The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-02-24
CANADA AND UNCLE SAM.
How the Project CT Annexation is
Regarded by the Former.
The Great Majority Of the PeOpiO Of the Dom.
iniOn Sre stsrnly Opposed to Tt CONNER.
cial and Not Political Union is What They
Desire - Timely Interviews with Leading
Map

TORONTO, ONT, Feb. %, lS9l-It is anus
ing to one who investigates the question on
the ground, to lind, how all basis for the |
idea of the annexation Of Canada Ndes
away, as soon as one looks into It, One
would think from the amount Of foolishness
produced on this subject, and peddled out
to the people, under the label of Reliable"
that it was to be the panacea for all our
ills, 40 far as the Dominion is concerned
There are some people who can never look
over their ncighbor's fields, without the de-
sire TO annex them by purchase or piracy.
You have seen a greedy OK or COW stand with
head over tho line fence, and push at the
top rail, in the vain effort to get hold Of some
Of the crops ON the other side, when there
was even better picking on his own side.
This is the case with the few annexationists,
that exist on the American side Of the line,
and they are so lew in number, that it Is
wonder in the science Of " booming" how
they have contrlyed to keep up such hula
baloo, in the few weak minds that are agitated
on this subject.
1t is safe to say, that aside from a small
coterie OF blatherskites, who do not believe
what they are saying, and smaller coterie Of
" believers. who are ignorant of the condi-
tions Of the two countries, there is not per-
son who heartily and sincerely believes in
annexation. That it may eventually occur
by sheer force of natural and national gravi-
tation, some sensible people like Goodwin
Smith believe, but should that time ever
come, it will find full and frank acceptance,
by both sides, and be in no sense what annex
coercion or Of propagandism.
Nine-tenths Of the whole American people,
on both sides Of the line, would vote point
blank against it, In the United States, we
have all the problems we want TO attend to,
without importing any. We are engaged in
! the process Of grinding up and assimiating
about 100000 foreigners every year, and
making national material out OF the conglom-
crate mixture That, with the finance and
| tariff questions, the adjustment Of power
between different portions ot the country
| the public management OF railroads, the
question Of monopolies, the greater problems
I OF municipal government, and America has
enough to do without dipping her spoon in
the Dominion soup plate. Besides We might
find the broth very hot and seasoned very
! high.
Canada has not the slightest thought Of an
nexation, even with small "a" Such Il
sentiment, II it ever existed before the Cana
! dian union, IS deader than the fabied door
nail.
Canada resembles u chG,n of sausages,
stretched across the continent divided into
four sections. Ontario forms the cul de sac
that hangs down between the lakes Ontario,
Erie and Huron, and is the section in which
most naturally, this annexation sentiment
would be found, and / aver, that SO far as
Canada is concerned it does not exist By
diligent search it cannot be found and it has
no existence as a political power. Those
people who imagine that by some hocus
|
ferred under the American hat, slyly, have q
conception Of political jugglery that would dc
credit to old Ransom Payne. A crazy head
he presented himself at 4 newspaper office
and wished five copies of circular printed
announcing himself as a candidate for Presi
dent Of the United States The editor, as
tonished at such lavish display Of printer.
ink, asked bin II it would not be better t
have his candidacy announced in the news
papers, and SO create BOOM. mo,
said the old fellow "you don't understan,
this We want to keep quiet about it ami thes
Eve circulars will be put in the hands c
tried friends, who at the propertime will shoy
them to the public, and triumphantly sweel
me in"
In the first place. there is nothing in Canad
that we want. We have territory enough now
We have people enough coming, without at
tempting 10 steal any, we have troubl
enough now, with our present complication
Of various nationalities. In the next place
We have nothing to offer them beyond
larger and better market than they now have
in many points they are ahead oI US and it /
no idle remark when We say that We hay
nothing to oiler them. Perhaps we could in
troduce Tummany TO them, we could Civ
them lessons in coal combinations, municipl
elections, Grayesend politics and New Jerse
horse-Tacing. We could hold up our India
policy, our Hawaiian projects, our trusts, ou
e sensational journalism and our societies OF
ganized to punch up with a sharp sticl
= those who ara elected TO do things but d
= not do. them. Our societies for the preyel
I ton Of officers dodging the duty they wei
: elected to perform, and paid for, would be quit
d an nducement in II country where the law
d are better obeyed than at home.
d Two projects looking toward 4 change
3 relations between the United States an
!, Canada have been considered, but sOoth
& say only one Of them has any considerOb
@ body Of adherents. First the Federation {
J. Commercial union which is nothing mol
'. than Reciprocity carried out. Second
e political union Goldwn Smith has cause
II this idea to be well-known. There are b,
10 two Englishmen, who can be said to be know
n to Americans that Is to the people
h America. as distinc. from the few journalist
n statesmen and students, and these two a
ID Gladstone and Goodwin Smith. The latt,
b gentleman, who was formerly lecturer c
le historical and political science, at Cornt
IS University, and contributor to our leadiI
Is periodicals, has advocated closer lntlmat
p between the two countries lie ls now
't Europe and 1t is safe to say. that his theor
% in Ontario, at least, have almost no followil
y and arc freely laughed at. OF the secoI
II policy Mr.. Smith Says:
p Annexation is IN ugly word it seems
1t convey the idea Of force or pressure, appli,
m to tho smaller state, not of free, equal al
h honorable union, like that between Englal
Il. and Scotland. Yet there is no reason vi
st the union of the two sections of Engli
IL A =.