Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-02-21
AN INTERESTING STRUGGLE

That is an interesting and momentous debate that has been begun in the Cana dian parliament over a resolution of Sir Richard Cartwright asking that an ad dress be presented to Queen Victoria praying that she will empower the gover nor general of the Dominion, acting by and with the advice of the queens privy council for Canada, to enter, by an agent or representative of the Dominion, into direct communication with any foreign state for the purpose of negotiating com mercial arrangements tending to the ad vantage of Canada. It is certain to bring out a powerful sentiment in favor of commercial if not political annexation with the United States, and is generally interpreted to be another step along the lines started in the recent municipal cleo tion at Windsor Sir Richards claim that Canada has suffered material injury by having her interests subordinated to those of Great Britain and by being obliged to conduct all negotiations through the British minister, and the SuppOIL uc udS 1cCCINcu 11OlI tLC A1DSAd party in his claim, means that there is a strong feeling in favor of union that the sentimental attachment of tradition may not be able to overcome.
 The rejection of the fisheries treaty, which it is believed in Canada was due to American hostility for Joe Chamber lain, has aroused Canadians to the fact that British domination is drag on the material and commercial interests of Canada that must be removed if the country is to keep pace with the progress of the age. Hence it is that the liberals, who are less sentimen- tai than the conservatives in their re- gard for the bonds that link them to the old country, have decided to make it a matter of party policy. If Canada could have the right to make her own treaties, to adjust her tariff imposts re- gardless of any consideration for the mother country, to negotiate directly for her own commercial interests, there is little doubt that the next step would be in the line of freer commercial inter- course with the United States. The con- tiguity of the countries, the similarity of their natural conditions, the diversity of resources and the possibilities of de- velopment suggest communion of in- terests that would find their best chan ne1s of mutual helpfulness in an unre- stricted interchange of natural and manufactured commodities. Even John Sherman, who may be regarded as the high priest of republican protection, sees in this untrammeled reciprocity the greatest promise of advantage to both countries. Under his lead and that of others who might be expected to take a similar view there would probably be little difficulty in developing American sentiment in the same direction.
 Commercial union at least, and in all probability political union as well, must eventually come to Canada and the United States. All the natural circum- stances point to this as the inevitable The contest now going on in the Cana dian parliament has, therefore, an in- terest for Americans wholly separate from that usually aroused by struggles in foreign legislative assemblies, and its outcome will be awaited with hopeful expectation on this side of the border.