The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1906-01-25
AN ASSURED SUCCESS.
Hen. Theodore p. shents Talks IL
Taft's Home About Panama
Canal Project.

Cincinnati. o.. Jan. 2i.--Hop. Theo-
dore p. Shonts. chairman OF the 18TH
milan canal commission. addressed tho
Commercial club 81 this city Saturday
night ON canal AFFAIRS. He declared
IL was n great pleasure to speak In
Secretary Taft's home and praised the
secretary. He regretted the kind OF
canal To be built had not yet been re-
ported upon but said IL would be soon
and that affairs were In such shape
that work upon the project would be-
gin ut once and that IL would be COM
pletcd In the shortest possible time In
order that It's utilization might ben
eft the people Of the country at tho
earliest possible time.
The speaker paid his respects TO
Poultney Bigclow. who has recently
criticised the canaI preparations and
project. and who has refused to an
swer questions propuunded by an In
vcstigating committc ~ To where he
got his Information. Mr.. Shonts re-
ferred To Bigclow and other critics MS
scandal mongcrs."
Among other things, AR. Shonts
said:
Praises Secretary Taft.
Mr.. President and gentlemen OF the Com
mCrcial club.
M Is "A pleasure TO speak OF tho Panama
conal In the home OF Secretary Taft, and
10 an asSemhagc OF his ncighbors and
friends lie u son OF Cincinnati and OF
Ohio In whom the Who'll" country takes
pride. for hts services on the bench. In tho
Philippines. and In tho government at
Washington have brought honor. not only
to his native city and state. but to the
American name before the world con-
slider IL high privilege TO be associated
with him under the direction of President
Roosevelt In the conduct OF the most
stupcndous enterprise 10 which this nation
has ever put It's hand lie brings TO this
task the broad intellectual grasp. the
calm clear Judgment the complete pa
lriotic devotion. and the cxible, uncom-
promising. and outEpokcn honesty that arc
the distinguishing traits OF his public ca
rccr. The value 20 the country OF the SER
vices OF such man In It's government can
not be ovcrestimntcd When tho canal
shall have been complctcd-as completed
u surely will be-no small share OF tho
credit for the great achievement will 10
due 10 his wise counsel Inspiring cooper
alton. and unnagging faith In the ability
OF the American people To solve any pro-
blem with which they arc contrented
not OF nm experiment. but OF an assured
success. We are not merely going To
build the Panama canal-wc are building
a. Preparation IL n part, and a most i'm
portant part. OF the work OF construction.
when that shall have been fully and thor
oughly accomplished. great step forward
n house until you have laid the foundation.
We are approaching the end OF the pre-
urinary work. We have made tho
70 work We ss" SrS getting the Wis" iina
OF the canal into a condition which
will enable US TO operate an cxch-
H Sn5i"g We p a2s asSembIIng rhS piant With
which the work Is To be- done.
Buyina in United States.
This vast quantity OF supplies has bccN.
purchased almost exclusively In the United
States. In accordance with our policy OF
buying In the cheapest markets. we have
bought chiefly In the United states because
It's markets, In the main. are the cheapest
IN the world for products that We need In
this work.
I wish 10 repeat and 20 emphasize the
opinion I have expressed on former ocCa-
Elous In regard 20 the application OF the
from 10 cents to 81 ol per day in gold. AZ
compared with the best common labor In
the United States. Its efficiency II rated At
from - TO = per cent. over ~ per cent. OF
the employees OF the canal are now and will
continue to be alien laborcrs, majority
OF the other - per cent. employed VIII be
In clerical. a supervisory. or IN some
other capacity TO which the various labor
laws OF the United States are not appl-
cable. II & TO this kind 81 labor We are
compelled 10 apply the cight-hour law
that u. TO aliens who know nothing OF tho
laws existence until they arrive on the
isthmus.
II Is obvious that By forcing the eight
hour day upon Us. millions OF dollars win
American labor In this country will have
TO pay It's share In the consequent increase
Of taxation and for no apprcctablc benefit.
for. as I have shown you. there are only a
very few American iaborcrs on the 18TH
mus. There r. no question OF American
labor involved In isthmus work. and ] re-
peat what tho commission has urged In its
annual report. that u Is n mistake TO
handicap the construction OF the Panama
canal with any laws save those OF police
and sanitation. and that labor on the
cation Of the eight-hour law. tho contract
labor law. the Chinese exclusion act. and
any other law passed or 10 be passed by
congress for the benCfit OF American labor
at home.
Great Business Enterprise.
Gentlemen. we are treating this task
as great business enterprise and arc
seeking to accomplish ~ by the applica-
ton OF strict business methods. paying no
heed to politics or political pulls" our
sole aim and purpose Is to give the Amcri-
can people the full worth OF every dollar
they put into the work, and TO hand over
the work completed 10 them at the earliest
possible div. So long ~ Ne continue In
control Of the Job Il will be managed on
these principle and on these alone. When
II becomes apparent that we viii not be
permitted TO build the canal ia that way
We will step aside and let somebody else
take Il Ia hand.
Invite investigation.
Speaking for the members OF the com
mission as well as FOR mygc.f. wish To
say with all possible emphasis that We
not only Invite investigation OF our acts.
but ask for IL as a riRns, II We are doing
our work honestly and efficiently, our
hands should be upheld. 4 u IN shown that
we are doing {, incffcicntiy. We should he
rr-iaVcd. nrH Y We are doing In di7hon-
g IL We uld ~" rod 9 icicd and
sent 10 prison Neither knavcs nor ircum-
pot.nls should be permitted to ma -
charge OF task 81 such magnitude But
while Ne court The fullest invcstiga ton
We earnestly ask that Z b. absolutely non
partisan. that u Dc made bY person ol
character and standing. either IN public
or private life who's" recognized intcill-
gcuCc and fair-mindc,incss are such as 10
command public confidence, and that Il b..
made upon the ground.
"" ask further ihAt tho Investigation b.
made promptly ana ended as soon us q
can b. and have It's work done thor1ughly.
This n absolutely necessary " W. arr tu
ntaiutald any degree Of efficiency In The
o. gnnizl lion. The feeling ~ unr,riu!uts.
ail unrest which constant agitation about
the commission ur-i It's work creates =
destructive ~ that interest iu The work
which ~ essential " tho best results are To-
"" secured. T. ~ iuTusHih!' go retain OF
men ~ che service under such cord cons.
Gent, 7 I"l.,," in lh' canal. boo
Hove fhaf 90 can Iv IU... lW REASONABLE
tlu1y ard believe that when. through
American generosity and under NWrFi-
can cuU'fuI 60 srlll De- thrown OI-u io the
commerce 90 ID" world 90 viii bu hailed.
and VIII prove Geo hn. priceless 1r"U Go
all mankind
with az" cans. uT-u 'h,r' wiz tu un st.
huIir AND rn iHaI.r N'U.. '3IUrr 20 'hs