Cortland Evening Standard, Monday, December 5, 1898.
PANAMA CANAL.
Columbian Government Refuses to Extend the Time of Construction.
WASHINGTON. Dec. 5.—The state department received advices from Consul Hart at Bogota that the house of representatives of Columbia had rejected the petition of the Panama Canal company to extend for six years the time for completing the work on the canal.
This information is particularly interesting at this time on account of overtures made to this government by representatives of the Panama company, having as their object the withdrawal of American support to the Nicaragua canal project. The Panama company representatives have offered to furnish a guarantee that their project will be completed within six years if the United States will not throw their influence with the Nicaragua canal.
It is shown by Consul Hart's report that the rejection of the Panama company's request for an extension of the time limit will not conflict with the company's offer to complete the canal in six years if this government will agree to its conditions, as the charter of the canal provides that the time within which work must be completed shall not expire until six years from now. The rejection of the canal company's request is not final, as action must be taken on it by the senate before it can be effective.
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| Thomas Brackett Reed. |
CONGRESS IN SESSION.
Second Regular Session of the Fifty-Sixth Congress.
GREAT INTEREST MANIFESTED.
President McKinley's Message Received and Read in Both Branches—Many Visitors to Hear Its Contents—The President Makes Many Recommendations to Congress.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 5.—Long before the hour for opening the Fifty-sixth congress the visitors' gallery in both the house and senate chambers were crowded with people, who manifested a greater interest in the proceedings than usual, principally on account of the president's message which everyone knew would contain suggestions on many important subjects. In the house huge bouquets decorated many of the desks, and the speaker's stand was fairly a bower of floral offerings. The members were rather slow in assembling, and at 12 o'clock not over two-thirds of the members were in the assembly room. Speaker Reed was a few minutes late, and when he entered the speaker's stand was greeted with enthusiastic applause.
A few minutes thereafter Speaker Reed called the house to order. This was followed by prayer from the chaplain, after which Speaker Reed in a brief speech declared the house open and ready for business. The president's message was received and read by the clerk. It was a very long document and required considerable time, but was listened to very carefully throughout the reading.
The president's message is a historical review of recent events, with appropriate comments and suggestions.
Naturally the war and the circumstances attending is the leading feature of the message. It is a plain, straight forward account of the remarkable events through which this country has passed within the last year.
In dealing with the outcome of the war, the president does not attempt to lay down any fixed line of policy for the permanent government of the Philippines and Porto Rico and Cuba. He refers that subject to congress, with the suggestion that the whole subject be carefully and fully considered before committing the people of the United States to a new and untried colonial policy.
The president urges the adoption of the recommendations for increasing the standing army of the United States to 100,000 men, as suggested by Secretary Alger, Major General Miles and Adjutant General Corbin in their annual reports. In this connection he urges immediate action, which will enable the war department to maintain the regular army at its present enlisted strength of 62,000 men after the ratification of the peace treaty and until the passage of the law providing for 100,000 men. This is made necessary by the fact that the present peace strength of the army is only 27,000, and all above that number were enlisted for but two years, or during the war.
The president also cordially recommends liberal appropriations for increasing the navy. He asks that the navy be increased to enable the United States to establish and maintain substantial governments in the country's newly acquired possessions, pending action by congress as to the most practical form of government to be created.
The president refers to his appointment of the war investigation commission, and assures congress that its investigation is to be thorough, and that if any persons are found blameworthy they will be punished, and if faults are found in the system they will be corrected.
In view of the space devoted to the war, the message is unusually long, for the president has not slighted the finances of the government or any other branch of the public service in the message.
As to the revenue, it is shown that the demands upon the treasury are so great now and promise to be so heavy for many years to come that it is a practical impossibility to materially reduce the present war tax.
One of the interesting features of the message is a detailed statement of the expenditure of the $50,000,000 war appropriation, which was really the first declaration of war with Spain. There is an abundance of figures and some dry statistics rendered necessary by the course of events and the conflicting statements in connection with the conduct of the war.
The Nicaragua canal is strongly commended as a national necessity, and immediate steps for its construction is recommended.
Death Sentence Before the President.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 5.—The case of Private Lindsay, Troop F, Tenth cavalry, who was sentenced to death after a courtmartial [sic] trial, has been laid before the president for further action. Lindsay, who is a colored man, killed one of his messmates at Huntsville, Ala., about 10 days ago. The sentence was approved by General Wheeler, but the execution, according to the articles of war, cannot take place unless President McKinley signs the death warrant and sets the time of punishment.
PAGE TWO—EDITORIALS.
A correspondent of the New York Sun has called attention to a pregnant point apropos of the merits of the Nicaragua and Panama routes for an inter-oceanic canal. The climate of nearly every part of Nicaragua where work on the canal would be carried on is as healthy as it is possible to fancy. There is literally nothing in climate or conditions to prevent any ordinary person from doing as much work as he would in the best parts of the United States. The situation is diametrically opposite in the isthmus of Panama. There the Chagres fever, the most deadly and certain of malarial diseases, rages in all seasons of the year. Loss of life made the Lesseps enterprise twice as costly as it would otherwise have been. And it is well known that a human life was sacrificed for every tie laid on the Panama railroad. It is this which makes large enterprises involving human labor so expensive on the isthmus. Taking this consideration into thought, it means a very great addition to cost of labor as figured on a simple basis. One writer thus sums up: "The whole question amounts to this: The figures of an estimate for a canal through Nicaragua represent what it could actually be dug for. Those for a canal through the Panama isthmus stand for that, plus an almost indefinite amount of expense incurred in a villainous climate."
