The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1905-10-06

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spent IN inaustrlously clubbing the
gentlemen from Martinique 500 OF
them announced that they were ready
to 20 10 work One hundred and ffty
preferred an inaehnite continuation Of
the clubbing. and are stfl aboard the
ship.
II seems that the officials had per
feet legal right TO insist upon the Mar.
Unique laborers sticking TO their con.
tracts aud going to work on the canal.
They were probably weli within the
law. or they would not have resorted
TO violence But at the same time per
snasion by club cannot be said TO be
very tactful sort Of persuasion. The
impression createdon the minds Of the
laborors OF the other states and coun-
tries from which IL is hoped to secure
men W n not be of the best This
wholesale clubbing will make it harler
10 secure workmen than IL the Martin
ique gentry ha dbeen allowed to re-
turn home. The prejudice against the
canal zone will probably spread. in
stead Of being allayed by this use Of
the "big stick" We can't coerce peo-
pie into building that canal for us. il
thcs Do not want to A campaign 1f
educstion in ihe districts from which
Il is hoped to draw unskilled labor viii
do more good than resort TO the
cudgel. althought that may rave sue.
ceeded as a means Of getting this par.
ticular boatload ashore
The incident as whole gives some
idea OF the difficulties which viii beset
the contractors before the canal is
Completed II is one thing to plan a
canal which is to be finished in six
or eight. or ten years and make Il look
good upon paper II is another to do
the actual work Months upon months
have gone by, and it has not even been
decided whether we are to have a sea
level canal OF a lock canal We must
expect the un expected resign ourselves
to delays and steadily disbelieve all
those extremely optimistic gentlemen
who propose to finish the work IN sew
en- or eight years, by some species OF
necromancy that is to disregard me
chanical and phys cal difficulties. many
Of them not yet fully appreciated per
haps It is one OF the greatest engln-
eering works ever planned. and II
would be strange If its execution were
not to be attended with succession OF
minor failures The present admins
tration makes its mistake in the as
sumption that the work can be done
without mistakes Rad failures. Per
haps no one believes that it can but
the administration chooses to assume
an attitude of cock k-sureness evidently
for the purpose of convincing the public
that it is very little thing after all
The public realizes the magnitude OF
the task, and would be better pleased
with a frank consideration aud discus
sion OF the difficulties ON the part Of
the administration, fewer prom ses Of
speedy conclusion OF the work. q
candid recognition OF all obstacles The
public does not expect the impossible
and for the administration to promise tC
perform II while glossing over the df
ficulties. IL TO insult the public's sense
without hiding those din culties Wa
want the canal. and as quick as we car
get it. but we are not foolish enough tc
believe that It can be delivered TO us
rady made by and sleight of hand
trek. We are willing to be patient
but do not mock our plt.ance by tell
ing us that Il is unnecessary when We
know that itsnt
The clubbing incident may or may
not amount TO much in he long run
It may take long or short time tc
allay its effects upon the prospective
laborers in that part Of the world II
is trua that the laborers were legally
bound TO go to work on the canal bul
the legal obligations of the Latin
American sit but lightly upon him. es
peeialy when he is not only Lat n
American. but part negro as we'll w,
can scarcely hope TO get enough work
men by sort OF press gang system