The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-03-27

| sas. Republican. opened the argument
for the opponents OF the rule
PIN CampbeIl's Speech.
| Mr. Campbell said:
This rule II to expedite the most
labject and humiltRttnG surrender ever
, made by our government Ino p1eA :
dent tells MS. that right or wrong. We
must do this thing.
to repeal that part of the law Tor the
government Of the Panama canal that
exempts our own ships engaged IN
our coastwise trade from the pay
ment OF tolls on our own canal
"The claim is made that the provi-
sion of the canal act is unjust to Eng
land, for the reason that British ships
will be required to pay tolls when US
ing the canal.
Think Of that! Neither the ships
of England, France, Germany, Italy,
Japan or any other country may Load
unload at any other port of the United
States. The ships Of every country
are forbidden to engage in the coast
wise trade Of the United States. That
shipping Il done entirely by American
ships. This exclusive trade in Amer
, lean shipping IL done under laws en-
acted since the treaty OF 1915. That
treaty uses In substance the same Ian
guage referring to equal treatment In
the ports of the United States. as is
used in the Hay-Pauncefote treaty.
and in one hundred years England has
never contended through diplomatic
channels that equal treatment should
be construed so as to deny to Amert-
can ships the exclusive right OF car
rying our coastwise trade.
Let me read from the treaty OF
1876. In it's second article It provides
thaoo vuor6a ssThat M HIGHER ar
other duties or charges shall be Inn
posed in any Of the ports Of the
United States on British vessels than
those payable in the same ports by
vessels of the United States
Reads From Treaty. i
Now let mo read from the Hay
Pauncefote treaty of 1901. which Is the
| treaty in controversy. I read from
| article 3, as follows:
1.-The canal shall be free and open
to the vessels Of commerce and Of war
| of all nations observing these rules. on
terms Of entire equality, SO that there
shall be no discrimination against any
such nation or its citizens or subjects
in respect Of the conditions or charges
| OF traffic, or otherwise. Such cOndt-
tons and charges of traffic shall be
just and equitable
THE language of both treaties i'm
poses substantially the same obliga-
1 lions upon the United States with re-
spect to the treatment that it shall
give to other nations in the use OF its
ports, in the Treaty OF 1916, and In
the use Of the Panama Canal in the
Treaty of 1901. Entire equality Of
treatment is provided for in both
treaties. Since the Treaty Of 1915,
England has carried her. own coast
wise trade without question by the
United States, and the United States
| has carried her own coastwise trade
without diplomatic question by Eng
land.
1T was urged in the case Of Olsen
VS.. Smith, 1876, U. S., 1872, that ex-
empting American coasting vessels
from the payment Of pilotage charges
was q violation of the Treaty OF 1915
between the United States and Great
Britain-the treaty have just read.
The court. in passing upon the
question. said: Neither the exemp-
ton Of coastwise steam vessels from
pilotage, resulting from the law Of the
United States, nor any lawful exemp-
| ton of coastwise vessels. concerns
vessels in the foreign stfndes and.
operate to produce a discrimination
4 against British vessels engaged In for
| efgn trade and in favor of vessels of
the United States in such trade.
THAT is a clear Interpretation OF
the provision for treatment on equal
|
the president.
THE equal treatment of nations I'M
der such treaty covenants has had the
Interpretation of one hundred years
by the government of England that
red-blooded Americans contend for in
the canal treaty today; the right OF
sovereignty in it's domestic affairs.
Approved by Roosevelt.
i This position is considered sound
by ex-President Roosevelt, who ap-
proves Of the exemption from Panama
tolls Of our American coastwise ship
ping. It is insisted upon by express
ident Taft, who signed the Canal Act
providing for free tolls for our own
ships. This principle was rfghtfully
maintained by the house Of represent
atives with q Democratic majority
and by the senate with a Republican
majority two years ago. The sound
} ness of fundamental principles has
not changed in our country since then
Political control OF the nations affair
has cha nged.
ION August Is. 1912, when Wood
row Wilson was a candidate for presi-
dent. he said:
Zone OF the great objects in cut.
ting that great ditch across the 18TH
mus of Panama is to allow farmers
who are near the Atlantic to ship tc
, the Pacific by way of the Atlantic
ports and have coastwise
steamers carry their products doWr
around through the canal and up ths
Pacific or down the coast to South
J America.
lone of the bills pending, passed
believe, yesterday by the senate as Il
, has passed the house, provides FOL
free toll for American ships through
that canal and prohibits any sfxll
l from passing through which is ownet
by an American railroad company
!, You see the object of that. don't you
:, applause We don't want the rail
!, roads to compete with themselves be
:, cause we understand that kind o
competition. We want water carriage
SO as to be perfectly sure that 20,
are going to get better rates arount
the canal than you would across thu