NO CAUSE OF ACTION.
Verdict in the Case of John Felkel vs. Town of Cortlandville.
The case of John Felkel against the town of Cortlandville was tried Saturday before Justice J. H. Kelly and a jury. The action was brought to recover $125, the alleged value of a horse which the plaintiff claimed to have been injured by falling through a hole in the bridge at the corner of Madison-st. and Homer-ave. and as a result of such injuries the horse died from congestion of the lungs.
Expert veterinarians were summoned as witnesses and testified for the plaintiff that as a result of the fall the horse received a bruise on the chest. The effects of the bruise extended to the tissues surrounding the lungs causing inflammation which resulted in congestion.
Witnesses for the defendant testified that they did not discover traces of any injury to the horse as described by the plaintiff and that such injury could not produce congestion of the lungs. The defendant also contended that the commissioner of highways had used reasonable diligence in the care of the bridge in question thereby relieving the town from liability. The jury remained out about seven minutes and rendered a verdict of no cause of action. Dougherty & Miller for plaintiff. T. Harry Dowd for defendant.
New Proprietor of "The Elite."
Mr. L. D. Garrison has purchased from L. F. Stillman "The Elite" at 89 Main-st., Cortland, where he will continue to keep on hand candies freshly made, the best brands of cigars and tobaccos, and fruits in their season. Mr. Garrison is an old hand in the candy business. For years he conducted a wholesale and retail candy store in the building on Court-st. now occupied by Coon Brothers as a bakery, and later on in the store on Main-st. to which he now returns and from which he moved April 1, 1885, to the south store in the Harrison building where he made the grocery business his principal line, relegating candy to a secondary place.
Mr. Garrison knows good candy and good tobacco when he sees them, and he may be depended upon in the future as in the past to keep none but the best.
AN OLD PAPER.
Delinquent Subscribers Pulled Up With a Round Turn.
Mrs. Frank Marcy of Virgil has shown to us a copy of the Cortland County Whig of June 29, 1854, published by E. F. and C. B. Gould of Homer. While there are a number of things in the paper that would interest the older readers by recalling former associations, there is a notice to delinquent subscribers at the head of the editorial column that would paralyze the reader of the present day. What it did to those at whom it was aimed does not appear. It is interesting at any rate and is as follows:
WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
Four weeks ago we enclosed $200 worth of newspaper bills to delinquent subscribers with a polite request to pay up, and have received in answer to our reasonable demand $12, all told, $4 of which was bad money. We would like to know, gentlemen delinquent subscribers, what you mean? We have furnished many of you with news at our own expense for two years and upwards, and have expected you would come forward like honest men and pay an honest debt when called upon, but we are sadly disappointed.
Please take notice!—Every delinquent subscriber must pay us, without delay, if he can. If any one is too poor to pay, write us to that effect (but pay your postage) and we will give you a receipt in full, and publish your names in The Whig that our readers may know who are objects of charity. Those who will not pay we shall endeavor if possible to collect by legal force, and publish their names in The Whig, that our readers may know who are dishonest enough to refuse to pay a poor printer.
A FAREWELL RECEPTION.
Mr. A. M. Williamson About to Leave Cortland Remembered by Friends.
Mr. Arthur M. Williamson, who for the past three years has been the bookkeeper for the wagon factory of the Hitchcock Manufacturing company and later for Keator, Wells & Co. left last night at 11:25 for Brooklyn to accept a similar position with J. Curley an extensive wagon manufacturer of that city.
Mr. Williamson has been for some time a valued member of the Cortland Athletic association, and was at one time its financial secretary. Last evening the opportunity was embraced by about fifty of the association members to tender Mr. Williamson a farewell reception, so an informal affair of the kind was held in the rooms. In the course of the evening, Mr. Jas. F. Costello, in behalf of Mr. Williamson's friends presented him with a handsome dress suit case, suggesting that it would be in order for him to return to Cortland frequently and visit his friends.
BREVITIES.
—The Knights of Columbus' rooms in the Beaudry building are now heated by steam.
—A farmers' institute is to be held in the courthouse in Cortland Monday and Tuesday, Jan. 9 and 10.
—At the meeting of the Knights of Columbus to be held in their rooms in the Beaudry building to-morrow evening, officers for the ensuing year will be elected.
—New display advertisements to-day are—Palmer Bros., Special sale, page 6; Lion Specialty Co., Ladies wanted, page 6; North American Review, page 7: C. F. Brown, A garland of violets, page 7.
—Owen Andrews of Homer was found early Sunday morning by the police in a stairway in the Squires building. He was given lodging in the police station and this morning Police Justice Mellon sent him to the countyhouse [sic] for six months.
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