Republican farmer., 1909-04-02

of the war that the interests of Eng land must be with the South or the
 Confederate States because the Brit , ish were large consumers Of cotton. Nevertheless, although it is a fact lit
 tie known in this country, the general
 editorial tone of the British press at the time was that of sympathy toward the North and of condemnation Of the
 course of the Southern States. (F'or
 detailed proof of what I have asserted.
 I refer the. reader to the chapter en- titled Perverted History" in Facts
 and Comments" a book written by Herbert Spencer.)
 On the whole it is req sonaIble to con- clude that the working of the reel procity treaty was more beneficial to this country than otherwise and that it's abrogation, forced by political com p1icattons, was unfortunate. It is to
 be regretted that the treaty could not have been given a,fgood, thorough trial under normal conditions. As 1t was, |; its operation was greatly disturbed by untoward and unusual circumstances and was not extended far enough un- for 3, clear and satisfactory demonstra- ton of what it could do.
 SINCE THE IRRIGATION OF THE TREATY.
 Within a year we have heard a good deal said about the advisability of trying to negotiate another reciprocity treaty with Canada and the subject promises to become one of paramount importance, at least in New England; but for many years after the abroga- ton of the treaty there was little to encourage the hope that liberal trade arrangements with Canada would be resumed. To be sure, there were made toward them numerous attempts, emanating chiefly from the Canadians and finally to some extent from the United States; but these attempts. not being backed by powerful public sen timent. attracted very little attention and soon languished or became abor- tive.
 In the winter of 1897, the year in which the present highly protective Dinsley tariff was adopted. the Canad- ians made their last serious effort to bring about treaty of reciprocity with the United States From ''The Cyclopedfc Review Of Current His tory" Vol. VII, 1897, pages 174-175, un- der the head The Dominion Parlia- ment," quote as follows:
 "The liberal hopes for a treaty of reciprocity with the United States on the basis of mutual concessions have been for the present abandoned. The tendency of fiscal policy in the United States, as embodied in the Dingley bill, promises no relief to Canadian trade. Consequently the remissions to be made in Canadian rates will be grant cd as far as possible to goods of which the principal import is from Great Britain. Canada will look elsewhere than across her southern border for market for her goods, and will pos s4bly retaliate by discriminating against American products.
 Tn accordance with the policy of the liberals, overtures were made by Can ada, looking to a reciprocity arrange ment; but they met with no encour- agement Early in February Sir Richard Cartwright, minister of Trade and Commerce, and Hon. L. H. Davies, minister of Marine and Fisheries, vis- ited Washington to confer with the pcsr~.s nh iro They had been preceded in January by Messrs. Charlton and Farrar in an unofficial capacity"
 1t is interesting to notice that the ada. received from the United States induced the Dominion government to retaliate by discriminating against American products through the enact of 1897. Under this tariff duties on imports from the United Kingdom and not a few of it's colonies were reduced 12 per cent. In 1898 this reduction 1900 to B 1-3 per cent. and has been continued at the latter rate to the present day. Nevertheless, in spite of the handicap of this preferential tariff. the exports of the United States to Canada have steadily and gratifyingly grown as can be learned from the sta tistfcS that appear in a statement sent out from Washington, D. C., in De-
 
 Commerce and Labor, through it's Bu- reau of Statistics. The figures are impressive. They Show the size, i'm portance and great increase in the significant balance of trade in favor of the United States, and the very note worthy fact that during the operation of the preferential tariff the share the total imports into Canada has grown more rapidly than that of the United Kingdom, favored though 1t has been by a special and considerable protection.
 It is natural that contiguous coun- tries should trade with each other more than they do with distant coun- tries and the strength and persistency Seeen dn the commercial relations of Canada and the United States. Not high protective and pref erentiai tariffs; 1ealousies narrow word, various kinds of discourage ments and drawbacks, the natural ten l dencies of trade have moved forward | In their indomitable, inevitable course. l all other artificial shackles which pre- | vent men and nations from dealing in ! the manner which. broadly considered, | Is the most advantageous to them all l of economics, of sociology, would, in deed, be discouraged, did he not reach | the cheerful conclusion that through | the toll, the misery, the injustice, the 1 the reactions, the painfully l slow progress of the ages, the power of natural and moral law is never | overcome and ever works unconquered | toward what is better.
 The attitude of Canada during the 1 period of which I have written was one which an unprejudiced spectator ! would praise. She excelled the United | States in efforts to bring about reel procity and she did not wish the | treaty of 1854 to be abrogated. After It's abrogation she favored the estab- lishment of closer and broader rela- ions withthi country until her over lures in 1897 were opposed by our government in such a manner that | she became offended, if not disgust ed. and soon after retaliated by adopting the preferential duties which f against the United | States. We cannot particularly blame her. seemingly we cannot blame her