Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1880-03-19

RAPIDLY as before, but all at once the whole
trade changed, and instead of exporting 80
and importing 81, We were importing from
that country, for the first time in our history,
more than we exported to it.
The population Of Canada is probably less
than one-tiftecnth that of the United States,
vet with her low taxes and cheap labor she
raises more cattle, and horses and sheep,an
wheat, and barley, and oats, and potatoes,
and butter, in proportion to her population
than we do, which enables her people to un-
dersel US in our own markets ard save a fair
margin for profits.
So that the consequences of sach treaty
would be to admit into our markets free oil
duty all the products of their fields, forests,
and mines, with barely one or two excep-
tious, and thus exclude from the benefits OF
our protective tariff the farmers and pro-
ducers of the United States, wound the
agricultural interests of the country, and at
the same time rob lis of twenty millions or
more of revenue annually.
The policy Of this Government has always
been to protect by wise and ludiclous tariff
our own producers and manufacturers. This
has secured us prosperity and given us our
present high rank among the nations OF the
earth To enter into such treaty as is
proposed would be to abandon this
wholesome doctrine of our fathers, give
away our revenue, open our ports TO free
trade, drive our own people from our mar
kets, and build up the interests of Canada at
the expense of our own laborers and pro-
ducers.
Another thing. sir: the very moment such
treaty is corsrmmated as gentlemen are
now seeking TO curse Us with. as was said
by Senator Morrill,, the Dominion Parlia-
ment will put Great Britain on an equality
with the United States in regard to duties
upon its imports. Free trade in American
manufactures of iron, steel, lead, cotton,
and wool means also the free admission of
British products coming under these heads
The natural result of such an arrangement
would be to make Canada the port OF entry
to the United States, by which British manu-
factures to the amount of millions Of dollars
would, in more or less modified form, find
their way without payment of duty into
| this country.
The effect of such treaty would be to
| crowd into our markets an avalanche of all
| kinds of articles made of Russian, Swedish
and English iron and steel, boots and shoes
made from foreign leather, slate from Nova
| Scotia and Wales, and monuments and orna-
mentS of all kinds manufactured from lta-
| lian marble, which, by means of their cheap
| labor and open ports, they would be able
| to sell in our markets at prices which would
practically deprive our own people OF all
| fair and Just competition.
| Not only this, hut if we should continue to
! collect duties on iron and wool from other
I nations, and Canada should continue to ad-
| nit them free, she would be able to sell IN
our markets all goods composed OF these two
articles cheaper than we could by any posi-
/ III Nd mi from
such an evil would lie the inflction of a
greater by entering into like compacts with
all other nations with whom we have conf
| mercial relations, which, of course, would
| destroy all our revenues and compel us TO
resort to direct taxation.
Since the treaty of 1854 was abrogated the
markets of New York and the Atlantic
States have demanded thirty-two million
bushels of wheat annually, which has been
furnished by our western farmers, but which
before that came from Canada.
| So it would lie with respect TO all other
products of which our people have surplus
for the market. If Massachusetts and New
York should purchase their lumber and
butter and cheese and wool and potatoes
and hay from Canada, it would not in
crease the general trade and business of the
country, but only cut off the market for
that amount of produce from Vermont, New
Hampshire, and Maine.
Ii is claimed bv the friends of reciprocity
that We need the Canadian routes OF trans
pOrtatiOn to get our products and manuiac-
lures to market and that therefore we should
be willing to make some sacrifice in order to
obtain them.
Why, sir, we are not dependent upon
Canada or any other power on earth for
transportation routes. We have ample iacil-
tiles within our own borders TO enable US 10
reach tide-water: and, besides, RECIPROCITY
or no reciprocity, Canada would be glad TO
have us build canal tweniy-nine and one
half miles long from Caughnawaga to St.
Johns, which would give us n complete
water line from Chicago to the Atlantic.
The truth is, sir, Canada needs our rail-
roads and lakes more thanwe do her railroads
and canals. because this is the only way she
has to the ocean on the East: consequently
this is n matter which will regulate itself
without any sacrifice on our part to bring ii
about.
What is to be the effect of such Il treaty
as gentlemen are now trying TO force upon
us. upon our commercial relations with other
countries, from whom we are now receiving
annually millions of revenue: !:
1t seems to me, sir, that there can he tut
one answer to this question. and that Is that
We shall be bOullu 10 atlllllt iiitO O'li Uoits
free of duty every article from those coun-
tries, under the favored nation clause.
which We admit from Hawaii and Canada
under these so-called reciprocity treaties with
them, and that the articles embraced in The
free lists of those two powers Will, when
fully completed. cover a very large and I'M
poltant portion of our commerce wi!h tho
nations have named.
A large portion of the money required tc
carry on our Government has always been
realized from duties laid upon foreign i'm
ports, but once adopt this proposed system
of so-callcd reciprocity and two-thirds OF the
revenue arising from that source would he
al once cut off without any corresponding
advantages to us, and we should be Obliged
, to raise the money by direct taxation upon
the people.
If we are prepared TO commit the Govern
ment to such n scheme, L.; us vote for this
measure; but if We desire 10 stand by the
old landmarks and avoid all the dangers tc
which such II system would subject us. let
, us not be ilattcred and deceived 10y the wile'
,, of British agents. the honeyed words o
French cmissaries. nor the intended threat:
embodied in the late Canadian tariff, hut le
us ioin hands and crush this evil in the bud
protect and save the toiling millions OF ou'
country. and deserve the thanks and bless
ings Of postcrity.