The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-11-24
THE CANAL AND IT'S COST"

THE CANAL AND ITS COST"
1t is quite the easiest thing in the world to
! yield to enthusiasm and cheer the statement of
public man, hot because the statement itself
is particularly worthy of cheers. not, even. oe-
cause IL Is an accurate statement,-out because
the person of the moment makes IT, And Il rs
even nlore easy for this person of the momeu,
10 yield to the temptation say thing with
out thinking what IL means not because il is
neeessary TO say It. or even because il IS express
siye OF belief. but because II sounds we'll. A
public speaker worth his salt can sense cheer
ard call it into being al will the crowd that
cheers feels the appeal for applause and re
spends 10 It. almost automatically. In botn
Instances in statement and applause the oc
casion is supreme and the speech. in itself
worthless. The speaker fishes for cheers. Gn1
the crowd bites. not knowing. and not caring
what is the bait which il swallows
W. think some such criticism the above
MAJ be honestly applied to Mr. Tafts declare
tion ON "Wednesday that the people of the coun-
try do not what the Panama Canal costs
70 long as il is built quickly and built rig6t.
i The crowd yefled at this assertion Of the Presj
dent. but ii have given its endorsement
sMithoar thinking II surely failed to digest the
Emeaning OF the statement in a reasonable cor
E1tSuction II surely failed to lend its appFo'
Anton to all analysis Of itself SO 1ogically.-if
insentionally--insulting,
S The American people care vast deal what
md how much the Panama Canal is going 70
kopss II is their business to care. 1t is their
cnterprse engaged ia at their persistent agi
fasion and command \ The Canal is being built
nv the peoples agents and how those agents
perform their trust. the economy that they dis
play The manner In which they succeed III heen
ing The building of a great work free from
SCANDAL is matter affecting the integrity Of the
nation a whole Mr. Taft ts right when nc
eAyH that the people do not care what the Canal
scoets IL he adds To his qualifications that such
Il m ara ference Of amount Is subject 70 the pom
lar insistence tina, it cost no more than it ought.
lin such an epoch-n,aking undertaking, involv-
d I'M ms it does the reputation of the Nation in
The eyes of the world, the expense is not mat
n aer OF moment but the manner OF the expense
@ls q matter OF honor
|g. The Panama Canal bears name that is tinged
Ii With fraud aud deception II recalls the ruiz
gsof thousands OF small French investors 1t re
Aects the long and disgraceful lobby OF the rail
reads against any Canal by this country. The
let that It Is being built al all is probably due
NO the patriotism of Senator Morgan in ACCEPT
ss1nx the Panama route when. his fight for tine
II 4gicaraguan Canal having all but succeeded, it
NSNas offered him b. opponents who hoped that
Ske would oppose ii az against the project fo-
witch he had spent nearly life time ~ iis9f'
INK Libel suits to the contrary. the after his
80 4O~y OF the Panama Canal is net the book OF
NNlc 10Y TO read, the cowardiy buidozing II
EFolombla is a disgraeeful page In the histofS.
~ 4 country which is the professed sponsor OF
E1therty everywhere. the squabbles tnat have
%2nksn place from time to time since dirt began
SSAo Be thrown have not added to the peace 81
lind of the people in respect 10 this national
Now that construction gains head
lSsnuy Il would seem that the President errs when
f1n saws that rhe people do not care What The
NsTork ia 10 cost They are solicnous! 1t least.
That in addition 10 the money expenditure, it
EaSpxt no further compromise with that national
SSApncr which, In the emergency OF big accom-
4lS1fshment /, certain type of craftsmanship pro-
El10ses virtue in ignoring