The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1904-06-22

o court IN a suit against the coal carry
n ing roads, Other suits have hee
IS brought and other indictments hay
q been found and other trusts have bee
u driven back within legal bonds N
Q investment In lawful business has bee,
e leopardized, no fair and honest enter
Z prise has been injured: hut Il ls cor
n tain that wherever the constitutions
I power OF the national government
e reaches, trusts are being practicall,
regulated and eurhed within lawful
bounds rs they never have before, ant
the men OF small capital are finding IN
{ the efficiency and skin OF the national
department of justice protection they
! never had before against the crushing
! effect OF unlawful combinations.
Wealth OF Farm Land.
| We have at last reached a point
where the public wealth of farm land
which has seemed so inexhaustible IN
nearly gone. and the problem OF utllix-
ing the remainder for the building of
new homes has become OF vital import.
ance.
The present administration has deal,
with this prohlem vigorously and ef-
fectively. Great areas had been un.
lawfully fenced In by men of large
means, and the home builder had been
excluded. Many OF these unlawful ag.
gressors have ben compelled 10 relin.
Quish their booty. and more than ?
100000 acres OF land have been restored
70 the public. Extensive frauds in pro-
curing grants OF land, not for home
steads but for speculation. have been
investigated and stopped. and the per-
petrators have been indicted and ara
being actively prosecuted, A compat.
ent commission has been constituted to
examine into the defective working Of |
the existing laws and TO suggest prac- |
'lcal legislation to prevent further
abuse, That commission has reported
ana bills adequate to accomplish tha
purpose have been framed ana are be- |
tore congress. The further denunda. |
tion OF forest areas. producing alter
nate floods and dryness In our river
valleys has been checked by the ex-
tension OF forest reserves, which have
been brought to aggregate more than
oS,VOO,OO0 acres OF land. The reciaim-
alton by irrigation OF the vast aria
regions forming the chief part OF our
remaining public domain, has bean
provided for by the national reclaim.
alton law OF June IL, 1908. The execu.
ION OF this law. without taxation ana
'y the application OF the proceeds ofl
pubic land sales alone, through the
of storage reservoirs for
water, VIII make many millions oS
lcres OF fertile lands available for set
iement. over $4,000. 900 from tbese
ources have been already received n
ne credit OF the reclamation fund :
,Ver SS'OO,OO0 acres OF public lands IN
states and territories have been em.
raced In the 81 projects which nave
gen devised and are under examina-
on ana on eight Of these the work OF
ctual construction has begun. 81
The Canal Question.
In 1900 the project of an Is,hnjor
~ $1,000 where 1t was left by the
iayton-Bulwer treaty of 1850. For 3
III century II had halted, with Great
ri.ain resting upon joint right OF
'ntrol' and the great undertaking ofI
Lesseps struggling against the doom
failure imposed by extravaganza ana
eruption. On November 1s 1901 ,ha o
treaty with Great
rtaln relieved the enterprise OF the
sht OF British control and left that
gnu exclusively In the United Statea
zen Followed swiftly the negotiations F'
"a protocols with Nicaragua; the Is- 70
milan canal act Of June 2s, 1902. the
81 agreement with the French Canal
inpany to pay them the value OF the ~
'rk they had done; the negotiation s.
ratlhcation OF the treaty with CO.
nDia; the rejection of that treaty bv -
iulnola In violation of our rights ana 4
Worlds right to the passage OF
isthmus; the seizure by Panama OF
opportunity, to renew her oft.re-
lted effort to throw off the hateful
oppressive yoke of Columbia and
ume the Independence, which once
been hers, and Of which she had
N deprived by fraud and force; the 4
cess OF the revolution; our recog-
ION or the new republic followAl bv -
ognltion from substantially all the
lllzed powers of the world. the
atty with Panama recognizing and q
our right to construct the
al; the ratification Of the treaty bv 3
senate; confrmatory legislation bv e
gress; the payment of the 5O.OOO.- 4
70 the French Company and To-
lama; the appointment Of the canal y
omission In accordance with law. A.,
its organization to begin the work -
In Accordance With Law.
he action OF the United States NJ =
ry step has been in accordance with Z
law of nations, consistent with the N
lciples of justice and honor, in dis M
rye Of the trust to build the canal E
long since assumed, by denying the w
It OF every other power to build II =
ated by a high and unselhsh pur- Asti
2, Tor the common benefit of all VA
KIND. That action was wise, con- oiht
rate, prompt, vigorous and effect faIi
and now the greatest OF con- yaIIu
ctiye nations stands ready and
petent to begin and to accomplish
great enterprise which shall realize Eff
dreams OF past ages, bind together WI
Atlantic and Pacific coasts and
a new highway for that commerce
he orient whose course has con-
ed the rise and fall Of civilizations Z
,esS In that enterprise greatly CON-