New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-10-03
Mr. CLETELlNDS FOREIGN FRIENDS

The Canadian papers. both Liberal and Tory,
are quito a anxious as the British press THAI
Mr.. Cleveland should be elected. There are 4
rre1t many Canadian-born voter. in the United
States notably in New-York state. Now-EnS
land, Michigan, Illinois, Minnesota and the Da-
NotaS, and the Canadian papers are urging them
70 support Mf. Cleveland in order that Canada
NAV obtain tree access for her product, g. ia"
American market II would p.c9,3 the Cana
dian and English Tories beyond measure u "a,
Canadian people were allowed t. cnIoy all 'a'
commercial advantages Of American citizenship
without having 20 bear any of is rcsp'nNhllI-
ties Tho movement in favor of the yolitica!
uniyn If the two countries which Is making
raid progress throughout the Dominion would
then die Of hamilton. sine, the Canadian farm
ers fishermen. lumbcrmen and miners would
wax fat At the expense OF tho American pro
Queer Of Ike commodities. while the CanaAan
uanufact.ircr would be in better position th'n
ever for excluding American factory goods
under tho so-callcd National Policy. II would
he a lug handled business all on the side Of
Canada. Just - the reciprocity treaty OF 1856
&C was.
When that treaty was framed hy Mr.. Marcy.
Socrctlry Of state in the Dem ,cratc Cabinet OF
President Pierce. and by Lord Elgin. the Cana
dian Provinces were scethlng with discomfort
They had been deprived hy the triumph OF FREQ
Trade in England Of preferential treatment for
their wares in the English market and found
the American tariff burdensomc in other words.
the economic situation in Canada AT that time
was virtually identical with the situation to-
| tt.,en ~
the front rank bad issued a manifesto in behalf
of annexation. and public meetings were pass
ing resolutions in the same strain. The british
Government saw the danger and Lord Elgn,
the Canadian Governor, FASTENED TO Washing
ton and contrvcd, by the employment, 1t was
said. Of subterrancan methods, to secure the
adoption by Congress OF the treaty which pro-
yided for the free exchange OF natural products
and Of those only. The instrument had no
sooner gone into force than the Tory majority
in the Canadian Parliament greatly augmented
the duties on American manufactured goods So
as to prevent MS from paving with such goods
for the dcluge of barley, oats, beans hops, lum-
Der and fish that descended from the North.
The result was that the exports Of Canada 10
the United States increased enormously while
American exports of manufactures declined
after 1856, and those Of natural products owing
TO the limited demand In Canada never at any
time reached the proportions which Mr. Marcy
and his party friends had anticipated. The
Canadians had every thing their own way, a.
they would have everything Their own way
again IT, in obedience to the platform OF their
party. the Democrats were 20 succeed in repeal
ing the agricultural schedule OF the Mckinley
act as a vicious and unconstitutional piece OF
legislation
The political consequences Of the treaty, OF
interest to all Americans, Canadan-born or
otherwise. who desire to witness the unica,on
of the continent. were described by Sir John
Macdonald, the late Tory leader, in state
paper February 10, 1869 requesting the Brit
ish Government to leave nothing undone at
Washington To obtain the prOl0ngatiOn Of 50
highly profitable an arrangement. 1t would
be impossible" Sir John wrote. " to express in
figures with any approach to accuracy the ex-
tent to which the facilities OF commercial inter
course created by the reciprocity treaty have
contributed to the wealth and prosperity of this
provinces and it would be difficult 10 cxaggerac
the Importance which tho people Of Canada at
tach to the continued enjoyment Of these facili-
ties" He added that, owing 10 the concession
by Great Britain of self government to Canada
combined with the advantages secured by the
reciprocity treaty OF an unrestricted commerce
with our nearest ncighbors in the natural pro-
ductions Of the two countries. all agitation foi
organic changes has ceased, all dissatisfaction
with the existing political relations Of the
province has wholly disappeared" because, as
he in closing pointed out, Of the connection
which is usually found to exist between the
material prosperity and the political content
ment OF pcople.'
II Mr.. Cleveland were elected the farmers o!
Ncw-York and other border States would he
placed in even a worse dilemma than they were