One of my favorite quotes by a politician was a real zinger. One that, in some ways, might be pertinent in our current political climate. The man who uttered the words was Theodore Roosevelt.
Roosevelt was very popular among the middle class although he was hated by some. Especially members of the opposition party. Dislike of Roosevelt led a mentally disturbed saloon keeper to attempt an assassination of him. Thanks to his glasses case and a 50 page speech in his pocket, the bullet only penetrated Roosevelt’s chest muscle.
In true “Bull Moose” fashion, (and due to him being an avid hunter and outdoorsman) Roosevelt realized the wound wasn’t life threatening and refused to go to the hospital. Instead, he went ahead and delivered the 90-minute speech.
One of Roosevelt’s controversial achievements was securing the rights to the Panama Canal. It used to be the strip of land extending up from Colombia onto the isthmus was part of that country. The French had negotiated a deal with Colombia to build a canal across this area; which they started but subsequently abandoned. The United States, namely Roosevelt (who was a big naval advocate), purchased these rights from the French.
Roosevelt understood that having a short cut from ocean to ocean was economically and militarily necessary for a United States that stretched from sea to shining sea. Colombia then tried to “renegotiate” the deal. Roosevelt felt Colombia’s exorbitant demands amounted to blackmail. He said about the Colombians, “You could no more make an agreement with them than you could nail currant jelly to a wall.”
Congress balked at spending this additional sum. Roosevelt understood the vital importance strategically which the canal represented. He was going to have his canal, one way or the other.
The people in that area of Colombia had a slightly different culture than most from Colombia proper. Over the years they had tried several times gain their independence but were unable to. Roosevelt basically let them know that if they tried once more, they might just be successful (wink, wink).
This is how the country of Panama came into being and the rest is history. The Canal has, and still serves its purpose. Even after having to pay Colombia damages for our actions, the Canal paid for itself over the course of the next 100 years. Its only black mark being the way Roosevelt went about it.
And now, about that quote. Some years later, there had been talk critical of Roosevelt’s handling of the Canal affair. Roosevelt addressed these criticisms in a speech he gave. Regarding the Panama Canal and his actions in securing it Roosevelt said in 1911, “I took the Isthmus, started the canal and then left Congress not to debate the canal but to debate me.”
Theodore Roosevelt’s legacy is carved in stone as evidenced by his likeness on Mount Rushmore.
Bobby Holt is a former Laurinburg resident who now lives in Las Vegas.
