The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-08-15

Il leans that destiny sooner or
later will cause Canada to link
her fortunes with the United States.
This belief rests on hope instead of
evidence. 1t is born of the idea that
sometime, in the course of human
events, the good common sense of the
people of the dominion will impel them
to prefer Identification with the grow
ing wing of the English-speaking race.
which is next door to an anomalous
connection with a political power 5000
miles oversea, a power believed by
many to have reached the zenith of
it's greatness and to be vcrging rapid
ly toward it's decline.
The probabilities in this direction
are considered in an instructive paper
contributed to the current Forum by
John Charlton, member of the Anglo
American Joint High Commission.
Noticing first the voluntary presence
of Canadian troops in South Africa,
fighting shoulder to shoulder with the
English regulars in the cause of the
empire, which he claims marks an
epoch in British history and forecasts
a sentimental tightening of the bands
Of empire, he treats next of the part
which material interests play in
cementng the existing relationship,
notably the fact that Great Britain Is
almost the exclusive market for Can
adas food products ana purchases
two thirds of her total exports.
Canada in area is only five per cent
arabic land fit for cereal production
exceeds a million square miles; il is
capable of sustaining, from the pro-
ductions of it's own soil. a population
one-third larger than that of the Unit
ed States at the present time. In
mineral, forest and fisheries wealth it
is an empire by itself: it's climate tends
to engender virility and self-reliance
among it's people and every natural
condition is favorable to wonderful de-
velopment in population, productive
industry and foreign trade. Yet since
1866 the markets of the United States,
by reason of high tarlf requirements
and the failure of efforts to effect
reciprocity, have been practically
closed to the staple articles of Cana
dian production and the people of the
dominion have been compelled to look
to Great Britain as an outlet for their
surplus products. The result of the
disinclination of the United States to
enter into commercial union with
Canada, as advocated by many of our
ablest public men, is thus briefly
slletched by Mr.. Charlton:
"If the object of this line of policy
was to convince Canada that the great
advantage of securing access to the
American markets could only be at
tained by entering into the American
Union, and to force a movement in
that direction, its effect was the di-
rect reverse of the intention of those
who put the policy in operation. The
result was that a feeling of anlmosity
was engendered. With a free
| list to the United States nine times
as great as that furnished by the Unit
ed States to Canada with duties
| levied by the United States double in
amount of percentage the duties inn
posed by Canada; and with praci,
cally prohibtory duties against the
! dominion's farm products. there Is lit
| tie reason for surprise that Canada
has been gradually drifting away il
sympathy and in sentiment from hel
great neighbor, a result which th'
neighbor has taken every pains to rem
der inevitable. Being practically de-
barred from the American market
Canada, of course, has been oblige,
to find markets elsewhere, and hat
been enabled to do so beyond her mos
sanguine expectations. England las
year took 62 per cent. of her total ex
ports, and her exports of farm pro
ducts to that country was ten time
greater than to the United States
The effect of this immense develop
ment OF English trade has been nat
urally to bind Canada more closely t
sl