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The Commoner.
.
VOLUME 3, NUMBER f,
fGURRGNT
NEW INTEREST WAS AROUSED IN THE
Isthmian canal by the announcement on No
vember 3 that the Independence of the isthmus
of Panama was proclaimed on that day. News
paper dispatches say that at 6 o'clock a largo
crowd comprising men of all political parties as
sembled and marched to, the headquarters of the
government troops where Generals Tovar and
Amaya were imprisoned in the name of the re
public of Panama. The fact of the Panama revolt
was formally conveyed to our own state depart
ment by the United States consul at Panama in
this dispatch: "An uprising took place at Panama
tonight Independence was proclaimed. The Co
lombian army and navy officials were made pris
oners. A government was to be organized con
sisting of three consuls and a cabinet. It Is ru
mored at Panama that a similar uprising was to
take place at Colon."
AS SOON AS THE NEWS REACHED WASH
ington a cabinet meeting was called. The
navy department announces that it had received
word of the arrival of the Nashville at Colon and
that orders had also been issued to the Dixie,
now on her way to Jamaica, to proceed at once to
Colon and the Boston, which is now at San, Juan
del Sur, to go to Panama. It is further announced
that the Wyoming, the Marblehead and the Con-
cord, which compose Rear Admiral Glass' Pacific
squadron, are under orders to remain temporarily
at Acupulco so as to be ready to proceed to the
isthmus if the situation becomes worse. It is also
stated that the Baltimore is now on her. way to
San Domingo and that upon her arrival there 'she
will bo ordered to proceed to the isthmus.
ON NOVEMBER 4 THE STATE DEPART
ment received a request from the represen
tatives of the revolutionary department in Mana
ma that the United States recognize the new state
Information was further conveyed that Panama
was being shelled by the Colombian gunboat Bo
gota and Instructions were at once cabled to the
United States vice consul there to protest against
the bombardment. The commander of the cruiser
HJoston" was also directed to prevent the Bogota
from continuing the bombardment a,nd to resort
to necessary measures to enforce this plan. The
Panamans issued what they called a declaration of
Independence, setting forth that they have "great
and long grievances" and that the Panama revolt
la "a movement to cut the .links "which retard our
(The Panamans) civilization, place obstacles In
the way of progress, reduce our happiness and
render nugatory the ends of political entity upon
which we (the Panamans) have entered." It Is
declared that this movement is necessary for the
purpose of "satisfying obligations and promot
ing within tbe bosoms of the people respect for
right and liberty." The proclamation issued in
accordance with this declaration of Independence
was unanimously approved by. the municipal
council and th,e populace was called upon to sign
the declaration.' The provisional government of
Panama notified the agents of. the steamship com
panies not-to accept Colombian passengers for Co
lombian ports unless they could show passports.
K If
THE DISPOSITION OP THE UNITED STATES
authorities is perhaps indicated in a letter
received by the prefect of Colon, which letter
was sent by John Hubbard, commander of the
Nashville. In this letter, Commander Hubbard
aid: "The condition of affairs at Panama, I am
advised, is such that any movement of the Colom
bian troops now at Colon to that neighborhood
must bring about a conflict and threaten that
free and uninterrupted transit of the Isthmus
which the government of the United States is
pledged to maintain. I have therefore the honor
to notify you that I have directed the superinten
dent of the railroad that he must not transport on
bis line troopB either of the government or the op-
- position party. Trusting that this action on my
part will meet with your cordial acquiescence, I
nave tbe honor to be, very respectfully," etc.
so c
THE CAUSE OP THE PANAMA REVOLT IS
the rejection of the Panama canal treaty by
Colombia. A Colon, Colombia, cablegram to the
Cincinnati Enquirer says that the revolutionists
art not only planning the independence of the
isthmus, but are looking forward to tbe annexation
of Panama to the United States and a subsequent
completion of the Panama canal under American,
auspices. In some quarters there Is a suspicion
which in some instances amounts to conviction,
that the revolt in Panama has been deliberately
encouraged by American representatives and that
this is onp method employed by Mr. Roosevelt to
insure the construction of the canal along the
iPanama route and at the same time to score quite
a point for himself along strenuous lines. Ad
vices from Germany and other foreign nations hav
ing some interests in South America are to the
effect that they will not interfere with the United
States program on the Panama question and thero
is reason to believe that the difficulties will be
speedily adjusted by the successful revolt on tho
part of Panama, aided and encouraged by the pow
erful influences of the United States.
THE SITUATION IN THE ISTHMUS OP PA
nama continues to absorb public attention.
It will be remembered that when the insurrection
broke out and Panama proclaimed her indepen
dence, the Colombian generals, Tovar and Atnaya,
were imprisoned by the Panmans. On accepting
tho terms offered them by the junta, however, they
were released and immediately left the isthmus for
Colombia. It is said that these arrangements
were made through the efforts of Commander
Hubbard of the United States gunboat Nashville
and other American civil officers stationed in Pa
nama. The 'people of Colon have also, joined the
new movement and there is much rejoicing over
what seems to them the stability of the republic.
The provisional government, on November 4, IB'
sued a proclamation to the people of the isthmus
setting forth the grievances Inflicted by the Co
lombian government, and touching upon the fail
ure of that power to ratify the terms of the Hay-
Herran treaty with respect to the construction- ot
the Panama canal.
