Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1886-09-03
The Question of Reciprocity.


people OF Vermont, on the question OF re
ciprocal trade with Canada. They know
that the old reciprocity treaty took money
right out of the pocket of every Vermont
er who had u horse or COW, pound of
wool, Il bushel of potatoes or of grain,
pound of butter or of cheese to sell.
They know that depression of our great
farming interest means disaster to many
other interests. They know that the Can
adian farmers profited by the losses OF
ours and that the desire of the Canadian
farmers to sell their cattle, horses and
produce on this side the line, is one eX
PLANTATION of the great anxiety manifested
on the part of the Dominion to secure Il
renewal of reciprocity. Mr.. Blaine in
his speech at Berwick, Me, last week,
described the working of such treaty
pretty we'll He said
The fishery interest is used to force upon
this country another treaty of so-called
reciprocity with Canada. The Canadian
idea of reciprocity is that we give all and
take none What would we gain by re
establishing the treaty The first article
is grain, -four breadstufrs of all kinds, ="
they want to export them to us and sell
in our large markets; they open no mar
ket for ours They want this large mar
ket of 6OOOO,0OO of people while we have
no chance Whatever with their 5O0O,O0O.
That is reciprocity on one side. The next
is animals of all kinds" We export
none to Canada Even against the pres
ent duty great many are imported from
Canada and upon reciprocity they have
an enormous advantage, in fact they
have the trade all alone. The next is
fresh, smoked and sailed meats. On that
| presume the question stands just about
~ 10 fGh If al
every product of the sea. We know how
that stands Laughter. Then they take
the product OF the farm, poultry and eggs,
then hides, furs Nothing in that for us,
not thing Every article of manufac
ture in the United States is excluded by
their raw products and they take the
whole list of their manufactured articles
from Great Britain. This kind of one
sided reciprocity treaty follows in the
wake of the fishery question which is to be
adjusted by an international commission
II Congress can be induced to pass it.
This view of the .one-sided and danger
Gus character of such reciprocity as used
to exist and such as Canada wants re
established, is an echo of views long since
expressed by other New England states
men and notably by Senators Edmunds
and Morrill,, and the Vermont congress
men. Some prominent Nermonters, how
ever, have interests which lead them to
throw their influence another way. A
Vermont farmer, the other day, inquired
in our columns as to the attitude of
Hon. John Gregory Smith on this ques.
ton. The question was, of course a fair
and pertinent one and as it happens it is
one to which Mr.. Smith himself had al
ready given an answer. In March, 1850, this
subject being before the House committee
on foreign affairs at Washington, letter
was read before that committee from Hon.
John Gregory Smith, the following ex-
tract from which we find in the Rltrdl
EermOntcr:
LETTER FROM EX-GOv. SMITH IF VERMONT.
| can only say in regard to the speech OF
Representative Joyce of Vermont that | re-
gret it exceedingly. The object aimed at is
apparent to all who know the circumstances.
MY own views are very decided on the sub
Jcct, and quite agree with you that il will
Toe lmposslb bic for years to come, to bring
about such commercial union as is contcm-
plated by he Industrial League of Philadel-
phia of which Mr.. Wharton Barker is secre-
tary. am quite familiar with the feeling in
Canada, and am confident that. even with the
warmest friends of annexation, the cOnVic-
ton is that at present the only feasible thing
TO do or expect is II treaty OF reciprocity. If
this can be accomplished 1t would be the
surcst initial step to closer AN more intimate
relations Wink orr reprcStmtutireS do n
compartment ar represent the real sentiment of
he state, the action Of the legislature to the
cont drB notwithstanding.
On this, the lcrmOntCr aptly comments
as follows High protective duties on
all farmer has to buy, free trade in all a
farmer has to sell protection to Canadian
manufacturers, open competition to farm.
ers light taxes, cheap land, labor and
living on the Canadian side, against high
taxes, high priced land, high wages and
higher cost of living on the American side
these were some of the conditions under
which 'reciprocity' was "reciprocal" in
benefits to Canadian farmers and disaster
to the farmers in the States along the
line. While Senator's Morrill, and Ed
munds were iaboring to save the farmers
of Vermont from the runous effects of a
reciprocity that was practically free trade
in farm products with the advantage all
on the side of the Canadian farmer as
free trade in manufactures would be to
the advantage of European manufactur-
ers, Gov. Smith was writing letters re
gretting" the speeches of Nermont's rep
resentatives against the reciprocity treaty
and expressing his belief that they did
not comprehend or represent the real SEN
timent of the State, the action of the legls-
lature to the contrary notwithstanding
Did Ex-Governor Smith write as a disin-
terested citizen of Vermont, solicitous for
the States welfare, or as the manager of
Il railway with an eye to lucrative traf.
tic Do the farmers of Vermont want for
a | nited States senator tins astute rail
way president who is pushing secret, in
trlguing canvass for that Office, or do they
prefer to retain the services and experience
of Senator Edmunds, who in moving the
abrOgatiOn of the old treaty and opposing
the making of "A new one displayed in a
signal manner his wary devotion and
tathtulness to the interests of his farmer
constituents; If the farmers do not wish
TO make such Il change or have such Il
change forced upon them, let them he on
hand in force at the cauCuses to nominate
town representatives let them choose
men who will represent the people, not
GOV. Smith and the Central railway, and
let them see to ii that their nominees have
full vote on election day