St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-08-24
OF MOMENT TO MARINERS.

Canadian Vessels Should Be Meas
ured by the Same Rule of Dis
elimination Applied by Canada
to American Craft.
l desire to call the attention of the
congress to another subject involving
such
WRONGS AND UNFAIR TREATMENT
to our citizens as in my opinion, require
prompt action. The navigation of the
great lakes and the immense busi-
ness and carrying trade growing of the
same have been treated broadly and
literally by the United States govern
ment and made free to all mankind,
while Canadian railroads and naviga-
tiOn companies share in our country's
transportation upon the terms as favor
able as are accorded to our own
citizens. The canals and other
public works built and maintained
by the government along the line of the
lakes are made free to all. In contrast
to this condition and evincing a narrow
and ungenerOuS commercial spirit,
every lock and canal which is public
work of the Dominion of Canada is SUBJ
ject to tolls and charges. By article2 81
of the treaty of 1871, provision was mad
to secure to the citizens of the United
States the use of the WeIland. st. Law
renee, and other canals in the Dominion
of Canada, on terms of equality with
the inhabitants of the Dominion, and to
also secure to the subjects of Great
Britain the use of the ST. Clair flats
canal on terms of equality with the
inhabitants of the United States.
The equality with the inhabitants of
the Dominion which we were promised
in the use of the canals of Canada did
not secure to us freedom from tolls in
their navigation, but we had right to
expect that we, being Americans and
interested in American commerce
WOULD BE NO MORE BURDENED
in regard to the same than Canadians
engaged in their own trade; and the
or should have been, that merchandise
and property transported to an
American market through these canals
should not be enhanced in it's cost by
tolls many times higher than
such as were carried to an adj
joining Canadian market. ALI our citi-
ZenS, producers and consumers, as well
as vessel owners, were to enjoy the
equality promised. And yet evidence
has for some time been before the con-
gress, furnished by the secretary of the
treasury, showing that while the tolls
charged in the first instance are the
same to all such vessels and cargoeS as
are destined to certain Canadian ports
are allowed a refund of nearly the en-
tire tolls while those bound for Ameri-
can ports are not allowed any such adj
vantage. TO promise equality, and then
in practice make it conditional upon our
vessels doing Canadian business
instead of their own is to fulfill
promise with the shadow of
performance. l recommend that such
legislation be had as will give Canadian
vessels navigating our canals and their
cargoes precisely the advantages grant
ed to our vessels and cargOeS upon Cana
dian canals. and that the same be meas
used by exactly the same
RULE OF DISCRIMINATION.
The course which have outlined and
the recommendation made relate to the
honor and dignity of our country and
the protection and preservation of the
rights and interests of all our people.
A govern rent does but half OF its duty
when it p Otects its citizens at home
and permits them to be i'm
posed upon and Inundated by the
unfair and Overreaching disposition of
other nations. If we invite our people
to rely upon arrangements made for
their benefit abroad, we should see to it
that they are not deceived, and if we
are generous and liberal to neighbor-
ing country our people should reap the
| advantage of it by a return of liberality
and generosity.
These are subjects which partisan
| ship should not disturb or confuse. Let
us survey the ground calmly and mod
erately, and, having put aside other
means of set tlement, if we enter upon
| the policy of retaliation. let us pursue
| it firmly, with a determination only to
subserve the interests of our people
and maintain the high standard and the
| becoming pride of American citizen
ship. GROVER CLEVELAND.
| Executive Mansion, Aug. %, 1883.