The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-07-12
THE FARMER: JULY 12, 1911

ther proof of this fact in this, that of the two parties who divide the country, one after the other and each in in successor, wore a good deal ds1a of ito Washington in order to obtain. if possible, an improvement in these relations. Still better evidence of the fact is to be found in this, that Sir 1ohn Macdonald in the resolution bringing the National Policy into eff feet in 1879, embodied a permanent offer of reciprocity as follows:
 Section of the tariff act 1678): Any or all of the following articles, that is to say: animals of all kinds. of all kinds. vegetables Qncluding po- tatoes and other roots), plants, trees and shrubs, coal and coke, salt, hops, wheat. peas and beans. barley. rye, oats, Indian corn, buckwheat and all other grains, flour of wheat and flour flour or meal of any other grain, but ter, cheese, fish (salted- or smoked), lard, tallow, meats (fresh, salted or .smoked), and lumber, may be inn. at a less rate of duty than is pro- vided by this act, upon proclamation of the Governor in Council, which may be issued whenever it appears to be satisfactory that similar articles from Canada may be imported into
 
 That was in 1879 and we are now in 1911 And what was not for us in 1873, we now have. Yet there are men who doubt these statements and years of our past history from the book. Pages after pages could be quoted from speeches delivered by. members of the Conservative party, in which the American tariff was de- nounced as unjust, as unfair, as hos hof fr in r to remove the injustice, the unfair ness and hostility, men there are who rise against us and tell us: Stop, proceed no farther; let the injustice cause upon injustice and hostility the Canadian Confederation depends for it's existence" Here Sir Wilfrid paused.
 r'It has been stated, Sir Wtlfrid, that you had abandoned your posi- Imperial Conference in 1907, and you have been credited with saying at that Conference:
 "'There was time when we were wanting reciprocity with the United States. but our efforts and our offers were put aside and negatived. We have said goodbye to that trade.and we now put all our hopes poun the British trade
 ''What I said at the Conference" Sir Wilfrid replied. Twas as follows: We have revised our tariff this year and hape adopted a new principle. We had two-column principles tariff for geheeE purposes and a preferential tariff. Between the preferential tariff and the general tariff we now have an intermediate tariff. The object of this interme- diate tariff is to enter into negotia- tions with other communities, to have trade arrangements with them. It has been supposed that this was to hit our American neighbors. With. be only too glad to trade on bet ter footing than at the present time. We are next door neighbors and in many things we could be their best
 market. as in many things they could glad to trade with them; but it nev- CT was intended or thought at the time that this intermediate tar1ff could apply to the United States. There was a time when we wanted forts and our offers were negatfved and put aside, and we have had to say good bye to that trade, and we have put all our hopes upon the British trade now.
 ''The Liberal policy on this ques- declared in the following resolutiona.n
 "'That having regard to the pros perity of Canada and the United States as adjoining countries with many mutual Interests, it is desirable ly relations and broad and liberal in- tercourse between them. That the interests alike of the Dominion and of the Empire would be materially advanced by the esta ablishing. of such relations. That fair and liberal reciprocity treaty would develop the great natural resources of Canada, would enormously increase the trade and comm cree between the two coun- tries, would tend to encourage friend ly relations between the two peoples, would remove many causes which have in, the past provoked irritation and trouble to the Governments of both countries. and would promote those kindly relations between the Empire and the Republic which af- ford the best guarantee for peace and prosperity
 "One ground of opposition to recip- rocity cannot but be f1attering to this Government. 1t is that Canada to- before. If Canada were still in the position in which we found 1t when we took office in 1896, with it's vast fertile lands still unocoupied and un- titled, with it's natural resources dor mant as they had been since the ear " UdyS Ol CI CdI1Ous WAlu US U dtlSPOI- tation facilities still in the most rudi- mentary stage, with industry stag nant. with agriculture unremunera- tive-were Canada still in that posi- ton, I have no doubt that to-day the policy we are proposing would be received with favor, and the enl- pyrean would resound with exulta- ton. But the country is, instead of being in that condition, prosperous, extraordinarily prosperous, and we are told by our opponents: Do not go any farther; fold your arms and let well enough alone As have said elsewhere, the people of China have left we'll enough alone for 1000 years Four thousand years ago they were probably the first nation on earth, and so satisfied were they that enough alone for 4,00O years. If a reformer showed his head against them he was ruthlessly put down and told to let well enough alone. It is said-and I believe it Is historically true-that gunpowder was invented by the ingenious Chinaman, but the people of China never used gunpow- der for the defence of their terri tory, though often exposed to inva- sion They depended on the great dragon to sweep off their enemies from the face of the earth by the fire from his eyes. They let well enough alone. It was a Chinaman who invented the compass, but they never used it for navigation, and for 4,000 years their little junks navigated around their shores, never getting away from the land They