The news-democrat. (Providence, R.I.) 1906-1909, 1906-08-18
CRAFT ON THE
|STHMUS b|GEL0W
NOW ALLEGES

New York, Aug is.-Poultney Blgelow,
whose exposure this spring OF conditions
in Panama called for congressional in
vestigation and censure by the admins
tration. has thrown down the gauntlet TO
President Roosevelt in an article In the
Cosmopolitan Magazine for September.
Far from modifying his former criticism
OF the state Of things In the canal zone,
Mr. Bigelow now declares fatty that po-
litical jobbery and political graft are re-
sponsible for the conditions that exist.
Addressing President Roosevelt directly,
Mr.. Bigelow urges him TO go 10 Panama
unheralded and make a real investiga-
ton" The author insists that an official
visit will produce no results, for IL the
presidents Journey is proclaimed by
blare OF trumpets much OF the glaring
evils will be showed into tho background
until the United States warship with its
august passenger steams away again for
the North.
Mr. Bigelow insists that the average
American on the Panama canal work has
In rterests and investments within the zone
that balk all attempts at better admins
tiation. He concludes his article with the
following direct advice 10 President
Roosevelt:
II.
truth II he will but visit Colon disguised
as a plain man seeking information from
those who know. and not from men who
have an axe 10 grind. II he is wise and
visits Jamaica on the way he will see
that the diruest part OF Kingston COM
pares favorably with the best parts OF
Colon. And yet there are $40 spent at
Colon 10 81 at Kingston. The difference
is not all stolen; IL Is wasted through
political jobbery
~ asked an honest doctor at Colon how
il happened that he could daily notice the
vile condition OF the Colon tenements and
not order some change. He answered me-:
'Wess, I've thought OF that. But II won I
do. There was young doctor here who
did complain about IL. but they silenced
him-transferred him out OF the way. our
politicians want things left just as they
are There's lots OF graft In things just
as they are. See!'
Now for something practical Colon is
an island, yet there is not n single place
where the poor people can take bath.
The water front is monopoliZed either by
docks or hospitals or official residences
or the slaughter house The house-drains
OF the officials lead directly into the water
at the front and hence the 200oO inhabi-
tants are prevented from securing one of
the finest tonics known 10 natures phar-
macopoeia l mean the salt bath.
why shouldn't our government. which
owns the land in Colon. give the people a
patch of open ground where mothers may
bring their babies down OF an evening
10 snif the sea breeze before going to
sleep in the swamp?
why does our administration refuse to
build single road so that the poor people
may have access to the farm country.
and thus reduce the cost of food7
why does our government at Colon
screw eNorbitant rents out OF the people
and compel them to live in a swamp
These are questions asked i'm good faith
by all honest people on the isthmus. No
one dares discuss them In the Panama
papers, for these are bound by golden
links To the Panama railway.
But, more important than all, why Is
IL that Mr.. Roosevelt, through HIS ap-
pointees, denounces those who call his at
tention TO the jobbery which is today a
menace TO any canal across the isthmus
For instance, the alleged reservoir FOR
Colon is wasting an immense sum OF
money. The job is an insult 10 Ameri-
can engineering and a wrong 10 the ma
tlonal treasury. Our government has un-
dertaken to build It and Colon will be
told TO pay for IL. Colon, on the other
hand, declines 10 accept n. protesting
that IL is badly built and that there is
no water In the vicinity nt for any reser-
voir. and that this particular reservoir
won't hold water anyway
I'VE can compel the Republic of Pana-
ma 10 pay us: we have money enough TO
persuade her legislators 10 pronounce this
reservoir good-but neither alternative is
savory. Our government pretends 20 in
stall sewers at Panama. They have been
badly constructed; they emit offensive
smells; they were built by someone who
had TO be taken care OF politically, and
therefore the Republic OF Panama says
TO the United States: You have the right
TO supervise our sanitation, and may COM
pei us TO have sewers. but you cannot
legally compel us TO pay you for sewers
which are worse than none