Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-02-14
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papers preparatory to departure for
Denver, and the storm was already
raging outside. He had had q busy
day at his office. :
II just called to shake your hand and
wish you well on your journey, The
speaker was William E. Ode:l. lawyer.
well, Will. I'm always glad to see
you. We were just talking OF the new
turn in affairs as to. the question OF
canal tolls in the new canal, and the
position Of the administration
1--WE ought to keep our contra ct and
observe the treaty. said Mr.. Odell.
I'VE ought to live up to the terms Of
Fthe treaty"
THAT is just It," said Senator Cum
Minis, but what are the terms OF the
treaty? Who can decide what meaning
to attach to the words?tT know ,he
general impression is that We have
agreed not to impose any tolls on any
ships not alike on our, own, but that
is not the wording OF the treaty. If
we accept the British Interpretation
then we would be required when we
send United States battleship thru
the canal to have the United States
pay tolls just as the British govern
ment would have to pay for sending
battleship thru. That would mean pay
ing a toll by the government to itself
fer service performed by its own
servants in it's own canal. do not
believe any such absurdity ever was
contemplated or ever thought of even
by the British people when the treaty
was made"
Then Senator Cummins and Mr..
Odeli entered upon a spirited and
friendly discussion of the work of the
Wilson administration. The senator
presented the view, which he has so
often expressed, that the president is
not in any sense a progressive but
decidedly reactionary, that while he
is being given credit for getting things
done there has been no consideration as
TO whether they have been done right,
AMI that in due time the people will
find out that it were better never to
havs some of the things done than to
have had them done wrong.
However that may be-" said Mr..
Odell. tho 1 think YOU are wrong as
to the president, know one thing
that you are going to be- elected again:
that you could run on any ticket of
any party ur no ticket and be elected
by the people CT this state. because
the. know YOU and know you have been
tried and found true to their interests
and they can trust YOU I've been out
some over the state and l know. You
will be elected just as sure as the cleo
ton day comes around"
Mr.. Odell recalled that he had known
the senator when he didn't have so
many gray hairs. and when you
thought you knew great deal more
than you really know now"
Yes" said the senator, "but one
thing was certain. did know how to
handle the express matter out Of Nc
Gregor. 1 knew my job perfectly then.
I'm not so sure I know my present job
perfectly"
Mr.. Odell knew Cunmins when the,
latter was running out of McGregor as
an express agent on the Milwaukee
road. They have been fast friends ever
since. However they may differ as to
some things political they have main
tanned a warmth Of affection which,
can not be shaken.
Senator Cummins is not opposed to
coastW Use vessels going thru the Pan.
anna canal. He made it very plain last
year when the tolls bill was up that
he favored imposing on American
freight vessels tolls that would pay the
actual cost of doing the business. II
it is desired that there shall be a pro-
fit made. then higher tolls can be i'm,
posed on the tonnage Of ships of other
nations. e.
But do believe that we should as
sert our right to impose tolls on the
ships OF other nations higher than on
our own" he said. Il shall not object
to free tolls nor to tolls for our ships
provided we also make it plain to all
the wcrld that we do so not from any
pressure from the outside, not because
of anything in the treaties What in
sist upon doing is to preserve our
rights in case Of war. It is Of little i'm
portance what we do in times of peace.
But if we accept the view which is be-
ing presented as that of the British
government then we throw away all
usefulness of the canal to us as an In
strument of war in relation to war
matters.
The idea that the treaty requires
us to impose on all the ships bearing
our flag the same toll as on the ships
Of other nations is, in my opinion, an
after thought, and something not at all
corte mplated by the trainers OF the
treaty. There is, therefore, no question
of violation of treaty or Of national
honor involved. What is happening is
that the British government, taking
advantage Of our embarra ssment be-
cause of complications with Japan and
Mexico, is trying to force us to ac-
acknowledgements of meaning in the
treaty which neither they nor others
believed to be there"
Senator Cumnins expects that some
acuion will be taken very soon by the
congressional committee in charge OF
the bills for presidential primaries.
81 have been urging the committee
on privileges and elections to get busy
on this BILL" he said. 1.-THE committe.
has had it for some time. They have
insisted on waiting until they had dis
posed of the two contested election
cases, which have taken up a great
deal Of time, and now these are out OF
the way, SO that very soon I shall in
! sist on the committee getting action
on the presidential primary bills. That
is ono thing we can well afford to put
thru and establish at once"
From the Des >Moines standpoint 1t
would not seem possible to decide
cSa~o%np nou,aM n