Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-11-06
WHAT RAYAaDPR
Sir Charles Tupper Told the Dominion
That Il. Was Practical Free Trade

Sir Charles Tupper. the representative OF
Canada in the fisheries negotiation and the
financial minister of the Dominion, on his
return to Ottawa explained to the Dominion
Parliament both theIresty and the pledges
made on behalf of lower duties by Secre-
tary Bayard in speaking for the Admins
uarion and the Democratic party. In his
speech, Sir Charles used the following Ian
guage:
Now, sir, | am in somewhat similar posi-
ton in explaining this treaty, which | have
now reached, to that in which / was in Is /
when defending the treaty of my right hon.
orable friend under somewhat different cir
cumstances. Then he said Every word
that you force Us to say in support of this
treaty will be used against Us at Halifax in
diminution of the payment that we are en-
tilted to for the greater value of our fisher
les" To-day | am in some hat similar
position. For every word that / say in de-
fence of the treaty TO which | have put my
hand and to which ask the sanction of this
House with the utmost confidence, every
word that | say in support of it, may be
used tomorrow in the Seuate of the United
States, where support to the treaty may be
more difficult. to obtain than it is in the
| House of Commons of Canada.
| As have said, Mr.. Bayard told Us, the
| American plenipotentiaries told us, that
there was but one way of obtaining what we
wished You want greater freedom OF
commercial intercourse. You want relaxa
| ton in our tariff arrangements with respect
to natural products in which you are so rich
and abundant. There is but one way to
obtain il. Let us by common concession be
able to meet on common ground and remove
this irritating cause of difficulty between the
two countries oct of the way and you viii
find that the policy of the Government, the
policy of the President and of the House OF
Representatives, the policy of the great
Democratic party of the United States will
at once take an onward march 10 the direc
ton you propose and accomplish steadily
that which you would desire in the only way
by which it can ever be obtained"
/ Those were not empty words; those were
the sober utterances of distinguished states
men, who pointed to the avowed policy OF
the government of the United States as the
best evidence of the sincerity of what they
said. What has happened already? Already
we have action by the financial exponent OF
the administration of the United States.
mean Mr.. Mills-the gentleman who in the
United States Congress represents the gov
eminent Of the day and stands in the posi-
ton most analogous in the United States II
the Finance Minister in this house-tht
Chairman of the Committee on Ways ant
Means, who propounds the policy of the
administration in the House.
How is he selected? The Democratic
party sustaining the government selects
man as Speaker of the House of Representa-
tiyes who is in accord with the policy of thl
administration for the time being, and MIR
Carlisle, the Speaker of the House of Rep
resentatlres, nominates the Chairman of tn,
Committee on Ways and Means and all tht
members of the committee, and therefore
the chairman of that committee occupies thu
position of representing the Government il
bringing forward such bills as will represen
the views and sentiments of the Democratic
party in the United States supporting tn,
administration.
What have we seen: The ink is barrel,
dry upon this treaty before he, as the repre-
sentative of the government, and Chairman
of the Committee of Ways and Means
brings forward a measure to do what? Why
to make free articles that Canada sends int,
the United States and upon which last yea
81, 500, 900 of duty was paid.