Gilpin observer., 1914-04-02
WASHINGTON NEWS
By Edward Keating.

|
Jcratic Larty!" This was the pre-
iicticn made by one of the Republi.
can leaders in the speakers lobby
Of the House of Representatives His
face was wreathed in smiles and his
eyes fairly danced with joy. He was
plainly pleased with the way the po-
| ltical world was wagging for him
and his party colleagues. The pres
dent had blundered the Democrat
were in a hole, and therefore, God
| reigned and the government at Wash
ington still lived"-according to his
manner of thinking.
/ was not impressed either by the
prophecy or the confidence of the
prophet, for l had heard the same
leader, standing on almost the same
spot, deliver himself of practically
the same prophecy half dozen
times before during the last year.
Wilson had blundered and the Dem,
ocrats were in a hole. When We
passed the tariff bill and again when
we refused to intervene in Mexico,
and on every other occasion when
a Democratic congress, following the
lead of Democratic president, had
the nerve to deal with big questions
according to the century-old princi-
pies of the Democratic party.
Courage to do Right.
But the party and the president
are strong with the people today be-
cause they have had the courage to
ignore these croaking prophets of
evil and to stand for the right be-
cause it was the right.
The Democratic party has no apol-
ogy to offer for it's attitude on the
Panama tolls question. 1t will not
shrink from the issue and it does
not fear the peoples verdict 1t
stands four-square behind the presi-
dent and unequivocally indorses his
position as he stated it in his last
message to congress: I'VE consent
ed to the treaty; its language we ac-
tcepted, if We did not originate it,
and we are too great. too powerful,
too self-respecting nation to inter-
pret with too strained or refined
reading the words of our own prom
ises just because we have power
enough to give us leave to read them
as We please. The large thing to do
is the only thing we can afford to
do.
| In 1916. New Granada, (now the
Republic of Columbia) asked the I'm
tied States and England to guaran-
tee the neutrality of the Isthmus of
Panama in return for the privilege of
Constructing a canal or railroad to
connect the two seas.
That's how England came into this
Panama problem. She was invited
in by the county which cvned the
isthmus. In accepting the proposal,
President Polk declared to the SEN
ate that the object was Ito secure
to all nations the free and equal
right of passage over the isthmus."
| In 1850, the United States and Eng
land signed the Clayton-Bulwer which
bound them to construct a canal on
the Nicaragua route ''for the bene-
fit of mankind on equal terms to
all"
The Debated Provision.
Then iE 1901, with the Republican
party in control of all branches of
our government, the Hay-Pauncefort
treaty was ratified as a substitute for
all existing treaties between the
United States and England touching
the canal.
Rule 1. Article 2. Of the Hay
Pauncefort treaty stands thus:
''The canal shall be free and
open, in time Of war as in time
| OF peace. to the vessels Of com.
merce and war OF all nations.
on terms OF entire equality, SO
that there shall be no discrimin.
alton against any nation or its
citizens or subjects In respect
Of the conditions or charges Of
traffic or otherwise"
| II does not require q Philadelphia
lawyer to interpret that language.
Its as plain as a pike staff.
But the shipping trust says that
It was not meant to apply to coast
wise shipping, and the trust was able
with the assistance OF a minority Of
the Democrats and majority Of Re
publicans in the last house, to write
its Interpretation OF the treaty into
the law fixing the tolls on the Pan
ANA canal and thus to insure the
free passage Of its ships through the
canal.
The Money Prize.
We have many absurd navigation