The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-09-14
N, o.n.r party o,,er us, 1ieave out Of view

the other pAr,y offcr us2 Ileave out OF VIC"
considerations OF commerce and sentiment.
Mr. Glen tells us that there are a. ieast
/, 800, 900 Canadians now ready to cross the
border and become American citizens rs soon
no they are satisfied that there II no bope OF
annexation. II this be correct ought we not
to F" ait tight" anil let them como? why
should We take with them tho territory which
they flnd so Improbable that they are deter
mined 10 abandon II II we will not take II overF
Above all. why should We take with thcm tho
encumbrauces under which that territory now
lat ors II Mr.. Glen Ia right In his estimate OF
tile assets and liabilities az Canada? 1t Is per-
fcctly clear that We cannot annex canada WIN
out annoxing her public debt. Ought we n
10 cot ot tho exact truth ms to this bcflre the
question OF annexation becomes q burning
question?
Mr. Glen tells ua that tho nor capita debt
OF Canada, dsducting only cash In the Treas
ury, IL not much. II any less than 80. equal to
a debt bnsed uron population for this county
OF si,55O. 100000. estimating our population
now at O5 100000" Clearly. IL these estimates
DO accurate. the anxiety OF the Canadian Lib
erals tn ret the hannI published between the
Dominion ana the Union Is quito Rs intelligi.
bio as the eagerness OF much-encumpcred
British and Continent al n oblcmen TO exchange
thcr coronets for tho cash OF American helr-
csssa or course. l ain aware. As doubtless
also IL Nc. Glen. that tho rcnl value
OF calculations based on tho relation OF
dcbt to population Ia not very gront.
II II were POSSIBLE. as unluckiy 1t Is not to get
al exact estimates OF the assets or the wealth
and resources OF n country. such estimates
would give us much better basis for meaaur-
ing The pressure OF public debts. We might
then be able. for example. to provo that
Queensland. which in 1880 was carrying per
Ssn e4all - Inuo
burdened by that DEBT than tho Argentine He
public, which in 1889 wns carrying a per CAPITA
pltlic debt OF $S2D2. Nevertheless. tho
English investors who are having such
pleasant time now with their Argentine loans.
have mortally offended Queensland by declih-
ing to advance small additional sum to that
Rrent Australian dependency.
Taking per cnrita estimates. however. for
what they nre worth. It Ia pretty plain that
Canada. with q per capita debt OF $40 accord
ing TO Mr.. Glon. has more to gain iron an
ncxation than the United States. Our per
capita debt In 1889 was no more than $2j.0D
without positively and finally rejecting tbs
advances OF our northern sutton, might We not
With advantage invite him. not indeed to tarry
at Jericho until his beard be grown. but to
got his affairs into better order before he
asks US to SGT up housekeeping with him?
Certainly We ought to insist on his making
clean breast OF his affairs. While Mr.. Glen.
who 10 urgent for the nuptials. tells us that
Canada owes $40 per capita. the officials OF tho
Dominion in the Statistical Year Book of
Canada" published In 1900, put down the
amount at no moro than s4G70. How are these
two conflicting estimates to be rcconoiledf II
the official estimate Is correct. the per capita
burden on Canada 10 rather less than 50 per
cont In weight than that Of G eat Britain.
which In 1889 carried per capita indebted
ness Of $3.50. But even at tho official figure
1t is very nearly 100 per cent greater than the
per capita burden Of the Federal indebtedness
OF the United States. W. II. H.
NEW YORK. Sept. H.