Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-03-11

|isupport ON the ground of any local ad-
IvantageS. | ask it because l regard
| this treaty, If adopted, as the begin
ming of new relation with our rapid
lily growing neighbor on the North ana
Yourselves which will insure greatly to
the benefit of both. The conditions
lunder which agriculture and manu-
features are carried on in both Coun-
tries arc substantially the same and the
| removal of the duties provided for in
| this agreement or, indeed, the removal
of all duties between the two countries
liz we could have it, would violate no
principle that either Il reasonable pro-
| tcctioniSt, or Il reasonable tariff re-
| former upholds.
| Canada is at the parting of the ways
| If we now reject this opportunity to
| bring about closer business and trade
| relations and insist upon the continuance
| of an artificial wall between the two
| countries-which differ no more in con-
ditions of labor and production than do
Kentucky and Tennessee or Georgia and
Aabama-we shall throw away an OPP
portunity for mutual benefit not likely to
recur. 1t will be course as blind as
that which was followed by the colonies
each colony taxed the imports from ev-
cry other colony, a disastrous policy
which was the main cause for the adop-
ton of the present constitution and its in
terstatc commerce clause.
AS l have had occasion to say in urg-
ing upon Congress the adoption of this
agreement. Canada is our good neiGhbor.
Against her alone. of all the powerful
nations of the world, we have felt under
no necessity to establish navy or forti-
fy our frontier For nearly hundred
years under an agreement that has at
tracted the admiration of all promoters
of international peace we have had no
battleships and no forts between us and
her. She is our natural customer: we
are her natural customer. Geography
and the natural laws Of trade, if uninter-
rupted by an utterly unreasonable wall,
would give us a north and south business
of large extent and necessarily beneficial
to both. Why, then, should we hesitate?
Under my promise to use my utmost
efforts to secure the ratification of this
agreement by Congress, | have felt it my
duty. upon the failure of the Senate to
act. to call an extra session for the pur-
pose of securing the ratification of the
agreement. My opinion is that a ma jority
Of both houses. disregarding party lines
will seize great national opportunity
and promptly ratify the agreement be-
fore proceeding to other business, if it
be deemed wise or necessary to proceed
to other business. I feel confident that
a test of six months of this agreement
will so vindicate the wisdom of adopting
it as to remove it from political discus
sion thereafter. / do not regard it as a
matter of sectional interest. I believe it
will inure in large measure to the BEN
eft of this whole country.
Il earnestly appeal to the young men of
the South to take up these and other po-
litical issues from broad and liberal
standpoint to eliminate from their consid-
Grafton narrow craftsmanship and section
alsm and to come fully into our national
communion with the patriotic purpose of
stimulating the progress of our civiliza
ton in every right direction maintaining
out country's prosperity and accumulat-
ing its wealth. but always in subordna-
ton to higher ethical standards and TO
the promotion of righteousness and JUS
tice"