St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-10-14
sHERMAN,s SCHEME.

Manifest destiny may comprise IN its
radius the Canadian provinces as part
of the nation that has its federal head
at Washington. The idea is not new
or novel, but the recent outgiving of
Senator SHERMAN, in his interview with
the correspondent Of new York paper,
is giving the subject prominence at this
time. The senator does not anticipate
any immediate diversion in the direc-
ton of a combine on either side of the
line, but throws out his scheme to
elicit discussion, and perhaps furnish
his party an issue in the future. if the
public mind shows disposition to move
on that line. His proposition is to
induce Canada to sell or annex itself to
this country, in consideration of the
assumption by the United States of the
three hundred millions or so of debt
now carried by that country. Among
the inducements to this course the
senator urges that Canada has no outlet
to the sea except by the st. Lawrence,
which is closed one-half the year, or
through the United States; that in
Northwest Canada all the valleys
through which railroads can be built
trend southwark, and refers to the lines
that have already been built in the
United States to connect with similar
lines from Manitoba for the pur-
pose of bringing the products of
that region to Duluth, Minneapolis
and st. Paul, and thence to the
Eastern seaboard. He has traversed
the country, and gives it as his personal
observation that railroads can be very
cheaply built to the Canadian line, with
a grade rarely exceeding thirty feet to
the mile. To absorb Canada would be
the addition of a population in the main
using the same language, and familiar
with the institutions of this country or
those very similar. We would thus add
about 5000. 900 of English-speaking peo-
pie to the United States, now num-
bering 60,000,000, and round out its
territory to the icy and implacable re-
gions OF the North. Besides, adds the
senator, annexation sooner or later
is inevitable. The scheme is at
tractive, and likely to catch the
fancy of many, as it seems to have
done at once with some of its pro-
mulgatOr's associates in the senate.
The various additions to the domain of
the original United States have proved
so advantageous, and shown the fallacy
so utterly of the dolorous predictions of
their opponents, that the proposition
for the addition of Canada is not likely
to meet any very decided antagOnism.
There may be objections TO the assump-
ton of so large debt, or to special So
licitatiOnS, but the conviction is well
defined that the stars and stripes will
in time float over continent. There is
no present need for new lands to absorb
the growing population. There is room
in the West for a good many mill
ions of people, and few care to
get nearer the frigid regions than the
present boundaries of the country. In
the event of a war with England Can
ada would naturally and easily be taken
in by the United States as one of its in
cidents, but it is not at present showing
any inclination to change flags. The
Canadian people rather pride them
selves upon their allegiance to the old
country. Nor does it appear that Eng
land is willing to abandon its claims.
These are palpable advantages to this
country in the possession of portion of
Canada; and if there were anxiety there
to be annexed, fayOring policy on the
part of this country might be desirable.
Such is not the case at present. No
political element in Canada proclaims
annexation among its objects. and
reluctant population would not be an
acquisition to be sought,