The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-12-15
TARTE'S TART TALK
The Apostle of High Protection for
Canada, Who Was Put Out
of Laurier's Cabinet.
He Believes in Canada for Cana
dams" and Initiating Selfish
American Policy. ~
From a Staff Correspondent.

from Il StGll Correspondents.
Montreal, Quebec, Dec. 15.-Among the
manufacturing classes in Montreal; and.
it may be added. among the financial
and leading commercial interests too,
the high protective tariff policy finds
fully as much favor as in Toronto. There
is very little thought here concerning
reciprocity with United States. The
leaders of commerce and industry In
Canada's metropolis are more Intent upon
facts than theories, and reciprocity with
United States Is considered here a very
daphanous theory.
This is the home of that French Can
adam politician or statesman who is
considered as the leader of the campaign
for Canada for the Canadians j. Israel
Tarte, recently Dominion minister Of pub
lie works. Mr.. Tarte, 1t will be remem-
bored, resigned from the cabinet because
he had a fondness for going around the
country preaching high tariff on all oc-
casions, although he member of a
low tariff government and low tariff
party. When Sir Wilfrid Laurier
turned from England and accepted Mr..
Tarte's resignation in hot haste, the freer
trade people took 1t as a sign that the
premier wished to rebuke the high tariff
agitators, but those liberals who are now
veering toward a high protective policy
said that no such Interpretation could
be put on the facts, but that Mr.. Tarte
had simply been indiscrete in taking such
advanced grounds before the government
had been formally committed to new
policy.
At any rate, Mr.. Tarte is now out Of
the cabinet, quite free to express his own
views and do as he pleases politically.
lit seems to be his purpose to identify
himself with the protective policy and
the general policy of energetic develop
nent Of Canada. 7 judge that he wishes
to be considered the leader. Of the move
ment and cares very little in what politi
cal camD his ideas NAV ultimately land
him.
I found Mr.. Tarte in the editorial Of
fees of La Patrie. I could hardly ex-
plain my mission without explosive in
terruptions from this energetic, active
and assertive man. In substance he said:
1.-THE United States has ignored us and
abused long in the pursuance OF an
utterly selfish trade policy, that at last,
though we are a little nation, we have
turned and are now striking back. You
would not let us enter your markets, you
took the big end Of our trade, you would
listen to none of our petitions toward a
better adjustment Of relations. We have
now found out that we can get along
very well without those things we used to
ask from you. Now that you want our
forests and our minerals and our wheat
fields and begin to understand we have
here a country of wonderful resources,
you are beginning to think that you
would like to have reciprocity in order to
for yourself; but we have learned some
thing We know that it was the pro-
tective tariff policy that built up the
United States and think that what
was good for you will be good for u.s..
I believe in consulting the interests or
every industry in Canada in making tar
if laws. We shall have a sort of reci-
procity of tariffs among ourselves. All
of us will be willing to pay little more
for our goods if we know that the in
creased price goes to benefit Canadian
Industries. The United States has acted
throughout toward us a big, powerful,
selfish nation dealing with a weak one.
You have taught US that we must look
out for ourselves. Now we are going
to do it.
"The way the United States has acted
regarding the Alaska boundary dispute is
lyrical Of the way you have treated us III
trade relations. You have said regarding
Alaska, Here we are and here we stay
We hold this territory and we will con-
tinue to hold it. We proposed arbitra-
ton, exactly what you demanded in the
Venezuelan dispute, but you refused be.
cause you were in possession Of the dis.
puted territory Another typical example
of your treatment Of is found in YOU
refusal to admit our lumber while YOU
lumbermen were devasting our nationa
forests, until we put an end to it by
means of tax that was in effect an ex
port tariff. Yes, I am a thorough be-
lever in the high tariff policy for Can
ada
But after all this vigorous speech
which Mr.. Tarte delivered, bouncing III
and down in his chair, or pacing arount
the room with his hands damned in hi
trousers pockets-when I asked hin
what would be the attitude of Canada il