The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-09-01
BY JOHN II. RAFTERY.

81 ia
The Government. ed by Premier Sir
wiirid Laurier. is ~ the hands ~ the
Liberals. who are. or were. essentially the
iTee trade party.
Tn. majority in the Eoi.se of Commons
10. therefore. Liberal 81 course, but II
l. aiso French. since Qu-l--c. witt It's
!, n. :. ntAtion OF sixty five M nh.Ts. con
stitutes the LauTi.T majority. which X
aTcut fhty-cisht.
The I-aGrIer government - not only
committed 70 tariff reduction by aiItc-elcc-
iioi, announcements. r'it u ig aiSO III IL"
advantageous position %: waiting ioT the
development OF NJ. Chamberlain British
pclicy az imperial trade Unity. In IN"
bJ.get speech OK Minister 81 EinaI'ce
Feeding. delivered year ago last April.
the Laurier administration forecast u.
programme by putting The OnuS OF Z. IN
i.;.slation upon the English leader.
INFLUENCE on CHAMEERLLATN.
In effect. that initial pronouncement Of
the Liberal government Of Canada. ae-
dressing Itself TO Chamberlain soon after
ih.. imperial colonial Interference. to
which Sir Wilfrid Laur!er vas the leading
delegate. said:
Canada needs and demand. an extend
Ell market. Sei busy. England. or we
will be. Obliged To- look to other raTss =.
II Is worth noting that SIR. 'hsmt.:-
laii. was In South Africa when TINS
budget speech Of the Canadian GoT"-r-
ateil uyon his return - England the
birmingham statesman projected bis
=, hsrrc OF an imperial tariff with colonial
preferences. to tn. end 81 establishing the
commercial unity Of the British EInpG:c-
IL has been said. perhaps mistakenly.
that the Laurier government wa mus
iainisrn. The truth is that neither sir
Wilff.d nor any Of the Ministers Of his
government are III any way committed To
official or political support OF IL"
- IL nh
Naturally thu. Liberal party is not given
10 III. imperisiist iieI. Quite .pTop"r.,.
also. (; refuses TO .srresz opinions or
predIIections in a matter that must oe
first passed upon by the English cleo
tora;e.
The Conservative minority in Parlia,
rrsn' is unqgest!prahl. devoted 90 - ttTtn
policy and an imperial unity. When the
Cis mtcrlsin idea becomes "a fact III Enr-
land. tho Conservative OF t1nsdT VII
tariff with colonial preference po,-cy.
I.lven the free traders. the Liberals. here
ii" not ioIb; that sooner 90 later ne
81 smberlain plan will preEail IN England
fore the people on that platform "a the
paramount issue.
CANADIANS FAVOR RECIPROCITY.
II is quite freely admitted that. patriot
ism and sentiment aside. the weigh; Of
public opinion In Canada Is s;iil I'm favor
Of n fair reciprocal treaty with the
United States. Tariff or no tariff. u "a
fiom the fact that these two contiguous
Countries are the hes: customers that
either could wish fOr.
But there are two obsaclcs In the way
OF n renewal OF trade facilities. One. and
perhaps the most important. is the wide
spread and growing patriotic sentiment OF
Canada with regard 20 England: and the
otter is the hitherto hostile. or at Least
atFnrT
Congress toward Canada's reciprocal ap-
trcGches Both Of these obstacles are
great tangible. imminent.
When ] say that the lauTier party is
playing waiting game 50 far - tsrtH
lee Station Is concerned. TIE reasons mus.
l.. simultaneously apparent 81 far ~
less divergence here now between the Con-
seryatives who are out. and the Liberals.
" h,. are In. than here is between the
rrnocrailc and Republican parties N the
I-r,ited States in the impending campaign
Th. Liberals. to be plain. have becn de-
sIoiled IF whatever political foundations
they Rad TO stand upon nj the beginning
Of their access 20 power b. the repelient
attitude Of the United States with regard
&C. reciprocity.
Now they are waiting a Chamberlain
their hands weapons fGr the promulga zion
% the basic theories Of their siaieSman-
slip.
TO FORCE AMERICAS HAND
Ia n nutshell. the Liberals u, Canada
believe that the instant tho ChaInb-- ain
aiI-Rri-ish tariff becomes a fact the
United States will awaken 90 resl'za-
tor Of the fact that the greatest market
ia the world is about 20 be lost TO the
tie Liberals OF Canada. Washington will
come to Ottawa with reciprocal propo-
silion Of fair. and. perhap,. gen Ious
ter. who thus outlined tie future for
NJ. the United States will say 20 Canada:
What. You are going 10 sell your
MGR. far NOR. for tho beast. ans: We
can trade without getting seasick or pay
ia, high freichts."
HcTe then will he the issIe as II is
Z, recasted now by both Conservatives and
Liberals. The nonirnpe-iai. Liberal. Cana
dian party noy in power will offer Can
ada reciprocity. Continental trade unity.
{. YOU please. Tine Conservatives will
~, pose Chsmberlainisrn. British i'm :. rial
"reiess. solidarity az commerce with The
crown colonies and dcpendencies -
patriotism. American hostility. and faith
il Eri.annic dominance all N the =, al-s
~ .,inst icciprocitS-
1hc prudential and selfish pIe7onccr-
.rce OF opini1r il Canada Do- leans to-
wards reciprocity rather than towards
sharrbcrlaInism. There ~ No doubt - hat
ever hut that these two G.esiions are
n,.yGrc 20 tic position Of CANADIAN
pnlitica. emincnca The Dominion must
and Will have one the other.
The exigencies Of the situation require.
az II appears. two intervening develop
u.nts First. England ~ill adopt the
cLau berlain plan. second the United
States will take the initiative In 70
ciprocsI treaty proposal. Sir wIlfrii
LaIrier and his party beli.,. that 10th
OF thee events will eliminate. The
,I'rr-c. OF the Government here Is now
quite understandable.
INFLUENCE OF PATRIOTISM.
Much has been written OF the weight OF
the British patriotic sentiment and tie
ether overshadowinS influence in the Par
lament OF the French Province of Que
Ice. a word here Of these two in
di,euc.s I'm Canadian politics ~ apropos.
Quebec. Whose parliamentary represen-
tatiou Of six;y-fve members IL FOR
Ieurier first. last. and all the zine.
moi because OF his policies so much as
f.cau<e of his F-cnch-Csthoiic-t.u bee
proclivities and origin. T. not given TO i'm
,,.rialism. French Canada H. Catholic and
fr.nch before il Is anything. IL is. super
Totally at least. In favor Of reciprocity n
,-.insr Characterization.
But there Is another phase that mus,
moi be over!oos,d Quebec votes as {;
prsys The +'rcnch-cstholic clergy rul.
! It's political Ms well its religious lean
| inxs The pr:exfs-astute politicians ever
! on. Of them-bciieye that reciprocity
1 commercial unity with the United States
means Inevitably. sooner or later. polifi-
| cal ans lga nation with the United States
| This the Catholic Church Of Quebec. and