Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-04-08
PULLING UNCLE SANS LEG.

was receiving benefit some way in
doing so. The man who paid an nm
JUST cialm without some sort Of rec
o"pense would be considered either
fool or coward. Sometimes ma,
mas 1t worth his while to submi, -
injustice because he values ro.o,
greater than the sum Of money in
vowed, or perhaps he may think the
money we'll spent on account of Soma
advantage accruing that does NOT an
pear on the surface. Sometimes Lo
iRures that a defense OF his rfqb,s
"o'Id cost him more than what he
''Ses oy yielding. And again he may
consider the unjust payment as q sort
~ orioe putting the recipient under
holsations which later he will ba
ca'Ied on to discharge. The psv-
ohoIosy Of yielding to Injustice is mas,
hnding out unless We could be ac-
quainted with all the circumstances
as well as the bent Of mind Of tho
parties involved
On the whole, however, the bigger
Humber Of us would prefer TO con-
lehd Tor our rights against iniustica
even to the point Of spending many
umes the worth Of a claim O,r
courts are crowded with cases vbere
the consideration in dispute is incon-
siderable compared with the cost of
the litigation. We concede that n is
Ilsht Tor a man TO spend more than
'he worth Of a claim for the sako Of
maintaining a principle perso,,,
dignity and respect is worth defend
inE' altho the assets are intaneitlo
ana 1t is worth something for y man
70 assert his just dues in a small mat
ter lest people conclude he Is n veal,-
ing and proceed to impose upon him
accordingly. The world gets the i'm
preston, when Il man pays something
ne does not owe, that he is doing so
uhder the pressure Of blackmail ana
Il further believes that a man would
not yield to blackman except for the
purpose OF covering up n crime he has
committed, or at least an act that he
desires TO keep concealed from the
public. People generally are not dis
posed to respect a man who submits
to such injustice.
y great cry has gone up over the
refusal of the last congress to vote
the republic of Colombia donation
OF several millions as n salve TO her
wounded feelings for the loss of PAN
anna. 1t is even urged that we can
well afford to give the money as n
brlbe to buy the good will of our
southern neighbor. Things like that
have been done in the past. but the
accepter OF a bribe. no matter how
conscientlously he may fulfill his
bargain, never has any real respect
for the Giver and sooner or later mus,
nave his palm again creased or else
he VIII turn against the giver There
can be but one justification for the
payment Of such an "Indemnity"-
that is TO acknowledge that we have
done wrong and desire to repair an
injury. If II can be shown that the
United States deliberately planned
'N''A N-NNNNNNA an III ilI lpuS DlOl against
colombia, then the payment is not
only just but is getting off cheap
However the charge has never been
proven. In fact, the burden of testl-
mony goes 10 show that Panama had
made tentative arrangements to sepa-
rate from the confederation before
the canal was an assured reality. and
that the entrance of America into the
zone only gave the local leaders
chance to pull off their coup in
greater security There were no
American troops landed in the fight
ing zone, nor was there any attempt
to give the revolution any help other
than moral sympathy. which, in view
OF our interest in the canal. was un.
aVoidable. We would have been JUS
tilted in greater Interference. in view
OF the fact that a designing band Of
politicians at Bogota were striving 10
hold up the canal concession on the
plea that Uncle Sam could be made to
pay much more for the concession
than had been asked Colombi tried
10 hold us up, and the Instruction in
Panama fitted nicely into the course
of events. But that did not constitute
an offense by our government against
the government Of Colombia. We did
not help the revolution, we only stood
hy TO see that our people and our in
terests We're not injured in the fray.
If, therefore. we did no injury TO
Colombia, We owe her nothing, and
to pay her an immense sum as the
price of her good will and co-opera-
tion would be matter of doubtful
wisdom. Payment of this sum would
be looked upon as a confession Of a
wrong committed, and our respect
would not only be lessened in the eyes
OF other nations. but would be most
thoroly held in contempt among the
Colombians themselves. for the re-
ceiver of bribe always secretly de-
spises the giver of the same. The
present administration may think II
n smart trick to throw odium upon n
previous administration, but the
odium would react upon the whole !
nntiOn II ua hoya dopa uropg ,,a