Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-08-21
Objects to Any Change in Leadership
or Attempted Reorganization.
Says Republican Party Favors Protective Tariff, Dis
cusses Trust Question and Other Topics

! Sible, and tho heartic&t acknowledged
mcntS are due to the far-Sceing patro-
tisnl Of those who thus made it pos
siblC. The digging of the Panama ca
nal is the colossal engineering feat OF
all the ages. No task as great
Of the kind has ever been undertaken by
any other nation. The interests banded
together to oppose it We're and are nu-
rncrous and bitter, and most of them
with peculiarly sinister basis for their
| opposition.
This sinister opposition rarely. indeed.
ventures openly to denounce its antag-
onism to the canal as such. Sometimes
| it takes the form of basclcss accusations
! against the management, ana Of a de
mand for an investigation under crcum-
stances which would mean indefinite de-
| lay. Sometimes it takes the form Of de-
| tcrmincd 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 timid or
corrupt. and had not the leaders Of
Congress shown the most far-sighted
resolution in the matter. the work of
! building the canal would never have
\
have haultcd The opposition to the
abortion of the treaty Ivy which our
right to build the Panama canal was
| secured, Il part at least of the OPPOSE
| ton even now being made to the rati-
| fication Of tho Santo Domingo treaty,
| which is ono stop more i'll the effort
to make peaceful and secure the waters
| through which the route of the canal
| leads; the constant effort To delay on
| one prctcXt and another the actual
work ON The canal-all prove how es-
| srntial it is that if the American pco-
| pie desire the Panama canal TO be built
| in speedy and efficient fashion they
| should uphold the hands of those who
in the present Congress have 50 cffcc-
tivcly championcd this work.
az less praiscWorthy has been the
att;tud" uf this Congress in continuing
t. build and maintain on Il high plane
nf efficiency the United states navy.
This country is irrevoCahly committed
to the maintenance Of the Monroe
doctrine. It is irrcvocahly committed to
the principle of defending and policing
the canal route. But its championship
OF the Monroe doctrine and its an
lr,unccment If its intention as to the
canal route would he absurd q their
face. if the nation failed to do its duty
in maintaining a thoroughly efficient
navy at as high 4 point Of perfection as
can pCssihly he obtained.
| "Dur external affairs are important.
hut our internal affairs are even more
imnort ant: and no other Congress for
| many a long year has, as regards the
hcttorment OF our internal affairs 50
much and such excellent wok to its
credit
The tremendous social AMI INDUS
trial changes in our nation have ron
dercd evident the need of a larger exer-
else by the national government Of its
power 10 lead with the business use Of
wealth and especially of corporate
| wealth, in Interstate business.
at is not too much to say that the
course of the Congress within the last
few years and the hearty agreement
between the executive and legislative
DEPARTMENTS of the nation in taking the
needed action each within it's sphere
have resulted in the nation for the first
time definitely entering upon the ca
rccr of proper performance of duty in
these matters. The task is peculiarly
difficult, because it is one in which the
fanatiCal or foolish extremist, and the
| rnactionary. whether honest or dishon-
cct play into one another's hands; and
they thereby render it especially hard
to secure legislation and executive ac-
ton which shall be thorough going and
effective and vet which shall not need
lessly jeopardiZc the business prosper
ity which we all share. even though
| We do not all share it with as much
| equality as we are striving to secure.
1t is a very easy thing to play the dem
agogue in this matter to confne ones
self merely to denouncing the evils of
wealth and to advocate often in vague
language. measures so sweeping that
| while they would entirely fail to correct
the evils aimed at. they would undoubt-
eddy succeed in bringing down the pros
perty of the nation with a crash.
1T is also easy to play the part Of
the mere obstructionist. to decline to
recognize the great evils of the present
system. and 10 oppose any fort to deal
With them in rational faction--therehy
strengthening immensely those who
advocate foolish and strange meas
ures.
Continued on Page Fivel i.