The Republican journal., 1914-11-19

A recent accession to the books in our
Free Library is "Recollections of Sixty
Years by the Right Honorable Charles
Upper, Bart, G. G. M. G., C. B." DR..
Upper, as he is familiarly called, for he
practiced medicine in early life and after
he had actively engaged in politics, is a
native OF Nova Scotia, and to him more
than to any other one man is Canada in
debted for her present prosperity. He
is now go years old and is ''the Oldest
living statesman IN the world" In 1854
the EIgin reciprocity treaty between this
country. Canada and the Maritime Prov
inces was negotiated for term of ten
years, then to be terminated by either
party. 1t was abrogated by the United
States in 1866. The treaty was admit
teddy beneficial to both countries, Can
ada, and this includes the other prov
inces, had NO manufactures and found
market for the raw material in this
country, buying here the finished pro-
ducts. The fishermen of the Maritime
Provinces found market for their fish
here, and large fleet of American ves-
sells was employed in bringing coal from
Pictou and Cape Breton ports. With
the abrogation of the treaty coal ship
ments to this country stopped, and there
was heavy duty on fish coming from
the Provinces. The object of Secretary
of State Seward in abrogating the treaty
was generally accepted to be means of
forcing Canada into the American Union
and many were confident that this would
be brought about. At this stage of af-
fairs DR.. Upper began an active partic-
ipation in the public affairs of his coun-
try and gave evidence of the qualities of
craftsmanship which later distinguished
his public career. In all the negotia-
tons which followed he was careful to
avoid creating any animosity between
the two countries, asking only for an
equitable adjustment of the questions at
issue. In these negotiations the fisheries
naturally occupied prominent part, but
that is long story and need not be in
troduced here.
Dr. Upper was foremost in securing
the federation of Provinces now the Do
minion of Canada, which includes all the
Provinces but Newfoundland; in promot-
ing the building of the Canadian Pacific
railroad, by which British Columbia was
brought into the federation; in obtaining
subsidies for steamship lines from Van
couver to the Orient, and from Canadian
ports to England. He was also the orig
inator and earnest advocate of the
National Policy, which means protection
to Canadian industries, and which has
brought prosperity to that country, as it
has in this. This prosperity received a
check when the Conservative party went
out of office, and under Premier Mac
Kenzie free trade policy was in effect
for five years during which, to quote DR..
Upper, "the country was depopulated;"
and they were five years which were
ever to be deplored in our history" In
1898 the party of protection won, and a
new era of prosperity for Canada began.
How the present Democratic tariff is
regarded in Canada may be seen by the
following quotation from DR.. Tupper's
book:
1t was great day for the Dominion
when the people rejected the Hatfield
ing treaty, for underline radical revision
of the United States tariff, Canada,
without giving any equivalent, will reap
enormous advantages.
Under the Taft treaty Canada was to
make equivalent for the concessions
given her, but the Underwood Wilson
tariff opens our markets to the agricult-
ural products and manufactures of Can
ada without return. Mr.. Taft's defeat
was largely due to his reciprocity treaty,
many thousands giving their votes to
Wilson who would otherwise have voted
for the Republican candidate, and as
result we have free trade and war
tax" of 500, 100000, higher cost OF liv-
ing, and thousands of our people thrown
out of employment.
CATARRH LEADS