il is not at Darien. 1t is
we'll known that no real or serious eX-
animation has ever been made Of the
route that il has not been surveyed
carefully and that the canal commits
sion that reported on both Panama
and Nicaragua made only the most
casual observation of the Darien 18th
mus from the decks of a steamer. 1t
would be quite an interesting turn If
the sea level route at Darien should
suddenly spring into favor.
A zeb Vance Story.
Representative Williams told a story
Of Zeb Vance Of North Carolina to il
lustrate a point in recent debate.
He says there was an Irish landlord
who sent a message TO his agent, Col
lect the rents" The agent sent back
word: 1T is physically impossible to
collect the rents. 1 have now three bull
let holes through my hat, two through
my coat and one through the seat Of
my trousers" Immediately upon re-
ceipt of that message went back
from the landlord. Collect the rents
They cannot scare me by shooting at
you"
Islands For the United States.
Senator Daniel expects the time will
come when all the West India islands
will either belong outright to the Unit
ed States or will be controlled by this
government The Virginia senator Is
not an expansionist in the way the
term is now used He did not vote
for the acquisition of the Philippines
and would now gladly see them estab-
lished as an Independent government
and no longer subject to the United
States. But lie is a philosopher and a
student Of the times and sees no pros
pect of his wishes In that direction be-
ing fulfilled in the immediate future.
So he will make the best of it, His
opinion about the West Indies was
expressed in a conversation with Sen
ator Newlands when the Nevada sen
ator's Cuban annexation resolution
: was under consideration. Senator
Daniel does not think the time is op-
perfume for taking over the West In
dies, but when the inhabitants OF these
islands want TO come and we want
them they will be taken under the flag.
Democrats at Sea.
Speaking of the condition of the
Democratic party, especially with ref
; erence to the Cuban bill and the Pan
anna treaty, where the senators of that
party have been unable TO reach an
agreement, Senator Tillman said:
1--WE are all at sea on cakes of ice
not all on one iceberg, but each OH his
particular block"
No Corporation Legislation.
, 1t has been made plain that there
, will be no legislation relating to rail
roads and trusts at this session. All
the bills that have been introduced will
} sleep quietly in committees. The Ell
kins law and the Nelson act incor-
por2ted in the law creating the de
partment Of commerce and labor are
. all that is deemed necessary for the
S present. No bills against the corpora
lions or bills for them will be con
y sidered There may be some hearings
granted, but these will attract very lit
y tie attention, and it is doubted if any
serious attention will be given any Of
z the pending measures.
s How Mckinley Would Go.
Here is a little story about the late
president: President Mckinley was
once urged to visit a certain section of
the country and take part in the cere-
monies of an important event as pri-
vate citizen. the spokesman of the in
vitation committee saying:
"Mr. President. we want you TO 60
out there as William Mckinley, not as
president of the United States. You
can leave your state cares behind you
and place yourself in our hands as our
guest, and we will see to all the par