Daily Republican., 1889-12-14
THE GREAT DEBATE.
GENERAL WILSON AND eRAS-
Tus WlMAN DISCUSS

| vi Shail commercial Relations
be Established? Wilson says
| Annex, Wiman Says Estab-
lish Trade-The
Debate.
Not less than HOO Of the leading citi
zens OF Wilmington crowded into th'
Institute Hall last night TO hear the qrea
debate between General j. A. Wilson
ana Erastus Wimau on what kind O
political relations should he established
ostween the United States and Canada
Grace orchestra furnished excellen
music for the occasion. II, I. Cause
vice-president of tho Harlan 81 Hollings
W rih Company presided, and intro
duced the speakers. The appearance o.
General Wilson, Mr.. Wiman, Senator,
Gray and Higgins, and ex Secretary
Bayard as they came upon the platform
elected the warmest applause.
| Upon the stage were seated Allen
Speakman, .. n. Trump, Preston Lea
Colonel Ii. IL. Carter, q. z. johnson, j,
Taylor Cause, john 9. Farra, the Hon.
Charles b. Lore, Edward Belts, Job II
jackson, George w. Todd, Colonel Milo
w. Locke, Thomas w. savery, Wash.
ington joiner, Edward Challenger OF New
Castle. George G. Lobdell, Clement b.
Smyth, E. T. Warner, the Hon. Thomat
=. Bayard, Senator George Gray, Chas,
K. Fritz, II. Taylor Cause, Senator Hip.
gins. W. II. Swift, George W. Stone.
DIR. Peter Cooper Joseph Swift, George
W. Bush, s. N. Knox, Howard w,
Pyle, DR.. Horace Burr, j. s. Beetem.
Elwood Q. Jackson, Watson X. Sperry.
Mayor Harrington, Fred. E. Bach, W.
q. Pennypacker, Samuel F. Smith,
Bishop Coleman, William G. Spruance,
Esq, Benjamin Nields, ESQ.,, Dir. H, J.
stubbs, Z. A. Cranston, manager for
Dun's Agency, Philadelphia. and inspec-
tor Smith, of the New York Office.
MIR. Wiman was given ten minutes at
the opening OF the debate to explain the
geographical position OF Canada from a
map hanging against the rear wall, after
which the president introduced General
Wilson to an appreciative audience OF
friends. The General, acknowledging
the applause that greeted him, said:
THE question to be discussed this
evening is one Of transcendent import
snce. 1t closely Affects our perm anent
and paramount interests. 1t is not for
|
1t Is settled by the fundamental laws OF
human progress.
"Mr. Wlman has given most careful
attention TO the subject, and as he has
clearly shown by the pamphlet which he
has sent to many OF you, ,ho is thoroughly
acquainted with the resources of the
Dominion OF Canada, with the character
OF It's population, and with the details OF
it's system of government.
| "He contends that tho best possible
! RET suits can be obtained for both co0ntries
by the establishment Of q cusBoms union
or Zoliverine, similar to thAt suggested
by Prussia in 1878 and Afterwards ioiaed
| by all the German states excdukaA ustria,
'But above all, and this is2tte princi-
| pal end aimed ut by the proposition,
absolute free trade would prevail be-
tween all the provinces OF the Dominion
on the one side and all the States of the
Union on the other, just as It prevails at
present between all the States them
selves; while = common protective tariff
would be maiu tained and enforced
against all the world besides, including
the British Empire, of course. Y
al contend, aud hope to show, that
however great be the interest of Her
Maiesty's government In the policy and
possessions OF the Dominion of Canada,
our own interests, though widely differ
ent, are even greater than hers, and
which no human power can divide or
separate, while Canada and England
have but few, and they mostly sentimen-
tai interests, TO bind them together.
81 will not say that Canada and the
United States, in the words of Mr.. Can
ming, In refer ence to Mexico and tba
United States, are too neighborly to be
friends, but do say that they are too
close To each other not to be better
friends"
In speaking Of the proposed CONNER
cial or customs union and its advocates,
he said:
~ shall endeavor to show that they are
seriously mistaken, that such union is
impracticablc and visionary, and that
even If consummated II would not settle
our relations on fair or satisfactory
basis; that while II might remove certain
commercial questions, 1t would certainly
leave other and much graver questions
entirely unsettled, aHd as liable as they
are now to embroil US In war, not with
Canada alone, but with the whole Brit
ish Empire, of which Canada forms an
important part"
In speaking of the slow growth of
Cauada, he said:
"Why has its progress been so slow -?
Surely not because of bad government
nor all inhospitable climate. Surely not
because the labor of the husbandman Is
not amply requlted by nature We must
look further for an answer, aud the
answer IL found In the fact that the door
of our market has been closed against It's
citizens while that OF its European mar
ket lies beyond seas 5000 miles away.
Its young men emigrate to the StAtts
and those who come to 1t Will not abide
within it's borders. Even Mr. Wiman
has left the Dominion and II the reporters
do not misrepresent him he has pros
per. d, too, In a way that fully jusliilee
The step that he has taken.
lie then reviewed the history OF the
colonization of North America and the
conditions that led to Canada being sepa-
rated from the colonies, etc. HIS then
went on:
"Froin the foregoing statement It will
be seen that EnglanA's title to Canada 10
based solely upon the right Of conquest
obtained by
The good old rule the simple plan,
power
And they should keep who can,'
at is also evident that the colonlsls as
sisted right vallantly In applying that
rule. They did the principal share of the
fighting aud more than their share of the
suffering and expense, but TO this day
their just share of the great conquest has
been withheld from them. n
''My point now is that England failed
to give US the just share of Canada,
to which we were entitled by joint con-
quest, and that although she has with |