The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1911-10-12
HOW THE CANAL
CANE TO Be
DUG
Is Told by Former President
Roosevelt in the
Outlook.
ONLY DID OUR DUTY
To the World and to Our
selves Declares the Ex-
President.

tkoOseVelL mas an article on HOW
the United States Acquired the Right
to Dig the Panama Canal" in the
current number Of the Outlook. MIR.
Roosevelt discusses statements which
have been made from time to time
that he acted in an unconstitutional
manner and usurped authority in con-
nection with the Panama projec.,
and he upholds the regularity of the
proceedings throughout
Mr.. Roosevelt says that his message
to Congress set forth in full and in
detail every essential fact connected
with the various phases CT the ac-
QUESTION of the Panama canal. He
adds:
Not one important fact was omit
ted, and no fact of any Importance
bearing upon the actions or negotia-
tons of the representatives of the
United States not there set forth has
been, or ever will be discovered, sim
ply because there is none to discover.
1t must be matter of pride to every
honest American, proud of the good
name of his country, that the acquis-
ition of the canal and the building
of the canal, in all their details, were
as free from scandal as the public
acts of George Washington and Abra-
ham Lincoln
Answers Opposition.
Referring TO the opposition to the
project then and since, Mr.. Roose-
welt says:
"of course there was at the time,
and has been since, much repetition
OF statements that acted in an 'un-
constitutional manner, that l 'usur-
ped authority which was not mine.
These were the statements that were
made again and again in reference
to almost all l did as President that
was most beneficial and most import
ant to the people of this country, to
whom was responsible, and of
whose interests l was the steward.
The simple fact was, as l have else
where said, that when the interest of
the American people imperatlvely
demanded that certain act should
be done, and had the power to do It,
] did it unless it was specifically pro-
hibited by law, instead of timidly re-
fusing to do it unless l could find
some provision of law which render
ed it imperative that | should do It
In other words, gave the benefit OF
the doubt to the people of the United
States, and not
To Any Group OF Bandits,
foreign or domestic, whose inter SITS
happened to be adverse to those OF
the people of the United States. In
my Judgment, history has taught the
lessen that the President has very
great powers If he chooses to exer-
else those powers; but that, if he is
a timid or selfish man, afraid of re-
sponsibility and afraid of risks, he
can Of course manufacture ingenious
excuses for failure to exercise them,
At a great crisis in American history
Mr.. Buchanan had shown himself to
belong to the latter type of President;
Mr.. Lincoln had represented the Their
type, the type which gave the people
the benefit of the doubt, which wae
not afraid to take responsibility
which used in large fashion for thu
good of the people the great powers
of a great office. very strongly be,
lieved that Abraham Lincoln had SCI
the example which it was healthy
for the people of the United STATE,
that other Presidents should follow
Highest Duty to People.
Mr. Roosevelt refers to the Act Of
Congress of 1862 for the acquisition
OF the Panama canal. and says:
an October and November, 1903
events occurred on the lsthmus OF
Panama which enabled me, and
which made 1t my highest duty to the
people of the United States
to carry out the provisions OF
the law Of Congress did carry
them out. and the canal is now being
built because OF what thus did. 1t is
also perfectly true that, that If 1 had
wished 10 shirk my responsibility, il
had been afraid of doing my duty
could have pursued a course whicn
would have been technically defen-
sible, which would have prevented
criticism OF the kind that has bee:
made, and would have left the Uni
ted States no nearer building tn
canal at this moment than 1t hat
been for the preceding half-century
IT had observed judicial inactivity
p;,aut what was going on at the 18th,
tt,s..r, A,I.-