THE RECOGNITION OP THE DE FACTO Gov
ernment of Panama took place by the au
thorities at Washington on November 6. The
' United States government,' being 'bound by treaty
to maintain order and preserve free traffic across '
the isthmus, takes the position that it is now
bound also to prevent any hostile collisions either
along the line of the Panama railroad or at the
termini, Panama and Colon. It was announced
that officials familiar with the country declare that
""the Colombian government will nd it impossible
to move an army overland to the isthmus, and that
if an attempt is made to bring troops .either to
Panama or Colon by water, the United States na
val officers at those points would interfere. On
November 6 Secretary of State 'Hay issued the fol
lowing statement in regard to the situation in
Panama: "The action of the president in the
Panama matter is not only in the strictest ac
cordance with the principles of justice and equity
and In line vlth all of the best precedents of our
public policy, but it was the only course he coujd
nave taken in compliance with our treaty rights
and obligations. By our treaty, entered Into with
Now Granada in the year of 1846, New Granada
guarantees that 'the right of way or transit across
the isthmus of Panama, upon any mode of com
munication that now exists of that may be here
after constructed, shall be free and open to the
government and citizens of the United States.
This Is a right which we acquired by tho treaty,
not gratuitously conveyed, but in return for an
important compensation, for in the same article
the government of the United States guarantees
'positively and efficaciously to New Granada, by
the present stipulation, the perfect neutrality of
the before-mentioned isthmus, with a view that the
free transit from tho one to the other sea may
not be Interrupted or embarrassed in any future
time while this treaty exists, and in consequence
the United States' guarantee 1n ue manner the
rights of sovereignty and property which New
Granada has and possesses over the said terri
tory." FURTHER COMPLICATIONS IN THE PANA
ma situation were indicated by a reported
interview with Gonzales Torres, consul general
'of Colombia, who said that the Colombian gov
ernment is massing 7,000 troops and will march
them overland to Panama for the purpose of tak
ing possession of that territory. In that inter
lew, Torres declared that in spite of American
Interference Colombia would fulfill her treaty
duty and would "not permit the United States to
take part of her territory under the pretext of
creating a new republic." The state department
at Washington on November 7 received notiro
that Bruneau Vareila, one ofHhe financial agents
of the Panama Canal company, would represent
the new government of Panama as its diplomatic
agent at Washington.
POLITICIANS INTERPRET THE RESULT OP
the recent election in New York city as a
rebuke to Roosevelt while the result in Ohio Is
pointed to as an extraordinary indorsement for
Mark Hanna. A dispatch to the Omaha World
Herald, under date of Columbus, 0., November 4,
says: " 'Hanna for president' is the cry that has
been started in the ranks of the Ohio republicans
by the overwhelming plurality given the republi
can state ticket and the large number of republi
cans elected to the legislature yesterday. Repub
licans say it means when the Ohio result is com
pared with results in other states that Hanna ia
the logical candidate for the presidency. The re
publican leaders are silent. Chairman Dick de
clined to talk today when asked if, in his opinion,
the Ohio result had any such significance. Ohio
republicans journeying back from New York re
cently have been telling stories of widespread op
position to President Roosevelt in the east. Per
haps it means that Senator Hanna will further
contest with the president's friends for the Ohio
delegation to the next national convention. It Is
significant that Chairman Dck in assigning causes
Of the great republican victory, first laid stress on
tho part Senator Hanna played in the campaign.
He said it was first of all an indication of tho
confidence the people have in him as a leader.
After that he referred to Candidate Herrick, Gov
ernor Nash's administration, Tom Johnson's weak
ness, and last of all, President Roosevelt's national
administration." ,
IT
CONGRESSMAN FOWLER OP NEW JERSEY
announces that he has prepared a new finan
cial bill which embodies in a general way the
views of bankers. The Chicago correspondent for
the New York Times says that Mr. Fowler's new
bill will include three leading features, each of
which would rdpresent an exceedingly important
change in the currency system of the United States
and yet would be accomplished, Mr. Fowler thinks,
"so smoothly and in such popular form as would
prevent distrust or opposition from any quarter."
THE FIRST FEATURE OF MR. FOWLER'S
new currency bill provides for the retire
ment of the greenback or rather for their im
poundment through a stipulation that hanks bo
compelled to hold 40 per cent of their cash re
serves in United States notes. Tho Times corre
sponaent says: "As the national banks today are
voluntarily holding $163,000,000 in these green
backs, Representative Fowler thinks that this re
quirement would involve no hardship to the banks.
It would, according to ais idea, be an effectual way
of divesting the greenbacks of their power for
harm, and would avoid the criticisms that have at
tended former schemes for driving out the green
backs, since in this case np contraction of tho
currency would be Involved, and whatever burden
the scheme might necessitate the banks, and not
the government, would have to bear."
K ST
THE SECOND FEATURE OF MR. FOWLER'S
bill provides for the depositing of all public
money with the1 hanks, the government to get &
per cent interest. The Times correspondent says
that under this plan the "relations between tno
government and the banks would be no different
from the present relationship of states, municipal
ities, and large corporations to the banks whero
they keep their . oney on deposit. This feature re
sembles the plan of the Aldrich bill introduced at
the last session of congress, with the important
difference, however, that the government wou u
secure 2 per cent Interest as against nothing "j
the Aldrich bill; but on the tther band, wouiq
not require the banks to invest in government
bonds and other securities to be1 used as guarau
