Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-03-21
DAILY RECORD UNION
....--......... MARCH 81, 1888
CANADIAN COMMERCIAL UNION.

Referring to the report of the committee
union with Canada, the San Francisco Cal
says: " If the United States should adopt
free-trade policy and open its doors TO
immigration from all quarters it would
have commercial union with the whole
world But until it has commercial unie1
with the rest of the world it cannot well
have commercial union with s,Iy part of
IT."
The case of Canada is peculiar. The
Dominion is, SO far as tariff is concerned,
independent of England. The former
maintains protective tariG as against the
mother country. Commercial union with
Canada, therefore would be only the ex-
tension OF our trade within the continent
with the verges still walled in By a pro-
teotive tariff. Commercial union is desir-
able simply because it is wise 20 extend
the arm of our trade and to broaden our
markets The United States would be the
greater gamer she would sacrifice nothing
compared to the exactions o. the Mills
tariff bill, should ii become law. Canada
having the power to tax all importations
can adjust her trade to the conditions
prevailing in the United States without
calling on US to sacrifice anything of the
protective principle. 1t is simply propo-
sition to open up new era Of prosperity
for the two countries that have so much in
common, and that already have social
union, and whose financial exchange does
not differ from that maintained between
our States. 1t is, in in other words, a prop
sition to make the continent of North
America, so far as the jurisdiction of the
English-speaking people extends, one
country for commercial purposes; to ex-
tend the scheme which now makes it de-
sirable for the people of one State to deal
commercially with those of another
The goods exchange between Canada
and the United States is now about equal,
and the duties paid upon one side of the
line are but little more than those exacted
upon the other They operate therefore,
as license taxes for the privilege of doing
business - and these commercial unity
would abolish. The people trade with
each other now under this license tax be-
cause they find it to their mutual advan-
tage; they will do so under the scheme of
a commercial union without Government
collectors and for the same reason. So
long, therefore, as Canada maintains her
tariff independence Of all the rest of the
world, and upon her outer borders sets up
the protective scheme demanded by so
large body of our own people, we fail to
understand why protectionists should OBJ
ject to an interior license line being aban-
doned, when its removal would operate to
enlarge our market and give us greater
advantages than we would yield
The most forcible objection to union,
without further amendment to the plan of
the committee, is that made by the Cal,
to the effect that Chinese immigration
into Canada not being sufficiently re-
stricted, would throw American labor into
competition with the product ofcoolie labor
This is the one essential and serious diff
Guilty. 1t must be swept away before the
union can be consented to. But we believe
that the same causes that operate with US
to create the demand for exclusion, will
operate in Canada, and are already being
felt. 1t is, therefore, entirely probable
that Chinese immigration will not long
stand in the way of any strong desire on
the part Of the Canadians to form com
mercial union with us.