St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-12-04
ANNEXATION OF CANaDA

| LcCLlVGS.
ANNEXATION OF CANADA.
A mass meeting has just been held in
the principal public square of Montreal
for the discussion of the situation of the
| Dominion. The speakers numbered
many of the most noted lights of the va
rious political parties. 1t was debate
in which the audience was to decide by
a vote the merits of the positions taken.
In the outcome 1,500 voted for indie
pendence from Great Britain, nearly
1000 for annexation to the United
States, about 200 in favor Of the
present Tory government. and rs
for British federation. The papers
of Canada are full of talk of an-
neXation. The immediate cause for this
vigorous 0utburst up there is not alto
gether apparent at this distance; but it
is evident that the people are chatting I'M
der their enormous public debt, and cast
ing about for means of relief. This debt is
about $240, 900, 000,a per capita of $50. The
interest is represented as being greater
than the income of the country; SO
that the candle is gradually burning
down to the socket. Nor is the debt
more onerous than the means by which
it was contracted are aggravating. A vast
amount Of the debt arose in the building
OF the Canadian Pacific railway. Many
leading Canadian papers do not hest
tate to say that this deal was the most
barefaced and stupendous sWindle ever
perpetrated.
Another source of discomfort is their
form of government. Canada is CON-
posed of seven provinces. These are
not independent OF the central govern
ment, as are the states of our Union.
Each province has its local house. This
is legislative body which enacts the
local laws: but its measures are subject
to veto by the governor general in couu-
Gil. The exercise of this central power
has several times caused serious dis
turbances: and only few years ago
Manitoba threatened to rebel because
the veto power had been exercised in it's
local affairs.
The Canadians are highly intelli-
gent, home-loving, conservative race.
They abhor conflicts. and are naturally
slow to take up with anything which has
a revolutionary tendency.
The tie which binds them to the Brit.
ish government is so slender that it is
not burdensome. They pay no taxes to
the mother country, and the only cost of
the connection is the salary and ex-
penses of the governor general the
queen sends them, which amount to a
total of about 100000 year. The Do
miniOn parliament makes the laws, AMI
its enactmentS are not subject to reve.
ion by the government across the ocean.
The high tariff laws of the Dominion do
not exempt the commercial interests of
Great Britain from the payment o.
duties. Considering all these things. it
is not strange that the Conservative
party up there is still powerful.
But there is an undercurrent of feel
ing which will some time break out with
sufficient power to overthrow the exist
ing political situation. 1t is very evil
dent that within few years Canada
will be either an Independent nation or
a part of the United States. With the
proper encouragement from this side of |
the line it will be the latter.
The national debt is the great source
of unrest, and sooner or later the people |
will rise in their might and hail with +!
open arms means of relief. even at the
cost of severing the tender ties of blood
Great Britain will afford Canada
no relief. OF all the possessions of |
that great country, Canada is least
priced. The commercial leaders of Eng
land assert openly that Canada is of no
benefit to their interests. Indeed, it is
the current belief among Canadian |
statesmen that England would not re- |
sist if the Dominion sought freedom.
Were Canada an independent nation, |
it would be in still worse condition, |
for it would stand almost wholly with |
out credit in the money markets of the |
world, and be farther away from the |
ability to pay its public debt.
Ii annexed to the United States. the |
provinces would become independent |
states, whose laws would not be sub
Ject to revision by the central govern |
ment. This means vast deal. In 1776
there was not vast difference between
the populations of Canada and the
American colonies. Today the Domin-
ion has hardly 100000 people. and we
have over 60,000,OOO The independence
OF the states has proved an encourage
ment to immigration which cannot be
estimated. Ours is government in
which every state is sovereignty, and
every man monarch. Its character is
known in every nook of the broad world,
and the people of all races are fiocking
to us for homes. Canada has the great
provinces of Manitoba and British CO.
Lumlla. ThnSa nnntain bnnd.aLa |