St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-06-07

who took the view that Mr.. Springer is
the leader of his party in congress, and
will there ably advocate reciprocity.
When the chairman Of the conven-
ton, Hon. James Fisher, M. Z. p.
arose to call the meeting TO order he
took the opportunity to outline in a
brief way some of the instructions
given the Canadian delegates. He re-
garded it an important incident that a
person of such distinction as Hon. Will
lam M. Springer should be present. and
he desired to say to that gentleman on
behalf of the Northwest that reciproc-
ity is IN the air; that he may go back
to his work i'll congress strengthened III
the belief that the Northwest wants
reciprocity.
Mr.. Fisher said the Dominion people
have difficulties that they desire to
place before the public. He referred to
the conference held between repre-
sentatives Of Canada and MI. Blaine,
Mr.. Foster and other Americans in
Washington, and said that the Dominion
representatives stated at home in an
official way that the Americans had out
lined policy Oh reciprocity that
Involved an Exchange
of manufactured and national products;
that the tariff between the two coun-
tries should be uniform and united
against the rest of the world. There
was another point laid down by the
Americans which the Canadians thought
extraordinary, and that was that the
duties to be levied should be along the
line of the American tariff. Mr.. Fisher
said he wanted to make such statements
so that Mr.. Springer might explain how
the Dominion people feel on the subject
Mr.. Fisher stated further that the board
of trade of Winnipeg had instructed its
delegates to resist any movement to-
ward treaty that should use the
American tariff as basis and to re-
strict the Dominion against free eX-
change with the rest Of the world.
Chairman Fisher then introduced
bon. William Springer, vino psoceeded
to address the meeting on the questions
Of interest to the association. Mr..
Springer was accorded hearty recep-
tion, and throughout his entertaining
address was greeted with repeated APP
plause and expressions of approval and
enthusiasm.
In the midst of Mr.. Springer's address
the electric lights went out, and the
Auditorium was in complete darkness
for some minutes except from the
light given from matches burned
In the building by num-
Der of men. Mr.. Springer took
occasion of the incident to say
that the darkness was like that
that overshadoWs the people
of the country on the tariff, but
that it, like the temporary darkness of
the close of his address, Mr.. Springer
was given three hearty cheers and
"tiger" at the suggestion of Canadian
delegate.
The chlrman stated that the delegates
to the convention had been rendered
reception at the Commercial club, and
the meeting would be ended with the
fitting and able speech of the distin-
guished gentleman from Illinois.
Mr.. Springer was greeted with hearty
applause, and in opening dIsclaimed
any intention of speaking for others
than himself. saying tnat what he
| should advocate would simply represent
| the views which he entertained as an
| individual, and cannot be construed as
| policy which may be pursued by con-
| gress or the Democratic party. What
| ever policy the party may adopt will be
| determined when congress meets, and
after consultation with all the repre-
sentatlves Of the people and of the
states and the general government.
| He continued in substance as follows:
Freedom of Commerce.
| The most important feature In the union
| of our states is the absolute freedom of trade
| which the constitution secures in all the
| states of the republic. To this feature of our
| institutions can be attributed more substan-
| tial growth of our country than to any other
| one cause. 1t has caused our great forests to
/ be felled, our prairies to be populated, and
| our mountains TO be brought under control
of man, our continent to be spanned with
| railroads and our commerce upon sea
and land to be developed to condition sur
| prising to ourselves and incomprehensible
! to the people Of other countries. There Is
no feature of our government the people
| would relinquish more unwillingly than this
| For it they sent hundreds of thousands of
| men to the front in the late war, and one of
| the arguments most frequently used for en-
couraging enllstments III our army was the
! necessity of keeping open forever the Mis-
sissippi river from St Paul to the Gulf. No
| citizen Of our fepublie would for moment
| consent 10 the establishment Of any restric-
ton whatever upon the trade between the
! various states OF our Union.
If this trade has been so beneficial, what
reason can we give, what argument can we
offer III favor of continuing this trade among
| our own states which will not apply TO the
trade between the states Of the Dominion Of