Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1914-03-20

PANAMA CANAL TOLLS.

President Wilson S recent brief message to con
gress urging the repeal OF that statue which ex-
empted American coastwse shipping from paying
tolls in passing through the Panama canal on the
ground that it was economically unjust and in
contradiction to the Hay Pauncefote treaty of
1901 has stirred up hornets nest in the state Of
Washington 1t has been commented on freely
among the newspapers of the state and have
been strongly in favor of the president S posi-
ton others have been opposed
OF the Democratic newspapers Of the state
that discussed the question, only of the
changes that reached the Standard this last week
the Raymond Review-attacked the president
message What the others had to say was per-
haps best expressed by that able editor: Robert
Montgomery, in his paper, the Puyallup Valley
Tribune, as follows:
''Those Democrats, in office and out of Office,
who are opposed to President Wilson's policy OIL
the Panama canal toll question, should come out
openly in support of the principle of subsidy to
the coastwise ship industry While they are in
the business of embarrassing the president by
helping special interest to pull it's chestnuts
out of the fire, let them have the honesty and
courage to declare that they believe in the do.
trine of equal opportunities to all and special
privileges to none, only SO far and so long as it's
advocacy and application does not affect their
own pocketbooks or does not ALLEVIATE any special
benefited class whose support-political and
otherwise-they may covet or wish to retain
How the Hay-Pauncefote treaty is inter-
preted, either at home or abroad, does not-as
matter Of principle--touch side or bottom Of the
vital element Of the question-to-wit Is sub
sdy, whether directly or indirectly paid. correct
or defensible Democratic doctrine9'
After getting England to relinquish her
rights at Panama with an agreement to do GER
tain thing, and then deliberately to break that
word, says the Douglas County Press another
Z Democratic newspaper, following discussion of
the Hay auncefote treaty, g is little in the ex
treme. The United States is big nation and it
should lead in big things and cannot afford to
countenance little things, much less do them.
Speaking Of the governments plans to construct
q railway in Alaska, the Kittitas Spokesn,, asks
Would it not be as logical for the government to
allow the Guggenheim and other Goa, 5arons to
transport their products free over the government
railway as it is to allow Guggenheim and other
ship barons TO transport their products through
the governmentbuilt Panama canal free o.
charged $3.50 s
Z These excerpts show the trend of opinion
among the Democratic newspapers of the state.
In yoicing it they differ materially from the posi-
ton taken by their Democratic governor who, as
published ih the Standard last week, telegraphed
the president urging him to modify his canal tolls
!, plan in. some such way that the lumber manu-
facturers Of Washington would compete on an
equal basis with those of British Columbia IS.
In all probability what II president has re-
commended will be done. Insall probability the
same fortitude and persistence (which won for him
the passage of tariff Bill and currency measure
according to his expressed policy, win bring about
the handling of the tolls question in the manner
q which he urged upon congress For he is president.
III II Isl Il lkrIf PAYS ToABE EooD.'