The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1914-03-26
SUBSCRIPTIONS RArES,
TOLLS ISSUE a QUESTION OF
NATIONAL MORALITY.

NATIONAL MORALITY.
Before the debate in congress OF
The canal tolls questions is over it 4
likely thar We shall see opponents o
repeal IN the throes Of patriotic con
.aasions. aYowing their willingness ts
spill their blood. if necessary. over
The proposed surrender OF Amerlcal
aorereignty.~ "abjeei cringing before
Great Britain and lot OF other
hydgaAeaded monsters which their
vivid lmaginations viii readily con
Iare up. We shan probably hear them
assert that the canal is ours. built
with our own money and that. by the
eternal Uncle Sam is big enough and
brave enough 10 do what he durn
pleases with his own.
That VIII no doubt be the main bur.
den of the song OF the opponents Of the
presidents policy aud such talks will
be dignified BY calling hem argu-
menta. II is common habit for con
efessmen to mistake heated asser-
tlons. voiced with great physical vigor.
for real logic. They seem to think
Il unnecessary TO touch the merits OF
a question provided they cook up 4
big batch of feryld sentiment and fine
rhetoric.
No less fallaclons. but more telling
win be the argument based upon plat.
form promises which will be deemed
particularly sacred II win be con
tended that promise ought 10 be-
kept under all circumstances. even
though It is a promise TO do thing
which is morally wrong and the keep.
ing Of Il may involve a greater viola
tlon OF the moral law than would be
implied in the breaking Of it-the
same logic that was used by ihe
ioolishs Herod when he kept his prom.
ise TO the daughter OF Herodias and at
the behest Of wicked woman deliv-
erred to the fair dancer the aead Of
John the Baptist
The real issue al stake in the tolls
Question is not disclosed without look.
Ing into the history OF the Panama
canal proposition. II that is done Il |
win be discovered that in the latter
part OF the eighteenth century Eng
land acquired territory in the vicinity
q the isthmus which gave her the ex-
cusiIe right to build gsd operate
.seaal there This right was recogniz-
ed BY the United States and an othsr
nations.
When the United States began TO
conceive the idea Of building the canal
negotiations were entered into with
which resulted in the famous
treaty Of 1850 BY this
treaty Great Britain surrendered some
territorial rights and we acquired the
privilege OF being partner in any
canal that might he built, with the
expressed provision. however. thar
the neutrality Of the canal was to be
guaranteed and all nations were to
share alike in the benefits OF it.
This treaty remained in force tin Il
was supplanted by the Hay-Paunce-
iote treaty Of 1901. whereby England
gave up her privilege to share in the
building Of the canal IN return for a
which was expressed IN
he treaty as follows:
The canal shall be free and open
o The vessels OF commerce and of war
. all nations observing these rules
N terms Of entire equality SO that
here shan be no discriminationl
.sainst any such nation or its citizens
'r subjects, in respect Of the condi
ions or charges Of traffic or other
wise. Such eonditiong and charges
II traffic snail be inst and equitable.
Now it is eontended by the adyo-
Hates Of free tolls that the term "all (
lations" as used in the treaty. does
lot include the United States. In