The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-12-17

of the commission in the respect com
Instances the complaints proved absolute
~ baseless, save IN two or three m
stances where they referred to mistakes taxes
which the commission faad ALREADY 4lse4A
found out and corrected: -.-.
So much for honest criticism There re
mains an immense amount of as reckless
Islander as has ever been published
Where the slandepers are of foreign
origin j have no concern with them
w here they are Americans. / feel for
them the heartiest contempt and 1ndig-
nation; because, in spirit OF wanton
to interfere with, and hamper the execu-
ton of. the greatest work Of the kind
to naught the efforts of their country
men to put to the credit of America one
of the giant feats Of the ages. The out
rageous accusations Of these slanderers
constitute a gross libel upon body OF
public servants who, for trained intelli--
gence. expert ability. high character and
devotion 10 duty, have never been excel
led anywhere There is not man
among those. directing The work on. the
not one who has used his position in
any way for his own personal or pecuTl-
larry advantage.
Plan to Build by Contract.
After most careful consideration we
have decided TO let out most of the work
by contract, if we can come to satisfac-
tory terms with the contractors The
whole work is of a kind suited TO the
people have developed the type of CON
tractor best fitted to graDple with it. It
in large part by contract than to do it
all by the government, provided it is
the contractor a. sufficient remuneration
to make it worth while for responsible
contractors of the best kind to undertake
the work; and provided on the other hand
it can be done on terms which will not
give an excessive profit TO the contractor
at the expense of the government. After
much consideration the plan already pro-
mulgated by the secretary of war was
adopted. This plan lin its essential ffea-
lures was drafted after careful and thor
ough study and consideration, by the
chief engineer, Mr. Stevens, who, while
in the efnployrnent ofaNIr Hin the pres
ident of the Great Northern railroad. had
personal experience of this very type of
plan to the chairman Of the commission
Mr.. Shonts, who Went carefully over it
commission, to see that all legal diff
culties were met. He then submitted
copies Of the plan to both Secretary Taft
to some of the best counsel al the New
York bar and afterwards I went over
it very carefully with Mr. Taft and Mr.
Shonts, and we laid the plan in its gen
eraI features before Mr. Root. nv con-
clusion is that 1t combines The maximum
advantage = Under iHsa i1femium will be
put upon tile speedy md economical con-
strhction or The canal. and a penalty i'm
posed on. delay and waste. The plan as
promulgated is tentative; doubtless it
viii have to be changed IN some respects
agreement with responsible contra ctors-
received; and Of course it is possible that
we can not come to an agreement in
which case the government will do the
work itself Meanwhile the work On the
isthmus is progressing steadily and with
out any let up.
A Single Commissioner Desired.
A seven-headed commission is of course
clumsy executive instrument We should
have but one commissioner, with such
heads of departments and other officers
under him as we may find necessary. We
should be expressly permitted to employ
the best engineers in the country as, con-
Sulting engineers =s.-s. ftzlrsH
I accompany this paper with a man
showing substantially what the canal will
be like when it is finished When The Gu
built Gift they are built Al present pro-
posed) there will then be al both the Pa
cific and Atlantic ends of the canal, two
great fresh-water lakes, connected. by a
broad channel running at the bottom of
ravine, across the backbone of the
Western Hemisphere. Those best informed
believe that the work will be completed in
about eight years; but 1t is never safe to
prophesy about such a work this, espe-
| am informed that representatives of
the commercial clubs of four cities-Bos-
ton, Chicago, Cincinnati, and St Louis
the membership of which includes most
of the leading business men of those cities,
expect to visit the Isthmus for the pur-
pose of. examining the work of construc-
and a shall direct that eaEeFy facility be
ia the work which the government is do
ing. Such interest as q visit Ike this would
indicate will have good effect upon the
men who are doing the work, on one hand,
while on the other hand it will offer
witnesses of the exact conditions men
whose experience business men and
whose impartiality will make the result of
their observations of value to the country
as a whole
of the success of the enterprise 1 am as
we'll convinced as one can be OF any en-
terprise that is human IL is a stupendous
work upon which our fellOW-countrymen
are engaged down there on the lsthmus,
and while we should hold them to a strict
account biiity for the way in which they
perform it, we should yet recognize, with
frank generosity, the epic nature of the
task on which they are engaged and its
something which Will rebound immeasur-
ably to the credit of America, which will
for ges to come. Under Mr. Shonts and
Mr. Stevens and Doctor Gorgas this work
has started with every omen of good for
tune. They and their worthy associates,
from the highest to the lowest are entt-
tied to the same credit that we would
give to the picked men of victorious
army. for this conquest of peace will, In
its great and far-reaching effect, stand a.
among the very greatest conquests, wheth-
er Of peace or of war, which have ever
been won by any Of the peoples of man
kind A badge is to be given to every
has taken part in this work; for participa-
tion in it will hereafter be held to reflect
honor upon the nan participating just as
it reflects honor upon a soldier to have
belonged to a mighty army in great war
for Righteousness. Our fellow-countryme
on the Isthmus are working for our inter-
est and for the national renown in the
same spir1. and with the same efficiency
that the men of the army and navy work
IN time of war. 1t behooves us in our
turn to do all we to hold up thei1
hands and to aid them in every way to
bring their great work to triumphant
conclusion.
LaA~u<y,e 99oss.-e~er