Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-07-31
AN INCONSISTENT ENGLIsHMAN.

Colonel Howard Vincent, NJ. p, in a
speech at Montreal, the other evening,
showed his inconsistency by denouncing
protection on the one hand and advocat-
| ing it on the other. The honorable gen.
tleman represents the United Empire
Trade League, whose object is to ''propa-
gate the ideas of commerce upon a prefer
ential basis throughout all parts Of the
British Empire" He and his colleagues
advocate reciprocity between Great Britain
and ner colonies, and, as long as they can
supply each other, the closing their mar
kets against the outside world. Yet
Colonel Vincent denounced the same
thing on the part of the United States.
He declared the Mckinley bill an outrage
Gus outcome of the jealousy of the United
States for the British Empire.
In the first place, Colonel Vincent
and the United Empire Trade League
have merely taken up and indorsed, on
smaller scale, Blaine's ideas of reciprocity
between nations They recognize the
logic of that position, but at the same
time ask that America throw open her
markets to them. The very inconsistency
of that shows that the idea of home mar
kets for home manufacturers is the proper
one, and as long as America can supply
her own markets it is unnecessary to call
upon the producers Of other countries.
What We cannot produce we must buy,
and it is to our interest to buy from those
who reciprocate by buying from us in re-
turn articles they cannot produce. This
has been offered Canada and other gov
ernments in close commercial relation to
the United States.
But Colonel Vincent denounces reci-
procity between Canada and the United
States, and promises that if Canadians
will patronize Sheffield and Birmingham
Great Britain will welcome Canadian
products free, while American articles be
taxed. The Colonel laid particular stress
on the wheat question, and de-
clared that they should not sit quiet
ly by and allow the United King
dom to take 2S,0OO,0 900 quarters from
the United States when they might just
as well produce it in their great Northwest.
With tariff against American wheat and
Canadian wheat free the speaker could see
llO lCetoOu NhN IL NOulu AAOt SlNN piOhOobiS
employment to thousands and open up
vast amount of valuable territory. No
doubt, this would give Canadians an advant-
age in that one line, but there are other
fields open to the American farmers. But
if Canada rejects reciprocity with the
United States because of the flattering
prospects held out from England on the
wheat question, she will soon find that she
has very much the worst of bad bargain.
Colonel Vincent says the adoption of
his plan would compel America to open
her markets and "would send Major Nc
Kinley to an earthly DOOM" However, he |
advances no argument on this point, and |
it is plainly a statement for effect. He |
offers no debatable reasons to show why |
Canada should refuse reciprocity. In fact, |
he admitted that the idea of preferential |
trade" with Great Britain was futurity |
with only dim prospects of ever coming to
4 head. There are many good reasons why |
It would require years to bring it about
In the meantime, Canada will continue to
iraw large part of her supplies from us,
and We will reciprOcate by buying from
her what we cannot produce in our work
shops and fields-which is not worth
guarreling about