The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-04-12
He Seeks to Give United
States Clear Con-
science.
POLITICS ASIDE
FOR PLAIN DUTY
President Ignores Exigencies of
Party in His Efforts to Restore
His Country to Good Stand
ing Before Other Nations,
Expecting Time to
Justify Him,
Especial to The r,mes.pispa,ch.1


Washington, D. c.. April 1.-THE
personal popularity OF President VIII
son. that of his admiration and the
Democratic party as well. which may
have suffered somewhat during tho past
month because of the Presidents stand
on tho repeal OF the Panama Canal
tolls exemption clause, is bound to
increase greatly as little by little 1t
becomes more generally known and
accepted that In taking up the subject
at this particular time he threw to
the winds all thought OF party politics
In his desire to remove the feeling OF
international distrust In which this
country IS held by foreign nations.
and set the United states on better
footing before the world.
With the vote on the Panama Canal
tolls repeal out of the way over q
week In tho House, and the storm
clouds gathering ms the interest in
the matter becomes moro intense In the
Senate Senator's and Representatives
are trying to satisfy themselves AZ to
whether it was wisdom or folly for
President Wilson TO bring the sub
jcct to an Issue right at this time.
From purely political standpoint 1t
would have been wiser TO let the mat
ter drift along until after the Novcm-
Der elections-the Panama Canal Will
not be opened until after the next Con-
gress is elected anyway.
Could lIaVc Drifted.
BY letting the tolls repeal drift along
until after November the. possibility
of presenting somewhat divided party
at tho fall elections would have been
avoided. Tho charge that the repeal
was unwise and American would
also not have been manufactured as q
campaign argument against the Demo-
cratic party. Congressman To be elect
ed this fall on the Democratic ticket
must necessarily uphold the Wilson
administration. Yet against them they
have the speeches of Speaker Champ
Clark and Oscar Underwood. two ao-
knowlcdged party leaders. declaring
that tho administration Is taking step
in the wrong direction In repeating the
tolls clause, and that the Democratic
party Is without honor for breaking It's
Platform pledge.
1t is certain that President Wilson
with all the political astuteness which
he has exhibited since going into the
White House. carefully weighed all
these probabilities. and considered
them insignificant IN view OF his plain
duty 10 make amends for some of the
diplomatic plumbers committed by this
country. and the majority OF the vot-
crs OF the country probably will view
the matter from the Presidents view
point before long.
The canal tolls repeal legislation Is
only one OF three important steps pres
ident Wilson intends to have the Unit
al states take TO set US right before the
world Tie recent ratification by the
Senate OF the numerous arbitration
treaties marked tho first step. Amends
must yet he made to Colombia for the
act of the Roosevelt administration in
'aking Panama away from her.
The administration probably will face
another storm equal 10 that now rag
ing about the canal repeal act when
the bin IS placed before Congress to
ray Colombia S25, 900, 900 as an indem
nifty. but President Wilson intends to
give the United States clear inter
national conscience regardless of
whether his administra ration becomes for
the time unpopular believing that
time will demonstrate to the people
that his course was proper.
1t is becoming palmer daily that
President Wilson believes that not un-
til these three things are accomplished
the face rs the honest man looks into
the eyes OF his neighbors.
The undertaking of this proerem
called for n good deal of courage on
the part of the President. In the first
place, the carrying out OF such Il pro-
STp.n litiUi EtUtcilOn on Two DrereG-
ing administrations. The taking OF
Panama was ono OF the notable acts
of the Roosevelt administration and
tho legislation cXempting American
coastwisc ships from the payment OF
canal tolls bore tho signature of Pres
ident TAFT. although II was passed bv
a Congress. ono branch OF which was
Democratic.
Anticipated Contest
The President, when he decided to
push for these three things, must have
Understood that he was inviting lust
such Il contest rs has arisen over the
FREQ tolls bill. and such contest MS
will arise when the Senate is asked to
ratify Il treaty with Colombia provid-
ing for Il settlement with that country
on account of the taking OF Panama
and when the entire Congress is asked
to appropriate S25. 000. 600 to repay the
Republic of Colombia an indemnity
Unqucstiouably tho chief executive
fully realized that no was asking for
something that would stir up trouble
in his own party.
Why did the President decide OH such
n program? 1t would have been so
much easier to do nothing-to accent
what had gone before without any PRO
test The fact is that the chief ex-
ccutivo had not given international af-
fairs much attention until he dlscov-
cred that tho United States was In tho
position OF the individual in tho neigh
borhood whose integrity is questioned
privately, if not publicly by everybody
else In the community.
Integrity mt Stake.
There was distrust OF tho United
States I'm every European capital: tho
same feeling Of doubt rs to whether
the United States could be trusted in
international affairs existed in every
couth American and Central AmericaG
capital: in the Oriental capitals there
(CnntInned. ON E,ourtacnth Pa1al