The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-03-29
THE CANAL TOLLS ISSUE.


the subject of the canal tolls exemption we do
not hesitate to express our belief In the views
held by President Wilson, as they were expressed
in his recent special message to the congress.
Briefly summarized, the presidents reasons are
that to permit American shipping through the
canal toll free will seriously handicap the ad.
mtnistration in It's foreign policies Other ma
tons. In short, will resent privilege accorded
American ships over an international waterway
when every other ship has to pay for the
privilege. The resentment of other nations has
already found voice In the press and through
representations to this government
To permit the ships owned by American cor
porations to use the canal free of tolls would
be according Special privilege" to the corpora
tons and the majority of the vessels which will
make use o. the highway will be the ships owned
by big shipping corporations The day of the
individualowned merchant craft IN America has
about passed 1t has In every other country
Even If these conditions did not obtain. the in.
diyidual owner viii welcome the reasonable toll
exacted for the use of the canal as against the
time consumed or the coal consumption or both
In the voyage around the Horn and certainly the
trustowned ships are able to stand It.
The money of the peopIe-mllions Of it--has
been spent In blazing this new trail across the
continents, and the people have a right TO ok.
poet that the tolls from the use OF the canal
will at least pay the interest on the bonds and
the expenses Of the maintenance OF the big ditch
To expect less would be folly That the big
shipping interests of the country will fight the
presidents plan is to be expected but their rights
are secondary to the honor and~the welfare of
nation
The fight against the administration policy
promises to be bitter. and both sides are mar.
shalled for the fray Whatever the outcome.
however, there is no excuse for such demagogic
utteranees as those INDUCED in by Senator
Chamberlain, Of Oregon, Wednesday
Il viii never stand on the floor of this senate"
the Oregon senator declared and advocate
that this government yield anything TO Great
Britain That nation is universally understood
TO be not the friend Of America"
In other words, the senator from Oregon has
seized upon the tolls discussion to get off a lot
Of cheap claptrap that might be expected from
ward heeler. but 1t Is hardly compatible with
the dignity of statesman In the upper halls Of
congress.
AS the Baltimore Sun sagely observes:
Even If great Britain were our bitterest
enemy, 1t would be preposerous to say that
we should never yield anything to her under
any circumstances. II we were clearly In tho
wrong, our own national self-respect should
compel to yield to her, or to any other
power upon whose rights had trespassed
Senator Chamberlain, however is too in
tenigent not to know that he rs misrepresenttng
the facts when he declares that Great Britain ts
tho enemy Of this country. Apart from mo-
tiVes or obvious self-interest, there is every evil
dence 10 show that she is probably our best
friend. She Is bound to this country by ties
of blood, of history and of sympathy sucb as
connect us with other. The British emnire
ana the United States are sisters of the same
family and there could be no greater crime
against international good will and humanity
than an appeal to ancient prejudice and pas-
sion that should array them in arms against
each other. II is legitimate to debate the tolls
question from every point of view except one
and that is the low, narrow and misleading
point Of view from which Senator Chamberlain
has undertaken to discuss IT"
Apropos of the canal toll debate the Birming
ham Ne1os calls attention to another handIcap In
the way OF the presidents policy, which seems to
have escaped the attention of both the advocates
and opponents Of the measure The handican
in question Is an existing law on the statute
books which forbds the leyying of tolls upon
vessels for the of any nayigable highway
constructed by the United States The statute
was enacted in 1884, and its construction NAV
require judicial decision, but the Noes is of
the opinion that its mere existence renders #
possible for any owner of a steamship, American
or otherwise, passing through the canal to In.
hiblt for some time by injunction the collection
Of tolls for such passage.
+ The provision in question declares that no
tolls or operating charges whatever shall ~
levied or collected upon any vessel, dredges or
! other craft passing through any canal or other
work for the Improvement OF navigation belong
ing to the United States: and for the purpose of
preserving and continuing the use of and nayiea.
ton OF said canals. rivers and other public
works without interruption. the secretary OF
war upon application of the chief engineer in
charge OF said works, is hereby authorized to
draw his requisition or warrant from time n
time upon the secretary OF the treasury. nro
vided, that itemzed statement OF said expenses
u.