The Lynden tribune. [volume] (Lynden, Wash.) 1908-current, 1914-04-02
BY Miles Poindexter, u. S. Senator.

The position of President vii
son, advocating repeal of the claus
IN the Panama canal act srantin.
Tree tolls through the Panama ca
nal TO American ships, as stated il
Ills message OF the 5th instant, j:
quite remarkable in that he makes
personal appeal TO the Congress.
TO reverse itself upon great ma
tional issue for reasons which h.
states to be of the gravest import
ance. but which he does not de-
fine.
Senators and representatives
seern to be falling over themselves
to keep UP with this acrobatic pro.
cession, some OF them after inter
views with tie president in which
presumably. they obtained more
definite Information than the pres
ident conveyed in his message; but
many of them without waiting to
be Informed at all as to what the
reasons are for this stampede oi
the Democratic party, the President
and Congress, being entirely salts
lied il they can yield UP their own
judgment TO the wishes of the ex-
utive
1t is a blind sort of proceeding
SO far as they are concerned. Ev-
idently there is something abroad
of the gravest Significance to our
peace and welfare. Impartial for
eign critics are laughing at us
and We are making of ourselves an
international boob"
'Tha Draci6 ante xiou, Of ,ha nh
liga:ion of treaties is novel He
says: We ought to reverse our
.etion without raising the ques-
tion whether We are right or
wrong" He takes this position On
the ground that We are power
ful nation, and can therefore af-
ford to accept the construction
which foreign countries place upon
our treatv obligations.
If this position is adhered TO
it means that not only our foreign
relat;. ns, but many of our most i'm
portant domestic affairs, which are
inseparably connected Herewith,
shall be subjected to whatever con-
struction the various treaty powers
may place uDon them. If this is
to be our attitude. or that of the
administration. it is we'll TO have
it understood. because it is of the
gravest and most far-reaching con-
sequences.
But there is another element al
so in the Presidents message. Not
only Is it claimed, apparently, tnat
morally We are bound not 10 raise
question If whether We are right
or wrong" but from the references
to matters "of great delicacy and
near consequence" and from the
statement of Senators returning
from interviews with the President,
that there is substantial diff
erence between our right of exemp-
iion and our enforcement of that
right" it seems that there is II
physical question involved also.
Certainly it is something new in
what has been in most respects our
proud history to hear the doctrine
announced not only that We are
morally bound to accept the ideas
of alien countries rs to what our
obligations are, but that We are
physically unable to enforce our
right
AS to our legal rights, il the
construction which the President
says foreign countries place upon
the Hay-Pauncefote treaty is 10 be
accepted as he says, We ought u
note that the same article OF the
treaty contains the following pro-
vision:
mo fortificatiOns shall be g.
rected, commanding the canal or
the waters adjacent
How is il that under this az
plicit language We are proceeding
to erect the greatest fortifications
in our dominions. commanding
the canal and the waters adjacent?
The only answer is that Earl trey
has consented to it.
But Earl Grey might change his
Iaind. Some other foreign coun-
try. all of whom are included in
the terms of this treaty, may op-
ject. The British government may
change Surely a much clearer cia1ni
could be made under the language
quoted against the United States
Notifications upon the canal IMAM
their claim as to tolls. If made, ac-
cording to the rule laid down IN tne
Presidents message. We must yleid
So we hold the canal. according
TO this view, at the sufferance oil
foreign countries. For what we may
do there, we must get their con-
sent and permission.