The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1874-10-21
DRxoCRATrc.LIBERAL TICKET.
REPUBLICAN TICKET.
GEN. ELLIOTT-WATER R0UTES-REcI.
PROCITY WITH CANADA.

Coroner, ..,.... .............. Charles d. mo,
GEN. ELLIoTT-wATER R0UTRs- REcI.
PROCITY WITH CANADA.
In the remarks made by Gen. Elliott
when he accepted the nomination for con
gress, at Princeton, he said:
Il believe that water transportation il
the cheapest and best, and am in favor O
the Government opening water communi
cation from the interior to the seaboard
wherever deemed practicable and for thu
best interests OF the country. | believe
the series of canals, known as the ST. Law
renee canals, is essential to the future
prosperity Of the Northwest and is there
fore of first importance and with this the
speedy construction of the Rock Island and
Hennepin canal, thereby giving us an in
terror water route from the mouth OF the
Mississippi to the Atlantic"
And in one of his recent speeches to the
people, he set forth the importance Of the
reciprocity treaty with the Canadas now
before congress, and its great benefits to
the West. He spoke of the injury inflicted
upon our people by the abrogation. by our
congress, in 1866, of the old reciprocity
arrangement, and that our people were
really the only sufferers by its abrogation.
The lumber interest, on the lakes, might
be benefited by its abrogation, but the
millions of people who use lumber were
injured. By its abrogation we have driv-
en- the Canadians and Nova Scotians to
seek the markets of Brazil, Chill, Peru
and the West India Islands for the sale of
their products, the trade of which, for tim.
Der and many other articles, we then had
alone We have not only driven them
there, but we find them there our strong
est competitors The law of exchange is
as certain as the law of gravitation. If
for instance, we import more timber from
the Dominion, we export more agricultu-
raj implements, more fabrics more luxur-
les which we produce; if We make them
seek other markets for their timber and
products, they give us naturally the go-by,
and purchase the articles they need else
where,
BUSINESS DEPRESSION AND RECIPROCITY.
The merchants of the United States,
both in the wholesale and retail depart.
ments of commerce, complain of dull times
The manufacturers, especially those connec
ted with the iron and railway interests. |
have not been in so unprosperous state
since the days before the war The coal
interest is depressed, and the mines, it is
cannot be worked at profit
Money is scarce and interest high, except
at the business centers of the country,
where it gathers in enormous and unhcal-
thy surplus. to be boarded IN the safes of
financial institutions or loaned for use in
unworthy speculations. Even capitalists
very generally of the hard times
and of the difficulty of making profitable
investments which do not carry with them
the risk of losing both principal interest.
If anybody were seriously to propose 10
isolate us from intercourse with other ma
tions, by building up Chinese wall around ,
the coast line of the United States, through |
which nothing can pass without paying
heavy tribute, the protector would proba-
bly, be deemed fit candidate for luna.
tic asylum. Yet this is almost precisely
the effect of our present system of nation
al taxation. By dint of the enormous tar
iii steadily levied upon the people, not
only on manufactured articles, but upon
many of the raw materials which enter
into our own domestic products, we have
SO raised the cost of nearly all American
commodities that not only foreign markets
but oar own neighboring markets are al
most closed 10 our manufacturers. The
South American Republics, Mexico, the
West India Islands, and the British pos
sessions in Canada and the adjacent isl
ands were all formerly large consumers of
the products of American Industry.
We no longer ship cotton goods to Next
co and Brazil, WOODEN goods to Canada and
Nova Scotia, or manufactures of iron and
steel to the various countries of North and
South America. The vast variety of
smaller manufactures also, which our
neighbors used to buy of us in such guam
titles, they now import from Great Britain,
from Paris, or from Germany. Reversing
the popular proverb, neighboring mer-
chants not only go farther, but fare better
by declining to deal with the United States
Perhaps the largest customer which the
United States and her manufacturers have
hao IN former years was the neighboring
DOMINION OF Canada. The long extent of
boundery lines between US and the British
possessions, and the facilities for commerce
between each. render reciprocal trade. to
The largest extent possible, a natural and
obvious course between the two countries
! ct what do we now find? By the last
official report of the trade and navigation
Of Canada it appears that ofthe aggregate
mportations into the provinces of Ontario,
Quebec, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick,
during the last fiscal year si1ty per cent.
we're with Great Britain, and only thirty
hree per cent. FROM the United States.
These figures ought to be reversed if the
natural laws of trade were permitted to
operate. But by the unwise repeal of the
Reciprocity Treaty between the United
States aud Canada, in 1866, we have thrown
great obstacles in the path of this natural
commerce which can never be overcome
inless the present heavy duties are relax
n