The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1914-04-14
PANAMA CANAL TOLLS
History OF Ship Subsidy EXhanstiYely
Acknowledgements Policy Demo-
cratic Party.
Editor The Herald and News:

Editor The Herald and News:
The present bill before congress to
repeal the free Toll bill is one Of great
! Importance and its passage needs the
expression of the peoples will upon
the subject. And with that end in view
ask your publication Of the following
views on the Panama canal and free
| toll and ship subsidy:
From 1884, wnen Charles V, king Of
Spain, issued decree directing a
survey of the isJhmus between the At
, lantic and Pacific oceans for route
to establish water communication be-
tween these two oceans, up to the in
dependence of it's Spanish-American
provinces in. Central and South Amer
! ica, in: 1924, Spain has had exclusive
control of all that territory, but had
made no progress toward building a
canal. With the freedom of the
South American republics, the sub
iect of water communication between
the Atlantic and the Pacific became
one of. great interest to all maritime
nations. Ard the United States with
other nations held conference in
1925 in regard to the building of a
canal.
And the instructions given by Sec
retary Clay to the delegates from the
United States expressed the view, THAT
if the work was ever completed so as
10 allow vessels t. pass from the At
iantic to the Pacific, the benefits de-
riyed, should no. be claimed by any
cne nation, but extended to all ma
tions, upon the payment Of reasonable
tolls"
In 1885 a proposed treaty between
the United States and the Central
South American Republics stipulated
ehat a canal constructed across the
isthmus of Panama, should give free
and equal rights to all nations.
! During the year 1889 congress re-
quested the president to open negotia-
tons with all nations interested for a
treaty, based upon the rule OF free and
equal rights 10 all.
The canal proposition was again be-
fore congress during the administra-
ton of President Polk, who in his mes
sage of February 10, 1S47, says,
Neither New Greneda or the United
States has any marrow or exclusive
views, the object of the resolution pro-
posed is to secure to all nations the
free and equal rights of passage over
the isthmus."
Tae Clayton and Bulner treaty OF
1850 declared the great design and
object was that of constructing and
maintaining the said canal as ship
communication between the two
oceans for the benefit of mankind, on
equal terms to all with the agreement
that neither nation should exercise ex-
elusive control, but that the two ma
tions would mutually agree to guar
antee it's neutrality"
This agreement Of joint control, was
always obnoxious TO the United States
and the feeling against it grew more
positive as the United States grew in
wealth and power. In 1869 and 1870
treaties were proposed between the
United States and the United States
of South America, upon the basis OF
perfect equality at all times to all ma
tons
In 1880 Secretary Evarts, writing
President Grants views, said the pres
ident regards it as an American enter
prise which he desires to be undertak-
en- under American auspices, to the
benefit of which the whole commercial
world should be freely admitted.
In 1880 Secretary Ewarts, writes,
tha. this government has not only
been willing but anxious that such an
enterprise should be for the world s
commerce, and has made no propo-
sition seeking for its own citizens any
commercial advantages. In 1881 Sec
retary Blaine wrote that the United
States did not seek any more prefer
ence for ships passing through the
canal, than it sought preference for
American goods shipped over the Pan
ANA railroad.
In 1885 President Cleveland says in
his message "that years only con-
frmed the wisdom and foresight OF all
treaties that had looked to every ma
| L. TN