Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-02-23
THE CANADIAN IDEA.
Citizens of the Dominion Are Not Yet
Ready to be Formally
ANNEXED TO THE UNITED STATES.
They Would Like to Arrange Commercial
Union, However.
ADDRESS AT A WASHINGTON BANQUET

CHICAGO, February 22.-In accordancs
with its annual custom, the Union League
Club to-day celebrated the anniversary of
Washington's birth. Its commemoration
of that event was begun in Central Music
Hall this afternoon. The platform was oc-
cupied by distinguished men from various
parts of the Union, and the large auditorium
was completely filled with prominent people
of this and other cities.
One of the orators of the occasion wa3
General Jacob Dix, of Ohio, whose address
on "Washington the Citizens Example"
was listened to with close attention. At 7:30
this evening the members of the club and
their guests sat down to the annual banquet
at the Club House. At its conclusion the
following programme of toasts was taken
up:
american Policy for the American People,"
General Russell a. Alger, of Michigan
THE Political Relations OF the United states
and Canada, from Canadian Standpoint"
Henry w. Darling of Toronto.
Manifest Destiny" Hon. Frank F. Davis, OF
Minnesota
The American Commonwealth" Bishop
Charles Edward Cheney.
A CANADIAN TALKS.
Mr. Darling said in part: ITO thoughtful
Canadians the word annexation has an omin-
Gus and unattractive ring, conveying to them
an impression of confession of failure in the
mission committed to them by their fore
fathers as to the future destiny of their coun-
try, an impression that they are adopting vol
UNFAIRLY in despair the only recourse open to
them, If they are to escape irreparable disas-
'er; or an impression of coercion and force at
which their nature reVolts, and which they are
bound to resist
T think 7 correctIv describe the prevailiu0
sentiments of Canadians generally, when say
the word annexation" is extremely distasteful
to them. You would probably despise them
were it otherwise. The tie that binds them to
the Motherland is silver thread that can be
broken practically at will, but this affection
for the land Of their forefatherS IS feeling
which is and always will be predominant in
their breasts.
British Canadians cling to the gIories and
traditions of the race. They hope to be able
to preserve all the characteristics Of EnglandS
prosperous policy.
They have neither sympathy with, nor en-
couragement for the follies of the British En-
pire. They may be mistaken as TO their ultimate
destiny, and they may over estimate their abili-
ty to make the North American Continent the
home of great and independent Anglo-Saxon
race: but if their political relations are to be
changed, it will come about as the natural,
sequence of events. and not purely as the rel
suit of an appeal to sordid or material consid4
eratlons.
ONE MAY LEAVE.
can conceive of policy of injustice to one
of the provinces being carried to an extent
that might produce movement in favor Of
the separation of that province from the con-
federation, with view to union with the
United States. But such an agitation. based
on righteous and equitable grounds, would be
almost certain of accomplishing the removal
of the injustice the defeat of the party in
power perpetrating it.
The feeling against America, bred by your
Dau O1r1fin Wor oh fba1 1auoI IfGfa
who founded Canada into exile by the War of
1872 and by subsequent misunderstanding, has
largely passed away; but the growth of good
will is different thing from readiness of
political union. and cannot help earnestly ab-
jurlng you while we are discussing the advan-
tages which hope to lay clearly before you of
another union, to dismiss from your minds the
question of political union. refer to what is
known as commercial union or unrestricted
reciprocity or continental free trade. which
ever of these terms may best convey the idea
to your minds.
would ask you to look at the map of North
America and say whether it is not in violation
of all the indications of nature that artificial
barriers to trade and commence should be
erected along an imaginary line stretching
from the Atlantic to the Pacific, between peo-
Piles of common descent and common language,
who are engaged in common aim. namely:
The making tributary to their material adj
vancement the vast resources of nature, which
by the bounty of Providence have been placed
at their disposal.
OUR COMMON INTEREST.
Granted for a moment that there are two
nations that each has its individual interest to
preserve; and its national requirements in the
way of revenue to be provided, the policy that
separates them at present does not exist
mainly for revenue purposes, because your
Treasury is an overfowing one; and the policy
of Canada was adopted as an alternative to
one which, had you been willing, would have
been infinitely preferred by their people.
The speaker declared that the position
taken by Hon. Ben Butterworth and other
American statesmen on reciprocal trade
had caused an agitation of unparalleled
rapidity in Canada, though it was some
what checked by the passage of the retalia-
ton bill, which, however, he believed, grew
out of political exigency. With recipro-
cal trade, he thought there would be no
about assimilating the tariffs Of
the two countries, as the tendency in the
United States, he said, is downward, while
that in Canada is upward. The speaker
continued:
The proposition is that reciprocally the duties
should be abolished by both countries upon all
products and commodities, the growth, pro-
duce or manufacture of the other country,
leaving freedom to each country to levy what
duties they might think proper upon the goods
of other countries. The object, you will notice,
is the same, namely, to secure continental free
trade.