The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1912-09-11
THE PANAMA CANAL
Nothing To Submit To Arbitra'
ton In Panama Canal Matter
Saws Uncle Joe Cannon.

ial)-"There is nothing to submit TO
arbitration in the Panama Canal mat
ter" was the forceful way in which
"Uncle Toe" Cannon, Ex-Speaker of
the House of Representatives, charac-
terized the situation growing out OF the
recent canal legislation, previous to
leaving for his home in Danville, Ill,
where he will begin his campaign for
reelection to the Sixtv.third Congress
can this talk about submitting the
section of the Panama Canal bill, which
does not happen to please our British
cousins, to the Hague tribunal, is all
buncombe," continued the old wheel
horse of republicanism.
"If the canal had been built by the
money of foreign nations, including our
proportion of the obligation, arbitration
of controverted questions would un-
doubtedly have been the proper proce-
dure, but as the canal has been built by
our own money, upon Our own soil. as
much ours as the District of Columbia
is ours, this talk of sending the ques-
tions in controversy to the Hague for
final adjudication is the rankest ron
sense. The days of altruism have not
yet dawned, nor will they as long as we
have to fight the nations of the world
for commercial supremacy.
1.-THE English are doing tor their
ships that pass through the Suez Canal
just as we propose to do for ours. The
government of Great Britain RENTS the
toll on British ships locking through the
Suez. We propose to reach the same
result in another way so far at the
Panama Canal in concerned, by giving
free passage to our ships engaged in
coast wide trade, instead of remitting
the tax as England, Germany and
France do for their ships using the Suez
canal. The result is the same in both
cases. Having nothing to arbitrate it is
to be hoped the State Department will
so inform the government of Great
Britain in a manner that will forever
put stop to the claims that we are
violating the Hay Pauncefote treaty."
While the contribution on the House
of Representatives to the Congressional
Record has been enormous, ranging
from grave to gay, from lively to
severe with high-sounding, high
proved ebullilions from the advocates
of peace and disarmament growing out
of the discussion OF battleships, etc, the
amiable big guns of the Senate, during
the closing days of the session, were
busy on numerous propositions for the
distribution of cannon in the public
parks of many cities But the Senators
were not Armageddonites They simp.
" wanted for ornaments some old
brorze guns, with, as uniquely express
ed, proper outfit of cannon balls and
carriage" There was nothing said
about powder or other explosive.
And now comes Senator Jonathan
Bourne, IT,, of Oregon. co-author with
Senator Bristow of Kansas, of the Par
GELS Post feature OF the Post Office APP
preparation bill, with the startling pre-
diction that Congress hereafter will
have TO remain in session almost the
whole year round if any constructive
legislation is TO be accomplished.
"When we have worked out the
problems Of campaigning and popular
nominations, it will not be necessary
for Senators and Re representatives. to
leave their desks in Washington to pre-
sent reasons TO their constituents why
they should be returned TO office, said
the Senator today. when we have
devised some plan for telling the people
of the respective merits o. candidates
for office, that is, some medium of pub
licity, for their records and personal
platforms, that will obviate the necessi- |
ty for legislators to be absent from
their duties in Washington for any
length of time" Great guns when
these things come to pass this National
Capital will surely be the mecca for all
'classes and conditions of men," as
they say in the Episcopal prayer book.
What do you think If this' The Gov
eminent Printing Office, the biggest
printery in the world, furnished TO Con-
gress during the last session 80, 2S5, 600
envelopes. These envelopes bore the
name of the Senator or Representative
in facsimile and were most largely used
in sending out TO a waiting, but long
suffering public, the utterances of the
Senders in the form of speeches taken
from the Congressional Record. Is
there any wonder that the country is
restless?