The National tribune., 1907-04-18
ISTHMIAN ~OUARRELS.
Continued from page ID

son who has been to the Isthmus testi-
fies to his efficient work. He insists
that he resigned simply because he was
tired OUT and denounces the ''ridicu-
lous reasons" ascribed to the sudden
and unexpected termination of his ser
vices. Furthermore Mr.. Stevens, on ar
irving in Washington, paid his respects
to w. j. oliver, the contractor who ex-
pected to secure the award for digging
the ditch. He says he never opposed
the construction of the canal by private
contract, altho he was opposed to Oil
yer, and he adds: '"The refined state
ment of disgruntled bidder (referrins
to Oliver that because / opposed the
letting of the contract l was fred is
a Justification pure and simple"
MIR. Oliver Hits Back.
Mr.. Oliver has already contributed
considerable vigorous English to the lit
erature of the Panama Canal. His an
ecdote of the poker game, the sucker
and the whangdoodie. altho taken from
the poker lore of Montana, was Very
aptly applied to his own position when
the Government refused to award him
the contract on the lowest bid. And
just as soon as Mr.. Oliver down in
Knoxville read what Mr.. Stevens had
said about him he retorted. Mr.. Oliver
directed the shafts of his ridcule upon
MIR. Stevens as paper collar patriot"
He continued: In all my experience |
have never had an associate presented
with any loving cups (referring to Mr..
Stevens's interview calling attention TO
the great send-off canal employees gave
him al ColOn) upon leaving a live job,
and this tearing away from loving moth
ers to go up against a good salary in
a mosketo-proof bungalow, l consider
triflc overworked. AS q matter of
fact it is the man in the ditch who is
entitled to this consideration, be he
high or low. official or laborer.'
This proved interesting reading al
the White House and in the Cana, Com
mission offices. Mr.. Oliver is known in
both places as breezy kind of citizen.
and more than once his comments
about canal affairs have been very much
in point. Empty eulogy has been in
creasing as a feature in official life of
Washington, and the evil. if evil it be,
has crept into the administration of
canal affairs. Since the Presidents en-
perience with Wallace, everybody, even
ShOnts, the Inefficient has gone out
with praise and the blowing of horns.
And everybody of any station On the
Isthmus has been serving simply be-
cause of his patriotism and because of
his Willingness to sacrifice himself on
the altar of his country. There has
as everyone who stops to take IL sensi-
BILE view, knows is the controlling con-
sideration with all canal employees in
this very material era.
Secretary Taft will soon be back in
Washington with some recommends
lions for the President about canal con-
struction, and it is expected that Chair
man and Chief Engineer Goethals will
have ample opportunity to show wheth-
err he can make the dirt fly as fast IT'S
Chief Engineer Stevens did. All the
Congressional parties are now returned,
have given their opinions to the coun-
try, and the second educationa! period
with reference to canal affairs seems to
be we'll under way. The first educational
period. it might be explained, dated
from the visit of President Roosevelt
last November. which was planned
chiefly for the purpose of educating the
country to the idea that everything on
the Isthmus was all right and that the
criticisms We're unfOunded.
The verdicts of the Congressman who
have been travelling on the IsthmusI
since adjournment largely bears out the
which the President reach
ed. There is an occasinal note of dis
sent. Probably the Administration mam-
bers are a little too enthusiastic in their
for they want to see thingsI
thru Roosevelts spectacles. But mol
very serious criticisms of the canal have