The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1906-01-25
AN ASSURED SUCCESS.
Hen. Theodore r. shonts Talks in
Taft's Horne About Panama
Canal Project.

-E1NtEEM
Canal Project.
Cincinnati, O., Jan. 24--Hon. Tneo-
dore p. Shonts, chairman of the 18th
mian canal commission. addressed the
Commercial club of this city Saturday
night on canal affairs. He declared
it was a great pleasure to speak in
Secretary Taft's home and praised the
secretary. He regretted the kin of
canal to be built had not yet been re-
ported upon but said it would be soon
and ~tiaat-affairs Nere=io ueh-shape5
that work upon the project would be-
gin at once and that it would be COM
pleted in the shortest possible time in
order that it's utilization might BEN
eft the people Of the country at the
earliest possible time.
The speaker paid his respects to
Poultney BigeloW, who mas recently
criticised the canal preparations and
project, n who has refused to an
SWer questions p~ropounded by an in
VeStigating committe rs to Where he
got his information. Mr.. Shonts re-
ferred to Bigelow and other critics as
Among other things, Mr.. shonts
said:
Praises Secretary Taft.
Mr.. President and gentlemen of the Com
mercial club:
Il is a pleasure to sreak of the Panama
(SiiSl III -. - q l.. tillll
to an assemblage of his neiglbors and
friends. He is a son Of Cincinnati and of
OHIO in whom the whole country takes
pride, fer his services on the bench, in the
Philippines, and in the government at
Washington have. brought honor, not only
to his native city and state, but to the
American name before the world. l con-
slider it a high privilege to be associated
with him under the direction OF President
Roosevelt in the conduct of the most
~stupendous enterprise to which this nation
has ever put its hand. He brings to this
task the broad intellectual grasp, the
calm, clear Judgment, the complete pa
triotic devotion, and the ~infiexible, uncom-
promising, and outspokon honesty that are
the distinguishing traits of his public ca
reer. TIL value to the country of the ser
vices of such a man in its government can
not be oVereStimated. When the canal
shall have been completed-as completed
it surely will be-no small share of the
credit for the great achievement will be
due to his wise counsel inspiring cooper
alton, and u%nflagging faith in the ability
of the American people to solve any pro-
blem with which they are confronted.
l am here tonight to talk, as | have said.
not of an experiment, but of an assured
success. We are not merely going to
build the Panam canal-We are building
it. Preparation is a part, and a most i'm
portant part. of the work of construction.
When that shall have been fully and thor
oughly accomplished, a great step forward
will have been taken. You can not erect
a house until you ave laid the foundation.
We are approaching the end of the pre-
to work. We. are getting the l!ne
Of the canal into a condition which
waiting plant to the best advantage,
and we are assembling the plant with
which the work is to be done.
Buying in United States.
This vast quantity of supplies has beel
purchased almost exclusively in the United
States. In accordance with our policy of
buying in the cheapest markets, we have
A,,"l,+ : -, To-, {lN11 T,,i tnl. & 80 &c. lEna1 p-n
its markets, in the main, are the cheapest
in the world for products that we need in
this work.
l wish to repeat and to emphasize the
opinion 1 have expressed on former occa-
Sions in regard to the application OF the
eaght.hour law. The present wage varies
from so cents to $l.Of per day in gold. AS
compared with the best common labor in
the United States, its efficiency is rated at
from % to 80 per cent. over 50 per cent. Of
the employees OF the canal are now and will
continue to be alien labOrCrS. y majority
OF the ether 20 per cent. employed will be
in q clerical, a supervisory, or in some
other capacity to which the various labor
laws of the United States are not appli-
cable. 1t is to this kind of labor we are
compelled to apply the oight-hour law
that is, to aliens who know nothing of the
laws existence until they arrive on the
isthmus
It is obvious that By forcing the eight
hour day, upon US, millions OF dollars win
be added to the cost of construction.
American labor in this country will have
to pay its share in the consequent increase
Of taxatiOn and for no appreciate benefit,
for. as | have shown you. there are only a
very few American laborerS or the 18TH
mus. There is no question of American
labor involved in iSthmuS work, and I re-
peat what the commission has urged in it's
annual report, that it is a mistake to
handicap the construction of the Panama
canal with any laws save those of police
and sanitation, and that labor on the
isthmus should be excluded from the appli-
cation of the eight-hour law, the contract
III -, l4,.. tl.a. Tl t4l 11,,~, - 80, ~-1
any other law passed or to be passed by
congress for the benefit OF American labor
at home.
Great Business Enterprise.
) G~entlemen, we arc treating this task
as a great business enterprise and are
seeking to accomplish it by the applica-
ton of strict business methods, paying no
heed to politics or political pulls" Our
can people the full worth of every dollar
they put into the work. and to hand over
the work completed to them at the earliest
possible day. SO long &c we continue in
control of the job it will be managed on
these principles and on these alone. When
it becomes apparent that We will not be
permitted to build tho canal N that way
we will step aside and let somebody else
take it in hand.
Invite Investigation.
Speaking for the member of the COM
say with all possible emphasis that we
not only invite investigation of our acts,
but ask for it as a right. If we are doing
our work honestly and efficiently, our
hands should be upheld; f it is shown that
we are doing it incficientiy, we should be
removed: and # we are doing in di"hon-
C tv. we h uld he X SGD. c n ictcd, and
sent to prison: Neither knavcs nor incom-
petents should be permitted to haze
charge Of Il task OF such magnitude. But
while we court the fullest investigation,
we earnestly ask that Il be absolutely non
partisan, that it be made by person OF
character and standing. either in public
or private life, whose recognized intclli-
gencc and fair-Inindedness are such as to
public confidence, and thai it be
made upon the ground.
We ask further that the investigation be
made promptly and ended as soon as It
can be ard have it's work done thoroughly.
IhiS is absolutely necessary if we arc to
maintain amy degree of efficiency in tho
organization. The feeling Of uncertainty,
and unrest which constant agitation about
the commission and it's work creates $
destructive of that interest III The work
l NH IL LnEr u = AL-N ---L