Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-10-23
PRESIDENTS SOUTHERN TOUR.
Continued from Page One.)

upon the question of time, no positive
statement can be made until the re-
mort of the commission of engineers
as to the exact type of canal mas pee"
received. The work is as dltflcuit as
it is important; and it is or coursc
inevitable that from time to time uinl-
culties will occur and checks pc en-
Icountcred Whenever such Is the
| case the men of little falth AZ hoiiie
will lose that little faith, and the crit
les who confound hysteria with en-
phasis will act after their klhd.
But our people as a whole possess not
only faith but resolution, and are OF
too virilo fiber to be swept one way or
the other by mere ScnSationallSm. NO
check that may come will be of more
than trivial and passing consequence,
will inf1ict any permanent damage, or
cause more serious delay. The work
can be done. is being done. and VIII be
done. What has already been accom-
plished is a guaranty as to the future.
When any such work is undertaken
there are always many mere adVel-
turers who flock to where it is going
on, and many men who think they are
adventures, but who are in reality
either weak or timid, follow in their
footsteps. Some of the first class
will now and then cause trouble in one
way or another. But every care VIII
be taken to detect any miSdced on
their part and to punish them as soon
as the misdeed is detected. As for
the second class they will cause
trouble chiefly by losing heart return
| ing home, or writing home, and rails
ing IL cry that they are not happy ana
that the conditions of life are not
easy, or that the work is not being
done as they think it ought to be
done. Now these men stand just as
the stragglers and laggards stand who
are ever to be found in the rear Of
even Il victorious army. The Neter-
ans of the civil war who are here pres
ent will tell YOU that the very rear of
an army, even when it is victorious, is
apt to look and behave as if the vic
tory We're defeat. And ust the same
thing is true in any great enterprise
in civil life; there are always weak
lings who get trampled down or lose
heart, and there are always people
who listen to their complaints. They
amount to nothing one way or the
concerned: and their complaints and
outcries need never detain us.
call your attention specifically to
the matter of health on the Isthmus.
The climate was supposed to be deadly,
and yellow fever. in especial, was sup
posed to be epidemic. Yet since We
have assumed control there has been
far less yellow fever than in our own
country. The administration is steadi-
~ becoming better and more effective,
from the hygicnic as well as from every
other, standpoint. The work Of build
ing the canal is a great American work,
in which the whole American people
are interested. 1t has nothing to do
with parties or partisanship. and is be
ing carried on with absolute disregard
to all merely political considerations;
with regard only to efficiency, honesty,
and economy.
The digging of the canal will, of
course, greatly increase our interest in
the Caribbean Sea. 1t will be our duty
| to police the canal. both il the interest
Of other nations and in our own inter-
est. To DO this it is, of course, in
dlspcnsahle to have an efficient Navy
(and l am happy to say that we are
we'll on our way toward having ONO,
and also to possess. as we already pos
scss, certain strategic POINTS to control
the approach to the canal. In addition
| il is urgently necessary that the inSu-
lar ana continental countries within or
bordering Upon the Caribbean Sea
| should be able to secure fair dealing
and orderly liberty within their own
| borders. | need not say that the Uni
! ted States not only has no purpose of
aggression uron any Republic. CONT
Mental or insuIar to the south Of us,
| but has the friendlicSt feeling toward
| them, and desires nothing save their
| progress and prosperity. We do not
| wish another foot Of territory; and
! think our conduct toward cuba is Il
guaranty that this is our genuine at
! titudc toward all our sister republics.
| If ever we should have to interfere in
| the affairs Of any Of our ncighbOrS il
| would only be when we found it i'm
| possible longer to refrain from doing 50
| without serious damage following; and
| even i'm such case it would only be with
| the sincere and effective purpose to
! make our interference beneficial to the
peoples concerned. OF course. occupy
! ing the position we do. occasions may
| now and then arise when We can not
| refrain from such Interference, save
under penalty Of seeing some other
strong nation undertake the duty which
we neglect: and such neglect would be
! unfortunate from more than one stand
| point. Wherever possible we should
! gladly give any aid we can to a weaker
| sister republic which is endeavorng to
achieve stability and prosperity 1t is
| an ungcncr0uS thing for US to refuse
such aid; ana it is foolish not to give ii
in way that will make it really effcc-
| tive. and therefore of direct benefit to
! the people COnCcrned-and of indirect
! benefit to us, simply because it is a
! benefit to them. In the last resort, and
only in the last resort it may OCCASION
! ally be necessary to interfere by excr-
cising what is virtually an internatiCn-
| al police power, if only to avoid seeing
| some European power forced to exar-
else it. In short while we must inter-
fere always cautiously. and never wan
! tcnly: yet. on rare occasions, where the