Evening star., 1938-09-18
Fifty Years Ago
In The Star

in the Province Of Quebec just at present,
o,L,u accompanied with
~ue'e' "nu 'ne vague suggestions Of
United States. annexation to the
United States" says
The Star of September II, 1888. TT is
probably the mere overflow of a tenn
porary fit of vexation, the effects Of
which will pass away as suddenly as it
appeared. Quebec would, on general
grounds, be desirable territory for us
to acquire. if for no other reason than
that she commands the mouth OF the ST.
Lawrence River. Her people are thrifty,
hard-working lot, albeit not highly edu-
Gated or very broad-minded. We have
found the French Canadians, however
who have migrated to this country and
become mill operatives and market gar
deners in New England to possess some
excellent qualities for citizenship of our
Republic. and doubtless with the spread
of our national ideas and spirit among
them as gathered in bulk in Quebec they
could be made into patriotic and credit
able Americans. 1t Is to be regretted
that their present outburst has been at
tended with certain race and religious
features which are always dangerous to
peace and good order when they become
too prominent. If Quebec decides to
come into our Union it must be with the
understanding that her people come not
as members of any special nationality or
ecclesiastical communion, but as Ameri-
cans pure and simple, ready to blend
with our people and live in harmony with
them, regardless Of any difference of
ancestry, creed or other condition"
+
considering that it costs the National
Treasury about 5000 day, exclusive of
n. u.4h;n the regular yearly expenses
ooA'o'Nns to keep Congress running,
Congress. the length of q session is
not wholly . matter of In
difference to the public" says The Star
OF September 1s, 1888. "A session at
which plenty OF work is done is an ample
justification of its own existence, no
matter how long 1t lasts, and, indeed, the
longer the better in that case. But a
session in which nothing is done has no
defense, and either party that is respon-
sible for it deserves reprobation. In the
Fiftieth Congress the blame must be
equally divided. In the House no general
work worth speaking of can be done be-
cause the friends of one or two special
measures antagonize everything else in
the hope of forcing the House to a recog-
milton Of their claims. In the Senate,
although nine months have passed since
that chamber met and plenty of oppor-
tunities have offered themselves for
taking some action on the tariff question
II any were desired. the business Of the
whole country Is blocked because the
Finance Committee cannot make up its
mind what percentage If any, should be
knocked off Of the duties on sugar, lumber
and wool. And what Is the cause Of this
delay? 1t Is not q doubt whether one
rate or another would ultimately make
for the best good of the country, but
whether one or the other would win the
more votes for certain presidential
ticket. Yet while scores Of important
matters are hanging fire and neither
manufacturers nor importers know what
to expect in their business for the next
six months, both houses find time to rail-
road through an electioneering measure
like the Chinese exclusion bill, which, so
far from benefiting the country in any
way is liable to lead it into grave inter-
national complications. They can spare
hours and energy enough, moreover, to
squabble about phrases in q matter so
important as that of retaliation against
Canada for the sake of getting their
fierce speeches printed in the Record and
going before the country in the coming
campaign as champions outlying each
other in patriotic zeal. This is not pa
triotism. It is not craftsmanship. 1t has
not even the virtue Of cheap imitation
of either. It Is the purest and baldest
form n partisan Self-Seekin1"