The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-11-13
rAE xkuroUyD.AND ELECTIONS
The Troubles OF the Island md Its Inevttr-
btc nssttur.

! victory for the Whteway Cabinet The popu
| lation OF Newfoundland Is composed OF TIVE
! classes tho working fishermen. always miscr
ably poor and tho fish merchants. mostly
agents OF British houses. who import goods
md truck thom for the catch OF the coast fish
ermon. putting an eSorbtant price upon the
goods and as low a price upon the FISH "a tho
fishermen will stand. To win an election 1t Is
necessary to satisfy both those bodies. and Sir
William Whteway contrivcd to do so. lie got
the votes of the merchants by promising to
| mako another attompt 10 obtain reciprocity
with tho United States. and tho votes OF the
fishermen by guaranteeing them employment
during tho winter season upon the construc-
tlon OF roads lighthouses. AMI local railways.
In tho thick Of the campaign. Sir robert Thor
burn. the chief Oppositionist. went over to
Sir Williams side.
Newfoundland. like Canada loses many OF
her people by emigration. The pick OF tho
fishermen flock to Gloucester. the artisans
and clerks to New York, Boston. and Chicago
In order to check this movement and also to
augment the revenues OF the colony. tho
Premier proposes 10 increase the tariff. and
make 1t protective in some RESPECTS. Tho
merchants did not like this part OF his pint
form. but were assured that with higher
tariff 1t would be all the easier to neg otiats
with tho United States. Sir William White
way has taken a leaf out OF the late Sir
John Macdonald's book. Sir John fondy
imagined that he could stop the exoJus fro n,
Canada by imposing protective duties. and
that by means OF "reciprocity Of tariffs" as he
called It, he could force the American people
to grant reciprocity Of trade But the exodus
from Canada to-day Is fully as large as It was
in 1870, and the prospect Of reciprocity is
quite as remote rs then.
Canada Newfoundland. and the West India
possessions OF England have become common
ca satellites of the United States Reciprocitv
IN somo form with us is the boon above all
others which they crave. Time was when
England gave their wheat. luuh.r. and sugar
preferential treatment in tho m ark ct in return
for III o treatment to her manufactures in their
markets. The British Empire had then we'll
defined customs policy. but 1t was dissolved on
the adoption OF free trade by tho parent State
and the parent State cannot afford to restore It,
The English protectionists maintained that
the withdrawal OF preferential treatment from
the North American colonies would lead
sooner or later to their voluntary annexation
to tho United States-a prediction that Ia cor
tain to be fulfilled The desire to trade freely
with this country. to participate in the m ate
rial advantages Of American citizenship, is at
the bottom of the annexation movement In
Canada. When Lord Salisbury, at the instance
procty treaty in 1890. Newfoundland came
within an nee Of cutting the painter.
few years ago the Newfoundlanders had
serious thoughts Of Joining Canada. The
Canadian Tories were ready to welcome them
The new province would have required an out
fit OF public works. ana the Tories would have
had the spending OF the money. But about that
time the French shore question broke out
aGresh in Newfoundland. Under the provisions
Of the treaty Of Utrecht concluded between
England and France in lbs. France asserts
an exclusive right to the fishery from Cape st.
John. on the northeast coast northward to
Cape Norman and down the west coast to its
extreme southerly point at Cape Ray: in other
words. to more than one-third OF the whole
coast line OF Newfoundland AS interpreted
by the Newfoundlanders the treaty gives tho
French merely concurrent right with British
subjects, but tho French contend for an ex-
elusive right. not only to tho cod fishery but to
the trapping and canning OF Holsters.
The controversy has been ragin. Off and on
for a hundred years. As Talleyrand said in
another case. the more the disputants explain
the less they understand each other. French
Gunboats now destroy the nets and traps OF
the Newfoundland fishermen who retaliate by
refusing to sell bait TO the French fishermen Of
the Miquelon Islands. off the south coast the
right of the Newfoundland Government to col
lect customs duties from the migratory French
population has been challengedi railroads
cannot be built across the island because the
French will not grant the use OF a terminal
harhor on the west shore. This anarchical con-
dition Of affairs having been brought to their
notice. the Canadian Tories have lost interest
IN the project Tor bringing Newfoundland into
the confederation. II they took in Newfound-
land they would have to assume the quarrel