The Cleveland leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1865-1865, 1865-07-13
rae trade convention at DefrOit.
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rae trade convention at Detroit.
The eyes of the business men Of the coun-
are conferred with interest upon the
International Commercial Convention,
consisting of representatives from the
Boards of Trade OF the leading cities in
this country and Canada, which commence
ed its sessions in Detroit on Tuesday. The
proceedings of the convention up to its
present stage, its size membership, and
objects, have been fully. set forth in the
LEADER of yesterday and in smother part
of te-day's issue. That it is q most i'm
purtant gathering, and that the re.
cults of its deliberations, whatever they
msy be, will have great influence on the
commercial affairs of the country, IS evil
dent from the number of delegates present
at the convention, the wide extent OF coun-
try and great diversity of interests which
they represent and the interest, amount
ing indeed to an unpleasant manifestation
of excitement which they display in the
proceedings. The delegations present rep
resent forty-two Boards of Trade and
Chambers of Commerce, from Portland TO
San Francisco, from Montreal and Quebec
TO Cincinnati snd st. Louis. The
whole country has come together to
discuss Inc grv1-snd vital cues
tiops of trade and commerce to which The
progress of the war, the growth of the
nation, the development of tbs West. the
change of the currency, the increase OF
@ taxation, and the modification Of our in
~ternstional relations, have given rise
These questions are novel. They are also
Important. The time to decide them Is
NOUN this crisis of our history, when the
country is emerging from its struggle for
existence, redeemed and glorihed, and
ready TO enter upon q new course Of
unexsmpled and unparalleled pros
perity. And it is fitting that their solution
should be sided by a conference such IS
this Trade Convention, composed OF the
cooI-headed, clesr-sighted, practical bust
ness men of the United States and Canada.
The @ Invention will apparently be q
long snd stormy one. Two days of its ses-
sion nave already passed, and it has only
accomplished the business of organizations
not having yet entered upon Its most i'm
portsnt duties. The intense concern
which is taken in the proceedings, and the
diverse, if not contradictory, interests
represented, are likely to result in
difficulty and collision, and, indeed, one
ousrrel has already tsken-nlano-aunsA
preliminary question IS TO the rules OF the
Convention. This state of things bodies i'll
for the future, and we fear that the action
of the Convention will not be character
lied by the unity necessary to give it
weight snd influence.
The subject of a renewal of the Reel
procity Treaty between the United States
and Canada will evidently be the main
ne before the Convention. The Can
adam delegation have come to Detroit
in great numbers, determined, by hook
or crook, TO obtain action from the
Convention in favor of such renewal.
Every village, town and city in the Prov
inces has sent delegates to swell the crowd
and the pressure for a renewal. They are
prepared to grant anything, to pledge any
thing, if they can only attain this. They
have held q caucus in Toronto to perfect
their organization and arrange q plan of
procedure, and will hazard every thing TO
procure from the Convention 81 endorse
ment of their designs. The delegates from
the United States who are the most nu-
meroas, and represent the largest interests,
are, however, ~indisposed to renew q treaty
SO one.sided and unfair IS that recently re-
pesled notcriously was, snd they will not,
we hope, accede TO the demands ofthe o.
nsdisns, nor permit the subject unduly to
monopolize attention, to the exclusion Of
more important subjects.
The subject with which we hope 10 see
the convention occupied, is that Of mes-
sures for cheapening transportation be-
tween the West and the Atlantic and we
hope to see this question handled in a prac-
teal wsy, with broad, business like views.
Former conventions of 3 similar sort have
been made utterly impotent by the multi
tude of wild projects which they have al
lowed to struggle with each other and to
defeat each other in their sessions, Let this
one be admonished by those previous ex-
periences and not allow the strife Of pro
iectors to fritter It's results to nothing.