West Virginia Democrat. [volume] (Charles Town, W. Va.) 1885-1890, 1888-07-20
SOME STRIKING FIGURES.

Erastus Wiman of New York,
was the guest of the Chicago Com
mercial Club recently, and in q
speech on commercial union with
Canada said, among other things:
Canada is forty times as large as
England, Scotland and Wales; fifteen
times the size of the German EN-
pire, and in extent three times as
large as British India. Its fertility
is unsurpassed; its extent of miner
al wealth beyond estimates; its for
ests of lumber the greatest on the
globe; its 5000 miles of coast line
fisheries the most valuable; its
coal beds equal $4,000 square miles:
it's means of water communication un-
equaled, and Its water powers sutli-
cient to drive the machinery of the
whole world. Yet this vast and rich
country lies alongside of the great
est nation of traders on the face of
the globe, and the extent of the man
ufactures and merchandise sold to
it amounts to less than the sales of
three jobbing houses in the city OF
Chicago. The exchanges between
Canada, with its 100000 square
miles of territory, and the United
States, with its 3,036,000 square
miles, are absolutely less than the
exchanges between cities the size of
Toledo, Hartford or Springfield. Can
there be any commentary more strik
ing than this? The amount of du-
ties annually collected by the Unit
ed States from Canada is IS, 500, 900,
which goes into treasury so over
burdened with revenue that the
whole political intellect Of the ma
tion is strained to the utmost as how
best to reduce it. This small sum
of So, 100000 levied along the border
line of nearly 1000 miles costs more
TO collect, in proportion to the
amount realized, than any other
sum received by the government.
Not only is this sum unnecessary to
the treasury; not only is it's collec-
tion absurdly expensive, but this
S., 100000 is a direct tax on two es-
sentials to national existence, name
", raw materials and the necessa-
ries fife. Canada sends nothing
to the United States except natural
products, and though these products
are compelled TO climb over high
custom line, they are wanted so bad
ly that these heavy burdens are
borne by those who need and must
have them. Who is benefited by the
tax on lumber, fish, salt, copper, coal,
etc.? Let them stand up and be
counted and compared with those
who use the necessaries Of life.
These are not the work of the pau
per labor of Europe, against which
the tariff is aimed. These are the
gifts of God-an inheritance CONT
mental in their extent, and should
be continental in their benefit. And
how much do you suppose it benefits
the revenue of the people of the
United States to exact $5,500,000
from these and similar products?
What is the per capita revenue thus
derived? Why, it is less than ten
cents per head per year. The five
hundred and fifty million of cents
which go to make mp the $5,5OO,OO0
of revenue, scattered broadcast over
the people of the Union, does not
equal ten cents per head, and for
this paltry sum a tariff line 1000
miles long cuts in twain the CONT
nent of North America and shuts
out as basis of supply the richest
part of the country on the one hand,
and closes up market on the other
the most profitable and the most
promising in the world,