St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1904-04-13

but avowedly for the purpose of having
something to trade with, an object SINH
lar to that which I have supposed was
attempted in fixing some OF the Dingley
schedules.
.sBut I do nobcare to discuss the gen.
eral subject, but will ask the attention
of those who may not agree with me in
general to some features of possible Ca
madam reciprocity which I have not
heard discussed. In our relations with
Canada, to secure what have in mind,
probably specific treaty would be
required, meeting the peculiarities of the
situation, arranging with a people
almost like ourselves, having the same
civilization. the same habits of living,
the same wants, separated from us only
by an artificial boundary line. They
want and need what we produce, we
need and want they can furnish. The
political division hardly seems to justify
putting a heavy check upon business
relations.
Looking now at the business pros
perity of the United States in the years
of its rapid increase of population, 1t is
apparent that this prosperity has de-
pended as much upon that rapid increase
and the consequent demand fog all that
our multiplied industries could produce
as upon any conditions fixed by favora
BILE tariff legislation, however much that
doubtless has effected. British and Ger
man statesmen and scholars, in both
academic and political discussions, are
constantly calling attention to the fact
that in all this vast area, with it's vary
ing climate and adaptations, we have
absolute free trade between the states,
with all the advantage that comes from
the phenomenaly rapid increase OF
people so prosperous that the growth of
the home market has been even more
phenomenal. This growth depended
primarily upon the opening OF new lands
to settlers, land costing little and pro-
ducing much, so that there has been an
actual rapid creation OF values, and life
conditions are more favorable than else
where in the world. But our country is
rapidly filling up, and thoughtful men
among us see that the struggle for life
will become, and indeed is already becom-
ing more strenuous, and the home mar
ket less prosperous. At this juncture
the broad and fertile fields of Canada are
opening, evidently capable of supporting
a very large population. Why should
not this population become in large
measure tributary to us, and the market
created be annexed to our home market,
giving practically all the advantages of
political annexation without mourning
the expense of developing the country.
IT, as has been suggested, we could agree
upon a free exchange of natural products,
1 think we should be gamers. OF course
the free admission of farm products
would affect prices in limited sections of
our country, but, on the whole, the price
of grain, which is the the important
thing, would depend then as now upon
the price of the surplus exported from
both sides of the line alike and upon dis
lance from export ports, while gain
would certainly come to our mills and
our railroads. If there were any lower
ing of prices all the people being consum-
ers would be benefited. Certainly the
republican party cannot afford in this Or
in reference to fish to appear maintain
ling food tax.
"If we could agree to. go further and
mutually lower the northern tariff walls,
why should we not also gain by this?
There is hardly single branch of manu-
facture in which the Canadians excel us,
or in which their business would gain
more than ours by absolute free trade
with us under special treaty arrange
ment, the gain on that side coming to
their consumers. The political division
line would be of no consequence if we
could annex Canada to our home mar
ket, at the expense only of allowing her
people equal access to our markets, where
they would certainly buy more than they
would sell. Does not everyone see that,
with our vastly more developed power of
production, we should for long period
gain more than Canada could by fur
nishing just what her people want. and
when her productive capacity became
equal to her own demand, her manufac-
turers and ours would together have
the advantage of the greatly enlarged
home market? At the dinner of the Off
GERS of the Home Market Club one manu-
facturer said that, as affecting The inter-
ests of his business. he would not object to
removing duties upon articles imported
from Canada if that country would
not thereby become port of entry from
other nations into the United States. It
would not be difficult to administer a
law making any desirable concession to
Canadian made goods but barring out at
Canadian line manufactures from other
countries. Perhaps after a little, Canada
would join us in tariff legislation, with
for the most part, uniform rates.
81 hope it is not too late to recognize
our opportunity to secure firm hold
upon Canadian business, and that we
may be wise enough to take it. / know
the growing feeling of independence on
that side of the line, and apparently the
manufacturers who there are leading in
the crusade against the United States
interests are the manufacturers in the
states who have established branch fac
tories there. Are not some of these the
very men who at home are urging repub-
lican policy calculated to promote retalia-
ton and drive business away from us?
In the interest of business, in the inter-
est of the American workman, is not
tariff trading wiser than tariff war?