The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1883-03-24
THE PRESS.
SATURDAY MORNING, MARCH "a.
The Feeling over the Border.

The Feeling Over the Border.
There is much more talk over the line
than on this side of annexing Canada to the
United States. Indeed talk about 1t is rare
ly heard here The agitation seems to be al
most exclusively confined to the subjects OF
the British Crown. In recent paper on
the subject Canadian shows some facts
which places this matter in light some.
what interesting. Mr. Bender, the writer
of the article, refers specially to three points:
The growth of the Dominion debt; the con.
slant stream of emigration from Canada
southwark, with the consequent almost sta
tionary numbers of the population, in spite
of Government-aided Immigration: and the
composition OF the Dominion populations.
The financial aspect is peculiarly interest
ing. At the close of our last war the idea of
annexation was ridiculed on the ground that
no Canadian would be willing to throw in
his lot'with country so tremendously bur-
dened with debt as was the United States.
Since then, while this country has Teen
steadily paying off its debt at rate unpar-
alleled in history, the Government expendi-
lures in the north have just as steadily been
in excess of income. In 1868 the disburse-
ments for all Dominion purposes were $751;
6S7,92S. In 1882 they had risen to S31, S10,-
900, while the population had only increased
from :, 1865, POI in the former year to 4,41S,-
TIA in the latter, the pc" capita taxation hav-
ing risen in the same period from 81 OF to
STOP. The debt has grown also with SINH
lar rapidity. In 1867, at the time of the con-
federation, the gross debt of the country
was So, 046, 051, while in 1881 it had risen
to S1s1, S61 ,5S7, and still it continues to in
crease. No wonder the Canadians are get
ting alarmed, particularly when they con-
trast this gloomy record with the payment
by the United States in the same time of oy-
er $500, 100000 of its debt. In the same
paper the objection that Canadians preferred
living under small debt is met by the fact
that they are continually annexing them
selves to the United States as individuals
through emigration to the latter country,
A quarter of million French Canadians
have, during the last three or four years,
settled in the States, and crowds are weekly
leaving the Provinces to join them, notwith-
standing the pathetic appeals of their clergy.
"This,' says Mr.. Bender, sis not cheering
outlook" Both the French aud the Irish
in Canada seem to be anxious to settle ia the
United States, and the latter, numbering
one-fourth of the total population, would,
without doubt, gladly vote for general an
nexation should the opportunity be afforded
them Altogether the views of Mr.. Bender,
who seems to speak after careful consider
alton of the subject, lead to the belief that
there is a growing desire for annexation on
the part of large proportion of the inhabi-
tants of the Dominion. Indeed he hazards
the prediction that the present generation
will see the change effected. A curious part
of the business is that one of the efforts of
the Dominion Government especially de-
signed to placate the growing discomfort has
had the effect of increasing it. The prose-
cution of great railway enterprises, under
Government countenance and with Govern
ment aid, has increased the debt so largely
that the people have become scared at the
responsibilities thrust on them. Moreover,
the fact that these railroad enterprises have
been subsidized extravagantly, the subsidies,
mostly in land, having gone to certain Eng
lsh aristocratic Spectators, has added no
little to the feeling of uneasiness. In the
meantime the United States, secure in its
present power and prosperity. will be likely
TO use no effort to preeipitate matters. When
the plum is ripe it will fall.