Arizona republican., 1908-08-06

construction of the canal. II was
worth thirty dollars an acre. He de-
manded $4,000 an ac<c. The canal
company took the matter to the
courts of the republic, instituting
condemnation proceedings Here the
owner admitted that land was not
intrinsically worth more than ten
dollars an acre, yet claimed he had
as much right to demand $500 900
for the tract as he would have if it
were situated in the very heart of
Paris; that in either case it was
what the land could be used for that
would determine its value The court
shared his view and nothing was left
for the canal company to do but to
pay the 100000.
The canal zone has its laws made
by the president of the United States
His word is the law of the land here
so far a sit does not conflict with
the the few enactments of congress.
For instance, until recently men
were condemned to death in the
canal zone without having had the
right of trial by jury. In the course
of hearings before The senate COM
mittee on inter oceanic canals this
fact was brought out Many senators
had never heard of it before. and
were inexpressibly shocked to know
that such a state of affairs existed.
Governor Blackburn replied that the
zone was being governed under the
laws that existed there. in so far as
they did not conflict with the writ
ten laws of congress and the eXecu-
tive orders of the president The re-
suit of this was that as soon as
President Roosevelt had his attention
called to it he issued an order es-
tablishing the right of trial by Jury
So, for the first time in the history
of South America, a man accused of
capital crime had the right of n
trial by jury of his peers. This
system has worked admirably. and
the laws Of the United States are be-
ing rapidly transplanted to the 18TH
mus
The Panamanians are not a very
pleasant lot of people to deal with.
The territory under the perpetual
control of the United States cuts
their country half in two. Both
their capital and their next most
important city are under American
control so far as sanitation is CON
cerned, and the United States has
the right to step IN and maintain
peace, whenever she shall deem it
necessary The one railroad in the
republic, the chief means of COM
munication between her principal cit
les, is owned by the United States.
In fact anxfnnc
get the $10.000,000 the United States
was to pay her for the privilege of
building the canal, and for the an
nual rental of the territory, that she
made every concession the United
States could ask. Now sorry that she
is not getting more for it, the re-
public proceeds to hold up the United
States whenever opportunity affords.
The United States has its own
postal system in the canal zone.
When the mail arrives in Colon from
abroad it is Immediately put on
American trains. hauled to American
Dostoffices, and distributed by Am
erican clerks. When it leaves tn.
isthnus it is mailed in American
postoffices, and is handled by Amer
leans until it reaches the ship in
which it is to be carried away. No
Panama official touches it at any
stage Of of it's travels Yet the
Panama government insists that it
shall have 40 per cent of the reve-
nue. from the sale of stamps on the
zone. AS the stamp sales amount
to some $4,000 a year it. will be
seen that the republic profits 10000
in that time.
Some time ago the Central and
South American Telegraph company
wanted to and the new "All Ameri-
can" cable in the canal zone. They
applied to the United States for per-
mission to land it. which was grant
ed. The Panamanians fought against
1t under every possible preteXt, their
desire being to have their permits
sion regarded as essential, so that
they could get a good fee for the
concession. But in this case the
United States told her in effect that
she had no interest in the matter
and so the cable was laid
The only way the republic of Pan
Colon to Panama is through the ca
iieil Loit I1dCH llllle II was neCeS-
sary to take any prisoners through,
the government notified the canal
zone authorities. The governor of
the zone always replied by granting
permission. Some time since he re-
ceived a letter from the Panamanian
secretary of state in which that Of
ficial said that the notifications were
sent, not for the purpose of asking
permission to enter the zone with
their prisoners, but for the purpose
of notifying the zone officials so
that they could aid the Panama po-
lice in the event of necessity. He
said there was no occasion to ask
permission, since the treaty gave
them the right. Governor Blackburn
replied that as he understood the
treaty there was nothing in it which
gave the Panamanian police any
right to exercise their functions on
the highways of the zone, and that