The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-06-05
Tho sew Reciprocity negotiations.

quarter any opposition il to come, unless 1T
be from the extreme, bigoted protectionists,
who object to every approach towards free
trade. On Wednesday Mr.. Kelley, of Penn
sylvania, type of these ultras, disclosed
his hostility by offering in the House reso-
luton which was q virtual denial of the
authority OF the treaty making power to neSo-
tate o reciprocity arrangement, on the ground
that the constitution clothes Congress with
exclusive authority over all subjects con-
nected with imposts and revenue. 1t is
creditable to the good sense of the House that
it promptly rejected Mr.. Kelley's resolution.
So far as the point he tried to make is in
volved the new treaty will undoubtedly fol-
low the precedent of the Recipro city Treaty Of
1854, which contained this language: -'The
present treaty shall take effect as soon as the
laws required to carry it into operation shall
have been passed by the Imperial Parliament OF
Great Britain, and by the Provincial Parlia-
ments of those of the British North American
colonies which are affected by this treaty on
the one hand, and by the Congress Of the
United States on the other" If all legisla-
tive rights are thus respected in the new
treaty, as of course they will be. Mr. Kelley's
constitutional cavil will not have an inch of
ground to stand upon. His real objection is
to the surrender of any part of our obstructive
tariff @
II Mr.. Kelley were wiser and more consider
ate he would perceive that, even from the
point of view of an enlightened protectionist,
a new reciprocity treaty is desirable. The
only Ineligible purpose Of protection is to
furnish markets and secure remunerative
prices to producers. But no class of prod
ucers in the United States would lose o
market by free exchange of agricultural pro-
ducts with Canada. The large importation of
domestic animals into the United States from
Canada in the last year of the former treaty is
calculated to make an erroneous impression
in this respect unless the circumstances be
duly weighed. The ordinary tendency is quite
the other way, for reasons as irreversible as
the laws Of climate. The natural cost of rear
ing animals in Canada is altogether greater
than it is in this country. Canada has short
summers and long winters Cattle crop their
portion of the year than in most Of our States
great part of the labor of the husbandman
is expended in laying in store of hay and
other fodder for his domestic animals during
the severe protracted winters. For this reason
the natural price of cattle in Canada must al
ways be higher on the average than on this
side of the frontier, and it is only under very
exceptional circumstances that they can be
brought south of the lakes without loss.
In 1865 there was great and altogether ex-
ceptional dearth of horses and cattle in the
United States, owing to the enormous con-
sumption entailed by the war. Both in the
North and the South horses and beeves had
been drawn into the vortex of military waste
for four years, and animals had been destroyed
SO much more rapidly than they could be
bred that Canada became source of supply
for partially filing the vacuum. But gener-
ally, we shall be large exporters of animals
and animal products to the Dominion, and
reciprocity will reopen valuable market to
our farmers. Most parts of Canada are too
cold for Indian corn to do well. Her sum-
mers are so short and the autumn frosts come
SO early that only stunted kind Of maize, Of
quick growth, which gives but small yield
to the acre, is planted by the Canadian farm
ers. They accordingly lack our boundless
cheap resources for fattening swine, and
under q new reciprocity treaty Canada
will again become large importer Of Ameri-
can pork We shall supply great part of
the food consumed by the Canadian lumber
men and by the fishermen of the Eastern
Provinces. Now, as the main argument for
protecting American manufactures is the steady
market protection affords to American agricul-
ture, the protectionists are bound in con-
sistency to support the new Reciprocity Treaty
instead of opposing it. The Canadian mar
ket is close by our doors, and satisfies the
demand of the protectioniss for o market
near enough to the producer to save the sacri-
fee of great part of the crop in transporta-
ton.
The two principal articles which would be
imported from Canada under reciprocity
treaty are wheat and lumber. The American
farmer would be benefited by one and not
injured by the other. Even if the free inn
portation of Canadian wheat were objection
able to the wheat growing West it would be
more than compensated by free lumber. The
great wheat region of our country
is either bare prairie or scantily
timbered, and nearly all the lumber
for fences and buildings has to be brought
from o great distance. As lumber will be
cheapened throughout the West by the removal
OF the duty some lowering of the price of
wheat might be accepted for the sake OF this
advantage. But the free introduction of
Canadian wheat cannot affect the price of
American wheat at all Since the repeal of
the English Corn laws the price of American
and of Canadian wheat has been alike deter
mined by the Liverpool market, uniformly