The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1906-08-30

need of keeping this organization in power.
With Mr.. Cannon as speaker, the House
has accomplished a literally phenomena!
amount of good work. 1t has shown a
courage, good sense. and patriotism such
that it would be a real and serious misfor-
tune for the country TO fall 70 recognize.
Danger OF Changing Congress-
To change the leadership and organiza-
ton OF the House at this time means TO
bring confusion upon those who have been
successfully engaged in the steady working
out of a great and comprehensive scheme
for the betterment OF our social, industrial,
and civic conditions. Such change would
substitute a purposeess confusion. Violent
and hurtful oscillation between the positions
of the extreme radical and the extreme re-
dictionary for the present orderly progress
along the lines of carefully thought-out
policy
ass they are vast. Congress must take ac-
count not Of one national need but OF many
and widely different national needs. and /
speak with historic accuracy when say
gress done so well In SO many different
fields Of endeavor as the present Congress
has done.
No Congress can do everything. Still less
can II In one session meet every need At
its first session the present Congress, In
addition 70 the many tasks II actually COM
piefed undertook several tasks which hrm-
ly believe II will bring 10 completion In Its
second session
/ hope and believe that the bills to pro-
hibif political contributions by corporations
and 10 lower the duties ''n imports from the
Philippine islands, each of which has been
passed by one house, VIII be enacted into
law I hope. and / have reason TO believe.
that favorable action Will be taken upon the
bill limiting the number of hours of en-
ployment of railway employees. !.
These and one or two other measures. the
enactment Of which I have reason TO hope
for, are important. But far more import
ant are the measures which have actually
been passed, and as to these measures /
wish to reiterate that they are not import
ant IN a merely partisan sense but are i'm
portant because they subserve the welfare
OF our people a whole, of our nation as
an entirety. They are important because
those who enacted them into law thereby
showed themselves TO be tit representatives
of all good Americans
Panama Canal Policy.
In affairs outside Of our own country our
great work has been beginning to dig the
Panama canal. The acquisition Of the
Congress and the fact that the work there
on Is now being done in the most thorough
and satisfactory fashion Is due to the ac
ton Of the present Congress at the session
Just closed Only this action rendered the
work possible, and tina heartiest acknowl-
edgements are due TO the farseeing patriot
ism of those who made 1t possible.
The digging Of the Panama canal Is the
No task as great Of the kind has ever been
undertaken by any other nation. The in
ferests banded together to oppose II were
and are numerous and bitter. and most OF
them with peculiarly sinister basis for
their opposition. This sinister opposition
rarely. indeed. ventures openly ID announce
its sntagonism to the canal as such. Some
times II takes the form Of baseless aecusa-
ton against the infringement, and of a de-
mand for an Investigation under crcum
stances which Id mean indefinite delay.
Some times IL tax $ the form of determined
opposition to the adoption Of plans which
will enable the work TO be done not merely
In the best but in the quickest possible
way.
Had Congress been either timld or cor
rupt, and had not the leaders Of Congress
shown the most farsighted resolution In the
matter, the work Of building the canal
WOULD never have been began, or II begun.
would have halted The opposition 10
the adoption of the treaty BIZ which our
rishe to build the Panama canal was Sc
curei; Il part at least of tie Opposition
even now being made TO the ratification II
the Santo Domingo treaty, which Is one
more step In the effort to make peaceful and
secure the water through which the route
of the canal leads; the constant EFFORT TO
delay on one pretext and another tho act '
work on the canal-al prove how essen,
IL Is that IL the American people desire tie
Panama canal to- be built In speedy and
efficient fashion they should uphold the
hands OF those who In the present Congress
have so effectively championed this work
Importance of the Navy.
No less praiseworthy has been the atti-
tude Of this Congress In continuing to build
and maintain on high plane of efficiency
the United States navy. This country Is ir-
revocably committed TO the maintenance of
the Monroe doctrine 1t Is irrevocably COM
mitted to the principle OF defending and po-
licing the canal route. But its CHAMPION
ship of the Monroe doctrine and its an
Of Its intentions as TO the canal