Middletown transcript., 1894-06-30
THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA

Senator Higgins Able Argument on
the Effect of the Democratic Tariff
on the Relations Between
These Countries.
wish this time to ask the attention
Of the Senate to some observations
which felt moved to make with re-
gard to the effect of this bill upon our
relations with our neighbors of Canada
and therein and thereby of the most far
reaching consequence to them and
to US as common citizens Of one conti-
tinent.
The Mckinley legislation, Mr.. Pres
ident if may call it so, is an object
lesson upon both sides of the line. 1t
shows to the American farmer what an
easy remedy he has against foreign
competition, and how he can secure for
himself the plentitude of our domestic
market for his product, a matter of
concern the largest at times when we
are met in the markets Of the world by
all the problems of Asiatic and South
American and Australian and other
foreign competitition, and all the COM
plexity of the problem of silver as a
money metal. To the Canadian it was
an object lesson at the same time. 1t
showed to him the absolute uncertainty
of the American market for him so
long as he chooses to indulge in the
luxury of being either foreign to the
United States or British dependency
that whatever crop he may plant,
whatever particular manufacture or
mining plant he may establish, its
prosperity or welfare or its destruction
are dependent upon the viciSsitudes of
American politics, and upon the action
taken in this Legislature over which
he has 10 control. The bill now be
fore the Senate, for the first time in
American history, proposes to give and
hand over TO the Canadians almost a
free market in their nat lral products,
absolutely without any compensation
in return. What shall be our policy
toward Canada, the policy of the Nc
Kinleylaw or the policy of this socalled
Wilson bill? l submit that our true
policytoward Canada must begoverned,
under present conditions, not so much
bycommercial as by political considera-
tions, and that it must be governed by
the great fact of our geographical prox-
nifty and of her membership as de-
tendency of the the British Empire.
1t is not the same case as it would be
if we were dealing with Australia, or
the Cape Colonies, or India, orany
other British dependency. Indeed 1T
not the same case at all, because all
tue reasons lead to the conclusion that
never would ask for any special ar
rangements with US of that kind. Cam
ada only asked for special reciprocal
treatment from us in our tariff because
of her geographical proximity, and in
deed her geographical proximity is the
great vital fact and consideration in
this policy.
But a matter of very much more i'm
portance is the aggressions Of the Cana
nian railways upon American railways
and transportation interests in the in
ternal commerce OF the United States,
AS we all know, the policy was adopted
at the very outset Of our government
that all coastwise commerce must be
carried in American ships. Not q
pound Of British or Canadian or other
foreign freight between American ports
could be carried in other than Ameri-
can bottoms; and such is the law to-
day. 1t is the law on the Great Lakes
quite as much as it is on the seaboard
on either the Atlantic or tile Pacific
Coasts. Yet there has grown mp
practice, only permitted, mot authorized
by law, by which Canadian railways
carry American merchandise through
Canadian territory from one point in
the United States to another point in
the United States. thereby to the ex-
tent Of such traffic taking to them
s-ives traffic which, if carried by ship or
vessel, could only be carried by an
American ship or vessel.
Canada for six months OF the year
L cut off from the sea by ice. Montreal
and Quebec cannot he reached. Tie
Intercolonial road from Montreal and
Quebec to Halifax passes through a
country practically impossible at that
time of the year. So their easy and
natural course during the ice bound
season is through our Atlantic ports:
and that section we have simply said to
them tha, we will permit goods to be-
carried from Europe or Else where
foreign countries through our Uu|
States Atlantic ports and over our
ways to Canada without IMPOSING