The French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1896-1912, 1911-10-05
CANADA REJECTED 1T.


products by her failure to accept the
reciprocity pact with the United
States came as a distinct surprise and
Keen disappointment to President
Taft and leading public men through
out the country, who advocated freer
trade and closer relations between
the.two great nations interested. But
like President Taft said the morning
after" it takes two to make a bargain,
and. as Canada declines, we shall Ct
right on doing business at the old
stand. Canada needs the trade of this
country just as badly as the United
States needs reciprocal relations with
the Dominion provinces. In fact the
proposition originated ever there and
the agreement was drafted and nege-
tiated by Canadian citizens of charac-
ter and prominence, with absolutely
good intentions. After months of
consideration and discussion the
United States congress ratified the
proposed treaty and President Taft
approved the same, little dreaming
that Canada would reject it. But the
fear of annexation to the United
States, fostereds by the American
trusts, is the direct cause of the re-
suit.
The defeat of reciprocity in the
Dominion elections was oyerwhelm-
ing. The annexation bugaboo-
worked overtime by scheming poll
ticians-and the combination OF job
hunters againts Sir Wilfred Laurier,
coupled with the theory of Tories that
the Liberals had been in power long
enough, contributed largely to the
landslide against the pact. It's de-
feat meant the passing of a premier
who had held the reins Of govern
ment for fifteen years, n~otwithstand-
ing the period of unaIloyed prosperi-
ty Canada has enjoyed during his
succession. The really regretful fea-
ture Of the whole conclusion is the
retirement of Sir WiIfred Laurier
known far and wide as 'Canada's
grand old man." who, also, ranks as
n of the worlds greatest men.
But the mcnopolistic domination of a
continent arose supreme upon the
wreck of the Liberal party in the Do
minion and the people voted against
annexation and proposed DONNA
ton by American trusts" as we have
already, suggested. teTrust money tri-
'muphed," says che writer OF the re-
suit. THE lumber trust saves its
$1.25 on lumber-the beef trust es-
eapes the free entry to the United
States. The sacred tariff is preserv-
ed. The only hope of the people OF
the United States now and of Canada,
too, is the restoration of the Demo
cratic party to complete w in
this country and the prompt reduc-
ton Of tariff duties all along the line
The Tory victory in Canada was
even more decisive than the Demo.
cratic victory in the United States
last year. 1t is severe and sweep.
ing, eEe more so than Sir Freder.
lex Borden, the successful Canadian
and his allies eEer dreamed. It re
verses a liberal majority of forty
foul in Parliament, to a tory major
fty G. fifty, or more, while "the re
lection of seven cabinet minister.
makes the verdict doubly emphatic.
Discussing the surprising outcom,
of the Canadian elections, a contem
porary reasons like this:
There can be no doubt, however
that@the vote was not so much agains
the purely ~businesslike proposition o
freer exchange of products, fai
and natural reciprocity, of a reasona
bic lowering of the wall that need
1essly separates two parts of the sam,
industrial field, as it was against dis
loyalty to the empire 'possible' an
nexation tt the United States, tn
danger CO the surrender of Canadian
individuality. Strange, paradoxicai
utterly unreal as these arguments O
campaign cries were, they had thei
effect on the electorate. And it mus
regretfully be admitted that certai
fndiscreet %utterances of Cur own poli
ticians served to lend color to the an
nexation threat.
Sentiment, apprehension and pre-
JUDGE were REINFORCED by the oppo
sition based on the narrow self-inte1
est of those who saw injury in tn
immediate consequences of lowe
duties on manufactured commodities
They were further REINFORCED by tn