The Washington herald., 1908-07-13
THE PANAMA CANAL.
H-ISTHMIAN POLITICS.
By FREDERIC j. HASKN

matter was looked into and the repre-
sentations Of the Liberals were found to
be correct. Intimidation. treachery. and
every sort OF political trick possible TO
prevent the registration OF voters Of the
opposition had been resorted TO. The Con-
servatives were proving themselves poll
ticians at whose feet the worst corrup-
tionsts Of the United States might sit
and learn.
At this juncture ]. c. S. Blackburn. gov
ernor Of the Canal Zone. went TO the ad-
ministration leaders headed by President
Amador. and told them that every voter
must have an opportunity TO register, TO
vote. and 10 have his vote counted. He
told them that he United States was
treaty bound TO all the nations of the
world 10 keep the isthmlan transit open,
and that the transit could not be kept
open unless peace be maintained. This.
in turn. he told them, could not be had
unless there were fair elections.
The administration leaders replied that
even II many Liberals had been denied the
privilege Of registration there was no
remedy for 1t after the fact. They declar-
ed that the registration period had closed
by law and that nothing could now be
done TO reopen the books To this Gov
Blackburn answered that II there was a
bad law on the statute books OF the re-
public Il was either their fault or their
misfortune He told them plainly that
the United States would insist on a fair
election. and that II was certainly up to
them 20 find some means OF seeing that
there was fair election. Negotiations
were on for several weeks. and finally.
when President Amador yielded on a few
immaterial points. Patience ceased TO be
virtue with Gov. Blackburn. and he told
! the Conservative leaders that there could
be no monkey business In this matter.
that the United States was only asking
that a fair election be held, and that
there would be no recession from that de-
mand.
He said a dishonest election meant a
revolution. and that a revolution meant
the disorganization of the canal force,
and probably the destruction of millions
OF dollars worth OF American property.
20 say nothing OF the delay in completing
the canal with yellow fever raging in
Colon and the bubonic plague running
riot in Panama he told them, "our force
would crouch in the interior and wait un-
til the storm blew over. But with shoot
ing going on in Panama, with the oppor-
tunities for license and loot that would
follow. there would be no keeping them
out OF It. The force would be completely
disorganized. and irreparable harm would
be done to the whole canal project"
Gov. Blackburn added that ne could not
speak with authority as TO what would
happen, but that 10 believed there would
be several battle ships in the harbors Of
the isthmus about that time. and that the
marines stationed at Camp Elliot would
make ready 70 protect the American In
terests against any outbreak. Under these
somewhat strenuous representations the
Panamans agreed that the Americans
could see that the elections were fairlJ
conducted. American agents were sent tc
the various voting places throughout the
inthmus 10 inspect conditions and to re-
port 70 the Canal Zone government Steps