The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-12-05
MESSAGE TO CONGRESS
Continued from Pare Four.)

Continued from Pare Four)
petent should receive the full rights of
American citizenship. 1t is for instance,
a gross and indefensible wrong to deny to
such hard working, decent living Indians
as the AIetlazahtlas the right to obtain
ucenses as captains, plots. ana engineers
the right to enter mining claims, and TO
profit by the homestead law. These par
ticular Indians are civilized, and are
competent and entitled to be put on the
same basis with the white men round
about them
Admission to Statehood.
recommend that Indian Territory and
Oklahoma be admitted as one state and
ted one state. There is no obligation
upon us to treat territorial subdivisions,
which are matters of convenience only,
as binding US on the question of admis-
sion to statehood. Nothing has taken up
more time in the congress during the past
rev years than the question as to the
statehood to be granted to the four ter
TItOI1eS above mentioned. and after care
rul consideration of All that has been de-
NelOped in the discussions of the question
I recommend that they be Immediately
admitted as two states There is no justi-
ncaton for further delay; and the advis-
aDihly OF making the four territories into
two states has been clearly established
In some Of the territories the legisla-
tive assemblies issue licenses for gaTCb-
ing The congress should by law forbid
this practice, the harmful results of which
are obvious at a glance.
and the republic of Panama, under which
the construction of the Panama canal
was made possible, went into effect with
ITS ratiHcaton by the United States SEN
ate on February %, 1904, The canal prop
critics of the French Canal cOmpany were
transferred to the United States on April
%, 1904, on payment of $40. 600 600 to that
company On April j, 1903 the commission
was reorganized, and it now consists OF
Lhcodpre T. Shonts. chairman. Charles
T. Atasoo4, 6enJalnin NJ. HarfOd, Rear
Admiral AIOrdecai IT. Endie0tt Brigadief.
General Peter c. Hams and Colonel Os-
valid III. Ernst. John +. Stevens was an
pointed chief engineer on July last. Ac-
tive work in canal construction mainly
preparatory, has been in progress for less
1od two points about the canal have ceas-
ed 10 pc open to debate. First. the nues-
ION o. route. the canal viii be built on
the Asthmus OF Panama. Second. the
pueStlon OF feasibility; there are no phys
loal obstacles on this route that Ameri-
can engineering skill will not be able IN
overcome without serious difficulty or
mat VIII prevent the completion OF the
canal within reasonable time and at a
reasonable cost. This is virtually the
unanimous testimony of the engineers
VINO nave investigated the matter for the
The point which remains unsettled is
the question of type. whether the canal
ahall be one of several locks above sea
IeEe- Or at sea level with a single tide
Iock- On this point I hope to lay before
tile congress at an early day the findings
0I the advisory board of American and
European engineers, that at my invita-
non have been considering the subject.
together with the report of the commits
sion thereon; and such comments thereon
or recommendations in reference tbprato
az may seem necessary
me american people is pledged to the
@3tEulest possible construction of a canal
@uegustte 70 meet the demands which the
commerce. Of the world win make on ii.
anu 1 appeal most earnestly to congress
20 4,9 IN the tulhliment Of the pledge
1lelit ElnB progress has bCGH made dur
lng the past year and especially during
me past four months. The greater mari
~ me necessary preliminary work has
peen done. Actual work of excavation
eeoula be begun only ON a limited scale iii
ne canal zone was made a healthfl1I
pace to live in and to work in The Tsfb-
Hlus had TO be sanitated first. This task
mas oeeh so thoroughly accomplished