The Portland daily press., 1882-03-25
PRICE 8 CENTS.
Our Canadian Ne1ghbors.

i ~ IA OcbAAcSSAAesA ANOA5AAOOlO.
OTTAWA, Canada, IS February, 1852.
came here yesterday by new route direct
| from Montreal and not by the old roundabout
| line of rails to Perscott, and then q change to
| Ottawa. Our Canadian neighbors are pushing
| railways in many directions into their vast
tract of timber lands and fertile farming lands
in order to open up their great country, of
which they understand the possibilities and
the probilitities, batter and better every year.
Upon orr side of the great lakes, do not think
we have any just notion of the great future
that is certainly in store for Canada She has
timber lands and farming lands sufficient in
extent and fertility to supply food and shelter
for the civilized population of the world for
many years to come. 1 am glad to see that
there seems to be among the people whom l
have met and among the members OF the Gov
ernment and of both Houses of Parlimant,
many of whom have had long conversations
with, not the slightest feeling of jealousy or
mistrust of us, good deal of which existed here
not many years ago. They understand now, as
never before the fact that we rejoice heartily
in their prosperity and wish them all possible
success in their intelligent endeavor to estah-
lish on our northern border, good fiourishing
and strong republio; for it will certainly come
to that. They see as we do that there can
never be any possible rivalry or unfriendliness
between us. With language, laws and religion
and political institutions like ours-it Is and
must be mutual advantage that we be great
and rich and strong, help to each other and
an encouragement to free institutions the world
over,
The Canadian government have taken leaf
from our book and are founding their policy
upon it; I mean protection to their own indus
tries They call it leaf from our book; they
have not the least feeling cf reluctance in fol-
lowing our example-so far as they think it
wise-nor in "Americanizing. their institu-
tions," from which our English brethren shrink
in fear, if not in horror. Since Canada has
adopted the American policy of protection, she
has taken a new spring in the career of pros
perity-which is felt in all her interests.l
Sir Leonard Tillay, Minister of Finance,
whose guest am, has given me some funny
accounts of his experiences in England in his
numerous meetings with our dear friends there
the Free Traders One cannot help laughing
at his graphic accounts of his numerous en-
counters with these gentlemen. They approach
a ''protectionist' with the same confidence
of making but mouthful of him, that pack
of fox hounds manifest in running down hare
They have not the slightest conception that
anybody can know anything Of finance, trade,
political economy or craftsmanship, unless he Is
a member of the Golden Club, or qualified to
be one. 1t was bad enough for the United
States to ignore "British interests"-so far as
to adopt protection for their own; but for Can
ada, British colony, to think OF any other in
terests, but those of the mother countryl Ah!
that's the unkindest cut of ALL Canada is now
thoroughly aroused to the fact that she is
too large to be held in leading strings any long
er and that she has important interests of her
own-all her own-which it is her right and
duty to provide for and foster, and she will do
so.
l was in the Governmental buildings, in the
Senate and in the House of Commons, and was
pleased with everything l saw. The Senators
are grave and reverend seniors, true conscript
fathers and 1 do not believe there was a
revolver or bowie knife among them;
Everything in both houses was conducted
with the utmost decorum and order, like
body of business men having important bus-
ness to do, and doing it on business principles.
I do not believe there was man among them
who had any plan or even a secret wish 70
plunder the treasury. did not see or hear
Of any lobbyists who were hanging around
members in the hope Of working up jobs of any
kind intended to stearthe public money. The
Canadians are not yet far enough advanced in
civilized ways for such specimens OF patriotism,
but many of them go to Washington occasion
ally, SO no man can predict with certainty that
they will not in due time be able to apply our
methods to their affairs. Bnt they must first
have plethoric public treasury, which they
have not at present.
The parliamentary library room is gem; it is
the finest ever saw, finished exquisitely in pine
without paint the wood a light yellow varnish.
1t is large room as well as beautiful one,
but is none too large for the fine and valuable
collection of books that now occupy its shelves,
extending from the floor, all around its circuit
and in its alcoves, almost up to the noble dome
which crowns the room, by which only the soft
mellow light is admitted to it,
L came here to attend meeting tomorrow
night of the Canadian Temperance Alliance.
1t is a long journey to make just for one meet
ing-eight hundred and forty miles in ALL but
l could not well resist the appeals of our friends
here. Canada is infested with troop OF men
paid or not by the brewers, who declare that
the Maine law is a nuisance and moral pesti-
lence, that 1t has largely increased the sale
and use of liquors, that Maine Is tne most
drunken country in the world, with
more poverty, pauperism, suffering and
crime than any other, and that this
all comes from putting down the
grog shops which are more numerous and
more flourishing than ever. They say the trade
and business of Maine are paralysed; that the
pSOpl6 dro away eooJ .ASN
stay where the law prevents them from having
what they like. They say men OF spirit will
not 90 to state to trade where they are snub-
bed and stared at as a sort of monstrosity, II
they Just ask for "a little something" Gentle
men, they say "won't stand that sort OF thing.
Grass is actually growing in the streets OF Port
land, they have seen it and know it to be so;
the buildings are dilapidated, tumble-down
concerns, all but the distilleries and breweries,
which are in most fiourishing condition,
flooding the state with liquors of all kinds.
Our Canadian friends wanted me to come
here and tell them about it. 1t is refreshing
and encouraging to see heads of departments
here taking an active part in temperance work
and senators and members of the House Of
Commons manifesting the greatest interest in
the proceedings of the Alliance council and
taking an active part in all discussions. The
annual meeting of the Alliance is now going
on, and delegates are here from all parts Of the
Dominion except Prince Edward Island where
the people are supposed to be frozen up for the
winter. It is particularly cheering to lind
among these delegates great number OF min
isters some from Nova Scotia New Brunswick,
Provinces of Quebec and Ontario, and even
from British Columbia. The Canadians have
fully made up their minds to take another
lesson from us, in moral, intellectual and do
nestle as well as in political economy, and see
what will come of it, to the country and peo-
pie the prohibition and suppression Of "the
gigantic crime of crimes"
NEAL Dow.
[Quarterly Reyiew]