The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1905-10-06
MORGAN SAYS Nay
ALABAMA Senator Declines to
Coon Junket to Panama.
so WRITES TO SHONTS
Thinks Tour Of Inspection of Canal
Route and Conditions of lsthmus
by Commission viii Result In
~ No Tangible Good.


A
Senator John T. Morgan of Alabama
wrote a letter to Chairman t. p.
Shonts of the Panama canal commits
sion, declining the invitation to ae-
company the commission which left
New York Thursday for Panama. The
senator thinks nothing will be accom-
plished by the trip. His letter says
in part;
in your telegram of the 22d in.
stant you speak of large party who
are to sail with the commission and
the advisory board to Colon and are
to have comfortable facilities for
making tours Of inspection and exam
nation of the canal. In the matter
of sightseeing, such facilities will af-
ford much pleasure, which 1 regret
am not prepared to enjoy; but l do
not suppose that such surface in
spection of the appearance of condi-
tiOns In Panama would give me any
data from which l could form any
judgment as to the practicability of .
lock canal, or a sea level canal, or
the preference due to either plan, or
as to the cost, or the zine required for
the completion of the canal on either
plan.
81 could not wisely, intelligently OF
Justly give an opinion to any commits
sioner, or to any member of the ad-
Tisory board as to the possibility of
a dam at Bahio, 1853 feet below the
level of the sea, that would supply
the canal at 80 feet above sea level;
OF as TO a dam at or below Gatun
that would supply canal at 80 feet
above sea levef5 or as to dam at
Gamboa that would control the waters
of the Chagres river; or as to a pos
sible tunnel to either ocean to carry
off those flood waters.
ri could not inform the able, cour-
ageous and distinguished chief of the
hygsen1c service in the canal zone
whether # we should food all the
breeding places of the stegomyia fas-
ciata with great lakes, we would not
increase them a thousand fold along
the margins Of the great bodies of
fresh water, in the tropical under
growth that would spring up around
them in a few hours. Indeed, this is
no question, among the many vital
interests that concern this great in
qulry, upon which ally rational mind
could give any reliable information or
form any correct Judgment, from what
one could see or hear in the tours
along the canal zone that this party
of visitors will have the opportunity
to make.
ct must say that distrust the ex-
pected advantages to congress Or to
the country of such an excursion OF
the value of any opinion that may be
formed on great engineering problems
by a body Of gentlemen who are non
professional and must form their con-
illusions from surface appearances.
Neither Of these important commit
tees can derive any legitimate conclu
sions upon vital facts that must con.
troll that vast subject, from the opin-
ions of those who are mere guests
of an excursion party, and they will
be men of extraordinary self poise, if
they are not influenced by what may
be a prevailing sentiment among
them.
"Since the ratification of the Hay
Varilla treaty, which opposed, have
done all that I could and much more
than I thought could ever be of adj
vantage to the country to sustain the
government in its purpose to construct
a canal IN Panama Yet have not
believed that success could crown
their efforts, even in their most cost.
~ and desperate form. You may fnd
the key to unlock the barriers that
nature has interposed at Panama. II
you should be so fortunate, I will
applaud your genius and courage.
will vote to provide you with every
reasonable authority and power to &C
. complish your task and to meet your
tremendous responsibility.
In the effort to answer your friend
" invitation with perfect franlrness,
II I have said anything that jars upon
vour sensibilities, have not SO in
tended it and would regret it. I beg
to assure you Of my sincere respect
and TO say that viii rejoice with
YOU In the successful completion Of
the great work in your charge. Sin
cerely yours,
tslgned) JOHN T. MORGAN"