New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-01-22
TWO POINTS ON PANAMA.

II would be difficult to raise any en-
,irely new point in controversy Whch
has been so thoroughly discussed i'll al
most eyery phase rs that pertaining 10
The equality of tolls at Panama. ou'
Senator Root in his mastery speech
Yesterday at least gave new empilaslS
IA two considerations which have not
hitherto received The attention winch
they merit. one has To do with ques-
,ions of profit and loss i'll diplomac!
BEFORE the Hay-Pauncefote treaty was
made the Clayton-Bulwer treaty was III
force In substituting the former FOR
the latter by mutual consent II lhl2h'
have been only natural for both parties
to make concessions. But as matter
of fact the concessions were all on the
british side. The United States gave
mn nothing. but gained much: WhiIe
Great Britain gave up much ana Snlileu
uothinc. The only compensation which
Great Britain sought or secured Tor her
REIMBURSEMENT of important rights uh-
dor the CLAYTON Bulwer treaty was the
retention in the new treaty OF TINS one
If the old conditions. that her COM
merce--and that of other nations
should have equal privileges win
American in the canal. That consider
alton convincingly indicates what was
the Interpretation of the disputed clause
i'm the minds of the makers OF the
treaty. and stamps with discreditaole
lacl, Of generosity and fairness any at
tempt 10 evade at least submission OF
the matter to adjudication.
The other point has TO do Win the
practical working of the plan when
congress has attempted to impose upon
the commerce of the world. Under the
bill of last year our coastwise COM
merce is to 20 through the canal free,
because if has no competitors, ana
therefore. il is argued. no dlscrlmlna-
tion will he practised against any other
nation. But Senator Roots argument
ON that point is impressive. ours lie
SAYS. i not the only coast trade tnat
will seek the canal; Canada may want
ia send vessels from Halifax TO Van
CONVEX. Mexico may send ships from
Acapulco TO Vera Cruz Colombia may
devotion s,a-borne trade between her
Caribbean and Pacific coasts: Costa
Rica. Nicaragua Honduras and Guate-
mnln NAV do the same. each OF them
having frontage on each OF the oceans
lust as truly as we have. Are we going
10 say. the Senator asks. that our coast
wise trade shall pass free. while the
coastwise trade of all these other coun-
tries must pay tolls. and still pretend
that there is no discrimination:
I'm view of these two points. ii was
we'll that Senator Root recalled an MS
,oric phrase from the Declaration or
INDEPENDENCE. That document. with its
logical statement of reasons for the
Revolution. was put forward because
Of "a decent respect to the opinion OF
mankind" That same honorable motive
no less imperatively demands to-day
either recession from a ground the le-
gitimacy of which is seriously chal-
lepgcd. or at least prompt submission
OF its disputed Legitimacy to non-paru-
san adjudication. There would he no
forcing of sentiment nor exaggeration
of conditions if we were to paraphrase
Jefferson into saying that decent re-
spect to the opinion of mankind re-
ouires that we shall repeal the coast
wise provision of last years isthmlan
r,nl Inv.