The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1909-03-05


be effective to remove many of those
restrictions.
Lock Canal Plan Defended.
The Panama canal will have q most
important bearing upon the trade be-
tween the eastern and the far west
ern sections of our country and will
greatly increase the facilities for
transportation between the eastern
and the western seaboard and may
possibly revolutionize the transconti-
mental rates with respect to bulky mer-
chandise. 1t will also have O most
beneficial effect to increase the trade
/ between the eastern seaboard of the
United States and the western coast
of South America and indeed with
some Of the important ports Of the
east coast of South America reached
by rail from the west coast. The
work on the canal is making most sat
isfactory progress. The type Of the
canal as n lock canal was fixed by
congress after a full consideration Of
the conflicting reports of the majority
and minority Of the consulting board
and after the recommendation Of the
war department and the executive
upon those reports. Recent suggestion
that something had occurred on the
isthmus to make the lock type Of the
canal less feasible than it was sup
posed to be when the reports were
made and the policy determined on
led to Il visit to the isthmus Of q
board of competent engineers to exam
inc the Gatun dam and locks which
are the key of the lock type. The re-
port Of that board shows that nothing
has occurred in the nature Of newly
revealed evidence which should change
the views once formed in the original
discussion. The construction will 60
on under most effective organization
controlled by Colonel Goethals and his
fellow army engineers associated with
him and will certainly be completed
early in the next administration, If not
before.
Some type Of canal must be con-
structed. The lock type has been Sc
lected. We are all in favor of having
1T built as promptly as possible. We
must not now, therefore, keep up a fire
in the rear Of the agents whom we
have authorized to do our work on
the isthmus. We must hold up their
hands, and, speaking for the incoming
administration, l wish to say that 1
propose to devote all the energy possi-
BILE and under my control to the push
ing of this work on the plans which
have been adopted and to stand behind
the men who are doing faithful hard
work to bring about the early compile
tion Of this the greatest constructive
enterprise of modern times.
Free Trade With Philippines.
The governments of our dependen-
cies in Porto Rico and the Philippines
are progressing as favorably as could
be desired. The prosperity of Porto
Rico continues unabated. The busi-
ness conditions in the Philippines are
not all that we could wish them to be,
but with the passage of the new tariff
bill permitting free trade between the
United States and the archipelago,
with such limitations in sugar and
tobacco as shall prevent injury to the
domestic interests on those products,
we can count on an improvement in
business conditions in the Philippines
ana the development of mutually
profitable trade between this country
and the islands. Meantime our gov
ernment in each dependency is uphold.
ing the traditions Of civil liberty and
increasing popular control which might
be expected under American auspices.
The work which we are doing there
rebounds to our credit as nation.
Words of Friendship For the South.
l look forward with hope to increas-
ing the already good feeling between
the south and the other sections Of the
country. My chief purpose Is not to
effect change in the electoral vote Of
the southern states. That is a second
ary consideration. What l look for
ward to Is an increase in the tolerance
of political views Of all kinds and
their advocacy throughout the south
and the existence of a respectable po-
lltlcal opposition In every state-even
more than than this. to an increased
feeling on the part of all the people in
lllc Sbulu tnul lulS HONSIuLlellI 10 tuelL
government and that its officers in
their states are their officers.
The Negro Question.
The consideration of this question
cannot, however, be complete and full
without reference to the negro race,
its progress and its present condition.
The thirteenth amendment secured
them freedom, the fourteenth amend
ment due process Of law, protection
of property and the pursuit of happi-
ness, and the fifteenth amendment at
tempted to secure the negro against
any deprivation Of the privilege to
vote because he was negro. The
thirteenth and fourteenth amend
ments have been generally enforced
and have secured the objects for which
they were intended. While the If
teenth amendment has not been gener-
ally observed in the past, 1t ought to
be observed, and the tendency Of
IaOiSIotiOv, todou 90 ri