New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-10-14
RESTING AT NIAGARA FALLS
THE DELEGATES ENTERTAINED BY ERAS.
TUS WIMAN.
WHAT HE HAD TO SAY ABOUT COMMERCIAL
rN1oN-sPEHCHBs BY COMMISSIONERS.
INV ,r,rcRAPU TO THE TkIDUNRI

committee had done everything that could be desired
TO contribute 10 the comfort and enjoyment Of the
c,osts Inspccton Of the falls. Of Goat Island. Of
the rapids and whirlpool was made in the morning.
In the afternoon there more extended drive
n, the invitation OF Erastus Wiman and in the evening
tho visitors dncd the Clifton House the guests
| NJ the same gentleman As might have been x
| pec,ed Commercial Union" favored all the after
| dinner speeches, 10 which that Of Mr.. Wman. who
nresided gave the cue Mr.. Wiman's ideas that
snbiect are well known. In justice, however. TO him
II ought 10 be said that he made a speech as good
patured and diplomatic as could have been desired At
| no pont did he seem to transgress the limits of
good taste and when he took his seat liberal applause
| and the unstintcd praise Of his guests greeted him
| on every side. He spoke as follows:
The delegates from South and Central America stand
to.night for first time the border line OF the
great north land Of Canada For neatly 1000 miles this
rich and fertile country alongside the United States
divided only by imaginary line. ofientmes by great
lakes and rivers that should be bond to unite them
rather than barrier soparaoe them Yet the trade
which both these countries should enjoy with each
other had restricted by arbitrary customs line
600 miles long, which may be llkencd 20 barbed wire
fence over which brother trade with another
brother bushe Of potatoes without the Intervention
Of the Government it Is true that the goods sold bV
the United States the five millions OF Canadians amount
:, the aggregate to as much as sold the fifty
millions populang the Southern natonalities r"preseuA
nv the delegates present II IL that while every
lnhab,ant Of Central America absorbs United
States goods annually to the only 81 10 each,
every CanG1ian, Notwithstanding hghtarir wall alb,
serbs annually s1O Yet the necessity which created
this Internal Rona Congress- discuss for an eX-
penson OF commerce the South makes the logic IRE
sistible which calls extension Of United states
commerce 70 the North. without subsidy 20 provide
means OF communication without the expenditure Of
| single dollar without the drawing Of sword or the
shedding drop blood. the Of commerce OF the
United be doubled To the North vast source
OF raw could thus be provided In this NORTHERN
/ witt Will tO
Of the United States that the Southern naton'iueS
represented by this Congress make available the good
| thus produced
1t is true that subsidies may 70 create
means Of communication 70 Southern countries but goods
that are better, and the time cheaper than else
where. be got. will do more 10 create commerce
than the whole revenues Government ped@e
20 deadhead dear goods 70 their destination Tho re-
and unlimited supply OF material as Canada
can furnish Will contribute more TO the reduced cost 4"
than anything else and there Is no contr
button possible would have greater consequences IN
this direction than complete obteration Of the Gus
toms line between the United States and Canada.
The whole six millions dollars Of duties collected on
raw material from Canada, divided among the sixty
millions Of population olutely amounts 10 less than
ten cent cigar 10 person per Ability to eX-
tend commerce the South, facility to vastly extend 10
10 the North involved the obitetlOn Of this lab"d
wire tariff line that sthwart the North Aer
can continent which. It could be removed, and mad"
Of uniform height and lifted up that II would extend
right around continent, would result In vat ana bene'
fetal consequences TO all concerned 1t would be on the
one hand welcome instalment the free trader Of
an extension OF beyond the limits Of the United
States and on the other 70 the protectlonst eXtenon
| Of the American system under which such marvellous
progress been made you have seen cvliences q"
within the last few days H. instead Of limiting this
custom line 20 the North American continent. which 10
should surround II could within it, protect
ing influences the Southern nations represented by the
quests present tonight still greater results would follow
That this intention Of the act Of Congress under
] ubfcb fhf ross Is
terms and that union 70 include the North
and South American continents may yet be accomplished
is among the things TO be hoped and worked for
Ridiculous as It the Inhabitants OF the United
States .houd be shut trading with the greater haf
OF North America by tax which yields them only Ten
cents head Il Is ridiculous that trade between
the United States and Mexico, and Central and South
America should be limited by tIsif wall when only
slightly over ten and han millions Of dollars is collected
averaging Treasury receipts not 20 exceed sixteen cents
( per capita Of population
! The duties collected the products from the great
Republic OF Mexico slightly million Of dollars,
from Central America only hundred and eleven
I thousand dollars while from the whole continent Of
South America, including the great Empire Of Brazi.
the Argentine Republic. Chill and Peru and many other
States 1t IS only slightly nine and quarter millions
/ Of d4lars.
Taking the whole continents Of North and South
America together. the duties collected by the United
States Treasury their entire products brought into the
United yield less than twenty-five cents per heed
per annum on our population Protection was a good
thing as against unequal conditions but II hardly
De Justified for an amount small, trade
so great and under conditions which nearly on a
par as between producers this hemisphere
Commercial union the North American continent
between Canada and the United States. is the
possibilities Of the five years and that purely
by concurrent legislation at Washington and Ottawa
might longer customs union to in
clude all nations represented by the delegates
movement the north would greatly stimulate the move
toward the south, by showing It's praccabnity and
enormous advantages.
one certain result would flow from this union on the
Of North America viz. That Of lcseuing the
Of In the United States. by needed
supply Of material and cheapcned food TINS |
would aid greatly in the effort which this
engaged in seeking 10 extend the commerce toward
the South at the same time creating demand for manu-.
features on the North.
The foreign guests realized a rule what dan |
gcrous ground they teadihg, and therefore con
fined themselves almost entirely 10 gllttcring Gen |
eralItlcs. Dr. Human. the delegate Of Nicaragua for
instance. read by OF the foremost Spanish
American poets, Eeredia, which Inspired by view
Ing Niagara Falls OF politics, OF commercial union |
Of the objects of the Congress, Of course there wa,
not word in it, Senior Silva, the delegate from tine
Republic Of Colombia, oven moro careful and |
guarded Equally cautious were other South Amor
lean speakers. Cornelius y. Bliss, tho only American
Commissio present, acquitted himself with rrea,
cleverness, without giving offence or committing him,
self in any way, and everybody left the table without
having the slightest opportunity offered 10 Lin IN
find fault. The speech Of Professor Goodwin Smith
dsappointingly unaggressiye. and ended sbo,f,.
IN proposing the welfare Of the three Americas one Of
which he considered Canada % be. The barot..
ended IN the happlest manner. and tho guest, wen,
eaNlns congressman Baker poured oil on what mlabf
possibly have been troubled waters b. a short 81
happy reference to a Power greater than any Vlicl |
had been referred TO by the different Speakers and
IN whose hands alone the destiny Of the three AmeJjc
rested as