Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1891-07-24
aPUBLIC OPINIONS"
Third Prize Essay Paper.
Is any Erfensi0R aud Development Of
Trade Befaccea The Unifed States and
Canada Dcardbieg"
nY D. cr.Arnr or ANNArnI.ls-

It having been demonstrated that the
geographical and Typographical situation
Of Canada is such that she cannot trade
with any other country with the same
facility as with us; and that our advan.
tage In juxtaposition and propinauity
Is such as practically TO cut of several
OF her provinces from any other success
full trade; 1t having been demonstrated
that our advantages In easy access TO aud
rapid and cheap communication with
her provinces are such as to enable us to
deal with them at fair profit on terms
that would cause an actual loss TO any
other nation; IL having been demonstra-
ted that In addition TO these natural al
vantages that we on account of our inn
mense population present 10 her larger
market for the consumption Of her agri-
cultural produce than is elsewhere avail
able, and IL being acknowledged that our
extensive manufacture of all articles
needed and used by an agricultural PEG.
pie, and the superior quality and cheap
er price at which we can supply her
with such goods, gives US still greater
advantage over all other nations, 1t
would seem that Canada from the very
nature and condition of things Is COM
PEELED from self-interest to trade with
the United States, and that we are bound
TO get her trade under any circumstances
In fact we do get II, and some OF her
provinces are more dependent upon the
United States In matters of commerce
than many States of the Union are.
This being the present condition Of
affairs any probable scheme OF recipro-
city between the two countries would
not be desirable for the United states.
/. No article can be produced in and
supplied by Canada that II would not be
more desirable for the United States TO
develop and extend the production OF
within Its own borders, aud IL would
not be sound policy for the United
States by removing the tariff upon agri-
cultural produce to at the same time
supply cash for the development OF
Canada and reduce the profits OF our
farmers, while much of our own terri
fory is undeveloped and many of our
farmers are In financial distress.
2. Canada being colony of .Great
Britain there would be every likelihood
that the result of free trade with her
would be practical wiping out of the
tariff barriers against British cheap pro.
ductions, for in many cases ii would be
difficult to distinguished goods manu-
featured in England from goods of Ca.
madam manufacture
3. The gain to the American manufac-
turer would be small because the Cana
dian would still buy everything he
could from the mother country-and
probably he gets from us now almost
all he would purchase under a lower
tarif, :. e., what he cant get from Eng
land
OF course any modification of the Cana
dian tariff in favor of the manufacturers
OF this country which did not involve a re
duction of our tariff upon Canadian farm
products would be desirable for the
United States, as free trade in coal,
which would certainly benefit both coun.
tries, likewise any increase OF railroad
and transportation facilities between
them by which trade would be extended
or developed would be desirable for
both
A complete commercial absorption of
Canada into the United States might, If
practically possible, also be desirable for
the United States, as then Canada would
necessarily purchase everythinglfrom us
at gain to the people at large which
would probably compensate the Nation
for the decrease in the farmers profits
caused by the free admission of Cana
dian farm products and the country
would not be injured, because in that
case Canada would spend more with us
than we would with her. But complete
commercial union can never be success
fully effected until Canada is free and
Independent nation. And as anything
less than such indentical tariff regula.
tions and full commercial union. would
not. it seems be advantageous to the Unit
ed States. II therefore appears that there
are at present no means available for in
creasing the commerce between the two
countries that would not result in great.
er disadvantage than advantage to the
United States, and that hence from a
United States point Of view any exten
sion and development of trade between
the United States and Canada is not de
sirable