The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-03-08
Question Is Put to Dom
inion by Prime Min
lister L aurier.
DELIVERS BLOW
FOR RECIPROCITY
His Address in House Most I'm
portant Yet Delivered on Trade
Agreement With This Coun-
try-Proposes to Advance
and Drag Opposition
Along.

Ottawa. Ont, March THE reel
procity agreement was indorsed, loyalty
10 Grea; Britain affirmed. annexation
scoute0. the Developments or Canada
proclaimed. and friendship between
farmer and manufacturer recommend
ed 20 Canada III The House to- day b.
Sir Wilfrid l4aurier. Prime Minister OF
the Dominion. in the first speech which
he has delivered in the reciprocity de-
bate Ills views against annexation
and for good relations were especially
empnnsized
II was once the conviction OF ever
American President, ne asserted, that
Canada should become a par, OF the
United States. Although II was iiat-
tering. lie said. 10 American pride that
the territory OF tho republic should
extend over the whole continent. nc
urged that HIS n.ighbors should reme'n-
her that Canadians were born under
the same nag as the ancestors OF the
American peope--a nag under "hich
Americans may have suffered oppres-
sion hut which 10 Canadians has been
and is more than ever the emblem OF
freedom.
Task Fnr Advanced.
III You founded q nation upon sep
araiion from Britain he said. 'rencm-
her we Canadians have set Our hearts
aTation and in this task We arc far
advanced. Tile blood which flows in
our veins Is a 5 good as yours. ANA II
you are y proud Ieopic, though We have
not your numbers. We arc proud a 5
you, and rather than part With our ma
,ional existence, We would part with
our lives.
The Prime Minister'S speech is re-
cardrd in political circles rs the most
important Uttcrancc on the subjcc, that
has been made on the Canadian side Of
tho line The interest With which 1T
was anticipated was shown bytcrowded
galleries and ~ the fact that scores
We're unable 70 gain admissions
The Prenicr'r remarks were received
WITH approving demonstrations. Dis
GUESSING his ideal of the Relationship he
tween the United states and Canada.
Sir Wilfrid said
There. perhaps, may be a spectacle
nobier than that Of united continent
q spectacle which would astound the
world by its novelty and grandeur; a
spectacle OF two peoples iiNing side by
side. separated onlyhy anIinvisibls line
With not gun frcwning across II, q
fortress on neither side. with no anna
mont one against the other. bat living
In harmony, in mutual confidence. and
With no other rivalry than generous
K emulation in commerce and the arts OF
1 i
say that II X is possible for Us TO oh
tain such relations between these two
young and growing nations. Canada
Will have rendered to old England the
mother Of nations-nay, TO the whole
British F;mpire-a service uneQualed
in its present effect and still more in its
far-reach!nS consequences.
Majority Approves.
~ think l can venture the assertion
that the policy involved in the agree
ment has met with the enthusiastic
appreciation Of the majority Of the Ca
madam people, said the Prime Minis
ter II am perfectly aware that the
policy has not been universally ac-
cepted. and has met in some quarters
rather. unexpected quarters. / must say
rather stubborn opposition 1t is a
well-known fact that an organization
ma been created In Montreal and To-
ronto to fight this agreement. 1 do not
underestimate the importance of such
a movement, or the men at the head or
It. Yet I do not think there Isl cause
for alarm in the agreement. It is n
wonder to me that there SHOULD be any
objection at all, for we have now
achieved relations with our neighbors
which all parties in Canada have been
seeking for the last forty years.
What Is the cause of the change OF
attitude on the other side of this house
The only reason given is that Canada
to-day IS ,pro2ssper9,s as She never was
position In which this government
FOUND 1t in SOC. when We took Office
with Industry stagnant and with agri-
culture unremuncratiyc. I have no
doubt that to-day the policy we are
proposing would he received with
favor; and, indeed. with exnltation by
nents to fold our arms and let yell
enough alone.
Policy is "Adrnnce."
is this Canada or is 1t China: The
Chinese have let we'll enough alone for
1000 years, They invented gunpowder
and the compass and used neither. Are
y Is Canada, and we shall lave to go on
whether the opposition Will follow or
not. We will drag them on. even
igana t lW Will, Our policy Is ad-
tural people. Our policy day is TO
open the door to the American market
and shall we be told that because such
an an arransemen, Is te go into effect and
fruits can he eaten free OF duty by the
American people it will be ali over
With the Canadian federation and even
Foundations? let us disregard these s
freaks Of unrcasOning panic. All that
we ask is to obtain for tile Canadian
who works in the fields the best pos
Eible regeneration for his labor"
Sir Wilfrid denied the claim that the
agreement would divert Canadian trade
to American channels.
# Dealing with tho claim that the
3 conditions in Canada. he said:
I'm making this agreement we took
every precaution not to inimre any ex-
listing industry; and think we. have
antagonism between manufacturers
and farmers"