The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-03-30


 ent- They raised the objection, aft erwards to become stronger, that the markets of Canada were not equiv alent to those of the United States ana also demanded certain concessions rom Canada, particularly that Amer lGan vessels should be allowed to nav 1gate the St. Lawrence river and the Canadian canals as freely as British subjects were permitted to do. Cues tions connected with the fisheries on the coasts of British North America could not be ignored. These ques- tlons, of course. involved the interests of the maritime provinces much more thon those of Canada proper, and arose from several different ways of inter preting the treaty of 1918. The evil dence, indeed, points to the conclusion that the United States wanted various concessions to be granted in return for yielding to Canada's urgent desire for the free admission of certain arti- cles reciprocally. The two countries approached the question of reciprocity from different Standpoints, the United States not expecting to gain much from the free exchange of products, certainly not nearly as much as Can ada would
 Various reasons can be cited to show why the people of this country were not eager or anxious for a free ex- at the time when there was agitation for the reciprocity treaty which was finally agreed upon in 1854. Prices to the domestic consumer were not then, tected trusts, raised to an abnormal height, or. at least, to a height that could be burdensomely felt. Indeed, high protective duties were. not en- forced in the existing tariff. Not only were the tariff duties low, from 1S46 to the opening of the Civil War, but the commerce of the country was also a great deal smaller in volume, and the need for it's extension was much less imperative than at present Our vest territory possessed great and varied natural resources, and to use them there were, according to the cen sus figures. only 2s, .S76 persons in 1850 as against 76, BOA, ,799, or more than three times as many in 1900. The people felt that they were independent and self-sufficing At the same time there was little active objection to a free exchange of raw materials under reciprocity because the general ten dency of the time was toward lessen ing restrictions on international trade; as shown in the United States by the adoption of the Walker tariff, which was rather a revenue than a protec- tive tariff; in England by the repeal of the corn laws about 1S46; at an earlier period by the organization of the German ZoHverein which by means mented the trade between the Germa n States. The liberal trend notably wfdened in 1860 when was negotiated an Anglo-French treaty which by means of reciprocity, the removal of not few duties on exports and inn ports and of all absolute prohibitions cleared away to a very marked extent commercial barriers standing between England and France. This important treaty was followed by twenty-seven States of Europe, except Greece, were interested. Even backward Russia caught the spirit of progress and join ed in the movement.
 'It needs hardly. to be said.'' say Professors Laughlin and Willis in Reciprocity. that under these con- ditions, the prosperity of European trade increased enormously. GThe commerce ofsAustria. Belgium, France, between 1860 and 1873 more than 100 per cent, while the trade of the same countries with nations not having reciprocity treaties with them in creased, according to MT. David A. Wells, only about 66 per cent"
 The outlook of the world was wid- ening.. nations we're more and more trading with each other in the natural manner, removing from commerce those shackles on liberty which in many different and unjust ways have ever tended to retard the progress of true civilization Great, indeed, had been the advance from the ignorant, narrow policy of the middle ages when restrictions on the freedom of trade were even enforced between the dis trictS of the same country; from the early period when in France and in other northern countries of Europe the levying of the odiouS cctroi was prev alent, it being a toll or tax upon arti- cleS that passed the entrance of a town; from the. English tariffs which were prohibitory before the. reign of Queen Elizabeth. Nothing promotes better conditions between countries than mutually beneficial and friendly conditions long continued
 But, alas. the barbaric and selfish impulses of mankind were destined to be aroused from slumher. The un- fortunate frictions which caused the Civil War in the United States and the war in Europe brought about great and adverse changes Herbert Spencer has clear logy'' that "the goyernmental-mili organization of a society is initiated by, and evolves along with, the war fare between societies" Under such of injuries are not alone felt by the outward enemy. The effect is reac- tive. Within the society defended by large armies the militant tendency Greater and sterner restrictions are placed upon the personal liberty of the citizen than when there is no war For instance, he must express opinions and guide his actions in conformity with the controlling feeling of the peo- pie or he will meet with the fate of the Tories during the Revolutionary War or endure indignities and losses as did the loyal Unionists who lived in our Southern States at the time of the rebellion. He will have to pay high CT taxes for the sake of carrying on a war that he may believe to be unjust Extra revenues must be raised to meet heavy, expenses of feeding, clothing and equippinG large bodies of soldiers in the field. Abnormal duties will be placed on imports. Internal revenue taxes may likewise be levied on bank checks, matches and other things suit. ed to the purpose. Then, after the is over and the need for ra1s- ing large sums of money is greatly changes like those which were made after our Civil War may be expected. The burdens on excises will be to a great extent removed but the high tariff on imports will be re- tained or only a little lessened through the insleunce of manufacturers, who