The Lynden tribune. [volume] (Lynden, Wash.) 1908-current, 1914-04-02
Canal Tolls.

For sometime it appears that
President Wilson has been quietly
using his influence with members
of both houses of Congress 10
bring about the repeal of the law
passed by the last session exempt
ing coastwise vessels passing
through the Panama canal from the
payment of canal tolls.
Referring to the Presidents po-
sition. the Outlook. in recent Is
sue. says;
How far party is bound to
carry out when it gets into power
the policies which il defined in its
platform when il was seeking pow
er is not question altogether ca
sy to answer In general we a
gree with the claim of the Pro-
gressive party two years ago that
platform should be a programme.
1t has been the bane of. American
politics that parties have been ac-
customed, in order to get votes, 10
profess policies which they had no
sincere intention of carrying out
after the votes We're obtained. Yet
il the party leaders, after power has
been given to them. honestly change
their minds and conclude that the
policy which they had proposed will
be injurious, not beneficiU to the
country, they certainly are not
bound for the sake of consistency
to inflict on the country the INJURY
which consistent adherence to that
platform would involve. The Re-
publican party in 1860 declared its
opposition to interference with sla-
very in the Southern States, yet two
years after Mr.. Lincoln's election
sn emancipation proclamation was
issued which did interfere with sla-
very in the Southern States.
but when party has pledged
itself to a policy and it's leaders for
any reason conclude that it is in
expedient to carry that policy out,
they are bound in honor to state 10
the country openly and frankly the
reasons which have led them 70
change. II President Wilson thinks
that the law exempting cOastwlse
vessels from the Canal tolls ought
to be repealed. We hope that he
will say so in special Message
to Congress, and in that Message
will frankly recognize the fact that
the Democratic party has pledged
itself to maintain that policy OF
exemption, and frankly state to
Congress and the country the rea-
sons why, in his judgment, that
policy of exemption should not be
continued. Let us know whether ne
thinks circumstances have changed
SO as to make inexpedient now %
policy which seemed expedient Il
year and half ago, or whether fur-
ther study of the question has leu
him to change his mind and to de-
sire to change the mind OF his party
associates There is nothing dis
creditable in such a change provid-
ed it is made openly and the rea-
sons for it are frankly stated.
AS at present advised, The Out
look sees no reason to change It's
mind on this subject, and We here
restate the conclusions which we
have heretofore stated without now
taking the time and space to re-
state the reasons which have led
us to those conclusions. Those con-
illusions may be summarized brief
ly, as follows:
q. Under the Hay-Pauncefote
Treaty. which superseded the pre-
yious ClaytOn-Bulwer Treaty, we
believe that America has right
to exempt cOastwise vessels from
tolls in passing through the Pana--
ma Canal.
"2. Whether it has such right,
however, is debatable question.
The statesmen of Great Britain seem
generally to be agreed that 1T has
not. Able lawyers in this country
are divided in opinion upon the
question; some maintain our right,
some deny it. There are three ways
of settling the question thus rals-
ed. We may either waive the right
and repeal the exemption, or we
may agree to refer the question TO
the Hague Tribunal, or we may
refuse to consider it an open ques-
ton and insist upon our right re-
gardless of Great Britain's pro-
tests.
80. Under the general Arbitra-
ton Treaty between this country
and Great Britain it was provided
that differences which may arise
of a legal nature or relating to the
Interpretation of treaties existing
between the two contracting par
ties, and which it may not have
been possible to settle by diploma
cy. shall be referred to the perma-
nent court Of arbitration but this
agreement was subject to certain
specified exceptions. Is the United
States under obligation to submit
the question of Canal tolls 10 ar
bitration because of this Arbitra-
ton Treaty with Great Britain?
Mr.. Roosevelt, who was President
when the Arbitration Treaty was
negotiated, and Mr.. Root, who, as
Secretary of State. negotiated the
treaty, both hold that the United
States ia hOnorably bound by the
treaty to arbitrate the Canal tolls
question, unless the question can
be settled in some other way sat
isfactory to both Powers. What
ever our individual opinion might
have been upon this subject, 1t ap-
pears to us clear that the people