Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1910-02-09
HENRY WATTLRS0N ON
THE |STHM|AN CANAL

Inc ldCh OF StTlOuS puIpOSS, as well
as continuity of thought. the levity OF
the average daily newspaper. ex-
pressing itself sometimes interms OF
rld'cule and sometimes in trims of
abuse. but ottenest in terms OF in
difference, II not silent altogether is
one OF the most discourglng features
OF our public life
The press should be- and perhaps
in the long run and in the final sum
total Il is, the beethoven OF good
government; the source and resource
OF the liberties OF the people the
very outpost OF freedom. But thre
are weary reaches OF time when
school does not keep for Il, dreary
interludes when II goes TO sleep,
line separating truth from falsehood
with never a watch-fire burning, nor
a sentinel on guard. Thus does or
ganized rapacity get in its work up
on unorganized society; corruption
overreach the unknowing and the
credulous. or seduce the weak and
meroenary; picking on a laggard
here and chloroforming delinquent
there, the deed done, the treasure
gone, the thieves away before the
camp is awake, the house is astir,
and the officers OF the law. aroused
TO their duty, are alive 10 what has
happened
Tho Isthmian Canal transaction is
most Illuminating case n point.
All the early expert surveys and Of
fetal reports favored the Nicaraug-
uan route. Until que s,ionable
French company came upon the
scene the Panama route was regard
ed as impracticable where il was
considered at all. Beh nd the Near
aqua scheme there was neither or
SaniZation nor money. IL embraced
no cost for right OF way; no price
for territorial concessions or fran
CHI Sc grants: no lobby at Washing
ton nor iunta al Granada: a straight
line and easy digging up the San
-
araugua. and thence across a narrow
strip OF land 10 the Pacific For a
sum not in excess OF two hundred
millions tho canal could have been
completed, and except for the inter-
ceTI,ion OF tho Panama project 1t
would now be completed.
The Panama Canal Company OF
France has eliminated in shipwreck
1t has gone under in scandal and
tragedy. Those who invested in I,
had lost money II was bankrupt
Az this point certain Americans ar
rived in Paris with a scheme OF re.
surrection. Their plan was TO or
ganize new company TO take over
the holdings OF the old company.
This was not hard to do, and be M
done both cheap and easy. the Yank-
ecs keeping out OF sight, its French
manipulatOrs appeared in Washing
Ton.
They had in reality nothing to sell
but a few worthless pots and pans
some excavations and mud-heaps on
the Tsthmus Of Panama. and the
fagend OF ten-year concessl on
from the Republic OF Columbia The
whole hand-me-down and lay-ou,
was the merest stock-jobbing opera.
ton, hotair and water, backed by inn
pudence and the promise Of pelf. But
IL gained a footing and it got hear.
ing
As soon as the wolves smelt blood
they turned loose. Engineers who
had time and again reported Panama
impossible were induced TO reverse
their Judgment. Nothing 10 5000
had turned up since Credit Mobilier
and Pacific Mail Not alone N.
agents Of the French company were
OH the ground, their jackets lined
and their pockets stuffed with lotter,
tckcts good If the steal wen,
through. but the Trsns-Contirental
Railroad Pool. aiming TO beat both
Panama and Nicaragua, took a hand
One could actually almost physically