The Anaconda standard., 1896-02-12
DEBATES IN LYCEUM
Young Students on the Question Of
Annex.ng Canada.
THE AFFIRMATIVE SIDE WINS
One Of the Speakers Classes the
United States Government With
That of Russia and Armenia
Eloquent Oratory.
THE AFFIRMATIVE SIDE WINS

Silver City Lyceum No. LAS OF the
Lyceum League of America gave its
first social session at the high school
last evening and the melting was of i'm
portance, not alone from the fact that
it was the first of a series of pleasant
and profitab BILE entertainments, but be-
cause il was decided, after a heated
debate, that the annexation of Canada
to the United States is desirable. The
future political relationship between
this country and Canada has been the
subject of great deal of thought by
the great men of both countries, and
there will be general satisfaction over
the fact that a definite conclusion has
been arrived at. The lyceum is com
posed principally of graduates of the
Butte high schol, and its opening ses-
sion was largely attended, the Eighth
grade room. in which ii was held, be-
ing crowded. A lively interest was
maifested in the debate which, natur-
ally, was the principal feature of the
evening. The following preliminary
programme was presented, ana was
well received:
Vocal solo-Miss Maggie sullivan.
Address by the president, James Bald
win.
Essay on the work of Irving Ernest
Calderhead.
BlanO uuet-flld SHtfIldH anu I-iiiiit
Hesse.
Vocal Solo-Julia Shea.
Then came the debate, the subject be-
ing: Resolved, That the political
union of Canada with the United states
would be a benefit to both countries.
Orville ]. Saville and James Baldwin
supported the affirmative side of the
question and Ernest Calderhead and
A. =. Jones opposed them. Martha Ar
mold Ella Spafford and Richard Dun
stan were agreed upon as judges. Mr..
Saville opened the debate. He said that
we might have commercial union with
Canada without political union, but
that there could not be political with
out commercial union. There is now
an almost complete fusion Of the people
of the two countries. A great many OF
Canada's greatest enterprises are own
ed largely by Americans; 1nter-mar-
riage between Canadians and Ameri-
cans are so frequent that they no long
er attract comment. and their financial
systems are practically the same. y
young Canadian thinks no more of
coming to the United States to make
his fortune than young Scotchman
does of going to London and British
shell could not burst i'm Montana or
any of the surrounding states without
hitting a Canadians home. The gov
! ernments Of the two countries are very
similar with the exception that cana
da's chief officers are appointed by En-
| gland. The expense of supporting the
| government in Canada Is proportion
/ ately much larger than II is in the
| United States but that is not the only
direction in which Canada would profit
| by becoming part of this country. The
| anneXa ton of Canada would consum-
| mate the most powerful union that the
| world has ever known and would guar
| antee us immunity from INVASION
/ CsalAarhtaH a Vsonlia1 in nnnnEl-
ton to the resolution in a most pessi-
/ mistic argument: Il admire the i'm
! maculate gall" he said. "of any one
! who has the nerve to tell us that Ca
| nadians would be benfted by becoming
| citizens of a country which is not fit
| for a white man to live in. This
| grand and glorious republic that we
| talk about is worse than Russia or Ar
| menia. In Canada n man has no free
| dom; he is a slave and he knows IL. In
/ this country we are Just as much
! slaves as the Canadians, but there are
| some who don't know it. Less than D
| per cent of the people i'm America run
! the country. a union Of Canada with
| such a country would be exceedingly
foolish" lie denied that the people Of
the two countries are very familiar
and said that there was not city in
the union in which the Canadians are
not the smallest percentage of foreign
10 times as many Irish or English as
| Canadians.
James Baldwin followed in a clear
| and logical address in support Of the
affirmative side Of the question. He
let the previous speaker off very easy
by simply expressing his regret at
hearing a young American make t1e
public statement that his country j.
worse than Russia He said that the
| Canadians try 10 imagine they are
! free but they are not Nincty-one per
| cent. Of the voters vote for the menu
bers of the lower house. bu- the gov
ernor general and all of the other high
officers are appointed by the crown, So
that the Canadian vote cuts very 1T
! tile figure in the government OF he
| country. The queen also has the power
to annul any law that is passed in
| Canada. In America we elect all OF
our officers ard II our country is not
what IL should he We have only our
selves to blame Canadians cannOt own
mineral ground in fee simple as do
! Americans. and % per cent OF all the
| gold that Is taken out Of their mines
goes TO the crown. Canada transports
one-siNteenth Of the commerce Of the
world and yet has no protection for
| her ships. ENGLAND has not prptccte
/ Canada beyond che building Of three
/ or four forts to resist invasion. The
I annexation Of Canada would give
America an unhroken water front and
make il impossible for England - GOA
and provision her navy in North
! America \ union with this country
would enhance Carada's property val
ue-s and the value of her resources and
would give her Two open markets. this
country ana England. instead Of only
one II would also give the United
states some of the most valuable land
on -ha face uf the earth and end The
Bering sea trouble and Alaskan bound
ary dispute Nr Baldwin stated that
Canada's mines ar the richest that
have ever been known. and in the mex
breath said tha- he~ mineral resouces
have not been developed. as the people
object u giving up - per cent. Of tht
/ proceeds 70 England.
Mr.. Jones closed the debate. he sal