Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-03-06

ger that organized conspiracy OF the railroads OF this country
Canada will destroy of the greatest benefits OF the Pan
anna Canal to the American people
Briefly the facts For twenty-five years the trans
continental railroads successfully opposed the construction OF the
Panama They opposed this tremendous development
Meeting greatest and bringing Eastern and
Western 600 miles each other because the
compel the railroads reduce their freight rates
transporting goods by water always much less
than by land, and in is not half as much
they could longer delay the coming Of this remen
dous American people they made desperate srug
gle to be allowed ships through the canal which the rail
roads themselves owned and also prevent American ships
going through the canal free of toll charge The railroads
knew they could their ships through the canal
they could with their gigantic financial resources soon drive
every independent steamship line out of the canal they have
done everywhere they operate steamships They also knew that
toll charge levied every ship that passed through the
canal would raise transportation by just
that amount by also would relieve the railroads
from the necessity of reducing their rates by land
Therefore years ago. when the law governing the use OF
the canal was Congress- the railroads poured their horde
of trained lobbyists Capital City prevent free tolls and
obtain for themselves the right to operate ships through the
canal
But it happened to be moment when Congress was sin
pary the influence of the corporations The national
election The speer Roosevelt whose genius courage
energy had given the canal doomed dary over the men
Congress who usually take their orders from these corpora
tons.
The Democratic party Just held its national convention
at Baltimore and had soemny that American ships in
our trade ought not pay toll for passing through
the canal.
So the railroads denied the right to operate their
steamships canal and the attempt to make the American
ships passing through canal pay toll voted down
whelmingy in the Senate. ONLY ELEVEN SENATORS
VOTED FOR IT Of course Lodge that notorious reaconary
who so egregouy msrepresens Massachusetts, and Crane also
voted for the railroads EVERY DEMOCRAT IN THE SENATE
VOTED TO LET AMERICAN SHIPS PASS THE CANAL FREE
OF TOLL CHARGES.
Thus it seemed the great objects for which the
American peope had spent four hundred million dollars on the
had
porting goods the American continent
But the railroads do after defeat With
election day they calculated that the they
toned conro in both parties would dare to take orders once
they could be supplied with some new excuse for chang
ing their votes This ngeniousy furnished In
the outrageous petene that must have the friendship of
Great Britain in dangerous isolation the worlds affairs
Britain opposed to free tolls to ships because the
Canadian Pacific Railroad opposed to it. Great Britain bases
claim of right to protest the ground that is violation
of her treaty rights
Now great cry raised requires
free tolls for American ships pretended that
difficult straits in international relations and must have
respect friendship of Great Britain unnamed
catastrophe likely befa This the strange story that
President Wilson whispering into the of the Democratic
members of Congress-
British protest made when the canal question
CONGRESS- THEN 1T WAS REJECTED BY THE DEMO
CRATIC PARTY IN ITS NATIONAL CONVENTION, which
pledged the Democrats Congress to vote for free tolls and
pledged also MIR wilson whom nominated Tor PRESIDENT MN
WILSON HIMSELF REJECTED THE BRITISH PROTEST
THE CAMPAIGN.
What happened since to bring about this change
opinions? Nothing at all except that election
in Congress are less controlled by public opinion
Do the Democrats dare to repudiate their platform repu
date their the behest of these railroads and the
fear of the President power dispose of patronage?
Where William j Bryan in this crisis? He declared
and again that the MAN WHO VIOLATES HIS PARTY
PLATFORM is WORSE THAN A THIEF. This question
arises out of the State Department and Mr. Bryan the head
of the State Department He the Committee Resolutions
of the last Democratic convention that drew the platform
which declared favor of free tolls for American ships On thy
voeess lips the heroic lay tuneless now On matter
ing out Of his department he watches silence conspiracy
which according to his political code than theft
When the Democratic members of Congress called to
account by their constituents they will not be allowed hide be
hind the skirts of the President He will not be the keeper
their conscience of their judgment We have neither
client maevoent depotm this country Congress there
to make the laws and Representative Senator abdcae
his duties favor the President without
nab to his country he be driven by the power Pres
identla patronage to reputation of his party platform and
reversal OF his vote without causing injury
rArrn L.