The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-09-21
LATEST
HIGGINS SPEECH.
The Delaware Senator Talks
About Canada.

OGDENsBURG, N. Y, Sept. Ex-senator
Higging of Delaware in his speech here
today said:
81 have accepted your invitation here
today to discuss the subject OF our rela-
tions with our neig hbors In Canada. Not
only these relations, but also the interests
OF the people, both Of Canada and the
United States, and especially those OF you
who live along the northern border and
engage in agricultural pursuits and have
been acutely affected by the recent tariff
legislation Of the American Congress.
.'The American farmer is subjected to the
direct and sharp composition in the AM
erican market with the farmer ofCanads,
who, with wages 81 per cent. lower than
are paid by the farmer of New York, and
with land more fertile in quality and 80
per cent. cheaper in price than land in
New York can grow his product at cost
of A per cent less than the farmer of
New York.
whatever may be your loss, certainly TO
them there will be- vast gain. Every cent
of duty now removed is present from
the treasury of the United States TO the
Canadian farmer of that much money on
all he may sell in the American market.
OF course this is not true of wheat or ar
ticles so internationally dealt in that the
prices are fixed abroad.
"But IL Is true of all products that can
only be consumed near by the place of
production, and therefore, in the Ameri-
can market. For this reason, and because
she is subject to the conditions incident
to her as a part of this continent, Canada
cannot be divorced from the American
market.
"The idea of policy, even temporary, OF
reciprocity between the two countries
based upon any treaty, will prove to be
illusory. The obstacles TO ii are struc-
tural and fundamental. In 1892 the Cam
adian Government sent representatives to
Washington to confer about such q treaty.
Their offer for reciprocity in natural pro-
ducts alone was declined by Mr.. Blaine.
mo people can be assured of stability
OF any prosperity that rests upon the
vicissitudes of the leg gislation of a foreign
government and Canada can have no as
surance that American legislation OF 1894
will stand more than four years longer. In
fact, only in continental unity, in the
union Of the people OF Canada and the
United Saates as equal states under our
federal constitution, can Canada be assured
the right to fully share in our markets
and only by continental unity can
all the outstanding differences and trou-
bles be settled that arise inevitably out OF
the continent being divided az it now is.
BY this means only can each government
be secured In it's revenues against snug
Cling from the other. Only by unity can
the continent be secured against the
Chinese invasion.
"Another difference arises out of the
agreement OF the treaty of Washington of
1871, whereby each country gave to the
citizens OF other equal privileges in the
use Of its canals. Despite this agree
ment, the Canadian government allowed
a rebate of Is cents ton on the
tolls for all grades shipped to Montreal,
20 the advantage of that port and to the
prejudice of American ports and canals.
Against this discrimination President
Harrison protested, and finally, IN retalia-
tion, applied like discriminating duties
upon all Canadian vessels passing through
the Sault Ste. Marie Canal.
"If Canada had been part of the United
States we would have had no question as
to the seal fisheries.
We foolishly entered into an arbitra-
tion, when We should have simply as
serted and maintained our property right
in the seals. That right would have
been admitted by Great Britain without
law would have been esta blished
"But these questions, though important,
are trivial when compared with that OF
encroach hments OF Canadian railways and
particularly the Canadian Pacific Rail-
way, upon the international carrying
trade of the United States, and as well
upon our commerce on both the Pacific
and Atlantic oceans.
1.-The Canadian Pacific, by its connect
ing lines OF steamers from Vancouver to
Portland and San Francisco, by its con-
Meeting lines of American railways to st.
Paul, Chicago, Cincinnati, St. Louis, Dem
yer, Boston and New York is absorbing a
colossal share OF the commerce of the con-
tinent.
"Not able to earn its axle grease by
Canadian traffic, it can afford always to
under bid its American competitors. The
American railways, especially those going
to the Pacific are running on unrelent-
less competition, while held as in q vice by
the long and short haul anti-pooling
clauses OF the Interstate Commerce act
are fast becoming bankrupt and American
investments are being destroyed.
-Four years of war, half million of
precious lives, 2,000, 900 manned by wounds
and disease and e., 900, ,000, 900 was the price
we paid and freely paid, that a strong
power, both military and civil, should
not be tablished on the South of the
American Union. Such power cannot
grow up on our North and not ultimately
bring war and approximately bring
preparations for war.
For Canada as nation OF 100000
people, we have feeling of neig nborly
smiability and indifference. For Canada
as nation of 20, ,0Oo, 900 or 90 ,0O0, 900 backed
by the power and interlsced with the in
terest OF the British Empire, we have, to
say the least, very different feeling"