The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1902-08-30
RECIPROCITY WITH CANADA.

nigh lIOtcCllNe tdElll LOT lue D6lrSQL
of home industries is no longer neces-
sary. The trusts which have sprung
up under Republican auspices re-
quire no tariff, but though they have
destroyed competition at home they
are still protected against competition
from abroad. Many Republicans IA
vor the removal of all tariff from
trust-made articles and demand recip-
rocity with foreign nations. They
cannot understand, ,or instance, why
the Canadian province of Manitoba
cannot ship it's wheat into the United
States without paying a heavy tariff
which does not benefit the American
farmers one iota.
Nobody can explain why there is
tariff on wheat, unless it is to throw
chaff into the eyes of the American
farmers, for the price of wheat is
fixed at Liverpool. If the tariff on
wheat is removed the Manitoba farm
ers could ship their crop by way Of
the United States and large quantity
Of it would come to Minneapolis to be
ground into flour. The mills of the
city would employ more men and the
entire community would be benefited.
The same class OF Republicans DO
not understand why the sugar trust,
which retines raw sugar, should be
protected by a tariff when no refined
sugar is imported into tire United
States and all competition at home is
destroyed by the sugar trust. They
think that the differential duty on the
refined sugar should be removed, but
their Republican representatives at
Washington have voted to keep it on.
The member from this Congressional
district, Hon. Loren Fletcher, voted
against it's removal.
For the benefit OF the lumber barons
tariff of two dollars per thousand
feet is placed on lumber with the re-
suit that in few years they have be-
come millionaires at the expense Of
the American consumers. Canadian
lumber has been shut out in order to
give them an opportunity of fleeing
their own people. Some of these
wealthy lumbermen in Minnesota were
not content with the tariff. They
robbed the government and it's wards,
the Indians. Of valuable timber, and
one of them was recently compelled to
make restitution. One of the leading
lumbermen of the Northwest has de-
veloped into a powerful politician and
is quite active in affairs of state and
nation. We refer to Thomas II. Shev-
lin, national Republican committee
man, and bosom friend of Theodore
Roosevelt. He surprised the public
Il few days ago by saying he wanted
no tariff on lumber any longer, but
he did not speak for the other lumber
barons who may desire continuance
Of the good thing they enjoy. The
people, however, are eager to cease
paying tribute to them and a demand
may be made for free admission of
foreign lumber ard for a reciprocity
treaty with Canada.
In a letter from New York to the
Chicago Record-Herald. William Z.
Curtis shows that splendid CONNER
cial opportunity has been thrown
away through the narrow policy pur,
sued by the Republican party towards
Canada. We quote the following par
agraph:
I'VE might have monopoly of the
trade Of Canada today but for the
stubbornness OF the lumbermen Of the
northwestern states, who refused to
consent to a reduction in the duties
imposed upon Canadian lumber. 1t
was only difference of 81 thousand
feet. or something like that, but they
would not consent TO it, and thus all
the rest of the Industries having inter-
ests in Canada We're cut off. To re-
ven@e themselves upon us the Cana
dams lowered the rates of duty upon
imports from Great Britain and tried
to induce their merchants to buy goods
in the mother country instead of in the
United States.'
The same correspondent shows how
the Blaine Bond reciprocity treaty be-
tween the United States and Canada
failed to pass Congress because of the
opposition of the coal barons. 1t was
shown by figures that we could sell
Canada ten times as much coal as she
would sell us. but the high protection
lists raised an awful row, and now
they have the American people at
their mercy in the matter of coal and
are having strike with the oper
atives in the coal regions TO whom
they have been paying starvation
wages. Canada has been willing to
enter into reciprocal relations with us,
but the trusts which dominate the
Republican party want things to re-