The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-07-28
Canada and the Klondike.

Canada and the Klondike.
When the first heavy shipments of gold
from the Klondike were made this summer,
a British subject In Victoria, who had
acquired some American idioms, Is said to
have remarked with bitterness: "Look at
all this treasure taken from our territory,
and we not In It'll" As time has gone on
the feeling Of resentment and greed has
waxed Intense among the anti-American
section of the Canadian people, and various
methods OF securing a part OF the mineral
wealth unearthed by Americans have been
suggested. The plan Of expelling Ameri-
can miners from the digsings has, for sew
eral reasons, been pronounced impracti-
cable, but, according to a telegram from
Ottawa, the Dominion Government has de-
cided to confscate a part Of their earnings
by imposing a very high royalty upon the
precious metal brought to light, no less
than $50 a day being the amount proposed.
Ostensibly, the royalty is to be levied upon
all miners without regard to nationality;
but, as the number Of Canadians at the
Klondike is very small, most Of the burden
will fall, and is meant to fall, upon
Americans.
We advise the Dominion Government to
move slowly in the matter of plundering
American miners. The collection of the
proposed royalty will prove difficult and
costly. Thoroughly to enforce the proposed
law would require every mining claim to
be watched night and day during the period
when the pay dirt Is washed. Is to
say, there would have to be as many police
men as there are claim workers. The Otta-
wa authorities have, at present, no force
adequate for the purpose in the gold.bear-
ing section, nor could they this year place
a sufficient force upon the ground. In the
case even Of the small number Of claims
which now or next spring they might man.
age to keep under surveillance, the attempt
to levy the royalty would be almost GER
tainly resisted. The resistance would
quickly become organized, and the Cana
dian officials would have to face a collision
with the miners which might result in
bloodshed. The effect of such a col
lision on public feeling in the United
States would, obviously, be deplorable, and
the provocation of the incident by the
Dominion Government would be probably
viewed with severe reprobation in Great
Britain.
So much for the immediate outcome of
an attempt on the part Of Canada to con-
fiscate a part Of the earnings of American
miners by the imposition of a high royalty |;
the evil consequences Of the measure, how
ever, would not stop there. 1t Is a poor
rule that will not work both ways, and the
means of retaliation would be ready to our
hand. There Is reason to believe that the
largest portion of the gold deposits made
! by the tributaries of the Yukon lies within
American territory, and the next deposits
of startling richness are expected to be
found in that quarter. When the migra-
tion takes place, as soon or late 1t will, to
such new-found diggings, the American
miners, smarting under the effort to wiring
royalties from them at klondike, will not
be disposed to wait for Congress to act
in the premises; they will take the
law INTO their own hands and ruthlessly
bar Canadians out of all mining camps
on American soil. That, moreover, will be
only the first step in the way of reprisals.
The Alien Labor bill, vetoed by CLEvE-
LAND, a clause of which, it will be remem-
bered. pressed with special rigor on Cana
dams. will be promptly ~reintroduced In
Congress and reenacted, and public opin-
ion, inflamed by Canada's treatment of our
miners, will not permit President MCKIN-
E to withhold from 1t his signature.
Nor would this be the only penalty to
which Canadians will have exposed them
selves. The demand, hitherto UNDECIDED,
for the suppression of the bonding privi-
leges now enjoyed by Canadian railways,
will become loud, firm, and irresistible.
At present, as everybody knows, Canadian
railways are allowed, through the liberali-
ty OF our Government, to transport import
ed goods in bond from our seacoast to
American consumers in the far West,
whereas the same commodities, II they are
to be transported over American lines,
u pay duty at the port OF entry.
Such fragrant discrimination against
American railways in favor OF foreign
rivals will not be for a m tolerated
by the people of this country, after the ra-
pacious and hostile spirit of the Dominion
Government shall have been Enthusiastically
disclosed by an attempt to rob American
miners of the fruit of the fearful hardshins
and sufferings incident to labor in the Ice
bound soil of the Arctic gold fields.
When California's gold diggings and gold
mines were discovered, British subjects
"oio "SASohhcu 10 u SNARE VI lhe pioeiouo
harvest. Our Federal authorities would
have scorned to shut out or to harass by
tho levying of royalties the Argonauts of
40, no matter from what foreign land they
hailed. The Dominion Government may do
wisely TO profit by our example.
Richard Croker n Tammany Hall.
1t la renorted In thu HernLd that Mr.