Show I POLITICS TICS IN CANADA Y j r tOL X THE THE RECIPROCITY AGREEMENT t By Frederic J. J Haskin Haslin tf tf whether or not tho the REGARDLESS R REGARDLESS American congress a arid and d the Canadian Cam Cana dian parliament parlament finally ratify the reciprocity a agreement made mado b by President Taft and Premier the tha aroused around hy by It will wi bring the the two countries Into much closer acquaintanceship acquaintanceship acquaint acquaint- than thc they ever before tor have o enjoyed en en- joyed Reciprocity with wih Canada Is not a n new noVo subject for political thought thou ht In the tho United Unit Unit- At ed States hut but It I n nov Hsc 4 I er has ha occupied the c Important position In American politics r that reciprocity with wih t tho the United States al always always al- al r ways has had in tn Canadian public affairs aty at- at fairs Canada I Is y HO 10 o i much smaller In ln pop pop- W ul nn and so much ppul pp- pp more moro of or Its Is Inhabited Inhabit Inhabit- a ed cC territory l Is adjacent adjacent adja adja- J a cent to the International J boundary that 1 the Canadians nearly always have had re reciprocal rc- rc It trade relations rela v l lons in mind i In 1854 when fiscal thought In America was more nearly nearh dominated by tho the free reo trade theory than at any time before or or since a reciprocity treaty was wa negotiated with wih tho the several provinces of Canada That treaty was substantially the tho same in principle as 33 th the tho thoa a agreement now p pending In pending In that It i provided pro pro- vided for tor th tho tho free Interchange of or farmand farmand farm farmand and forest products from Canada and of manufactured wares from the United Stat States When hen s tho treaty was negotiated the five G f provinces hn hud had a total population of barl barely people From the tho time of tho the war of 1812 until 1854 the Canadian provinces and the United United Unit Unit- ed d States were constantly quarreling about boundary about boundary lines hines fishery rl rights hs theus the us use of canals navigation of or the great lanns and the St. St Lawrence river and man many other othor things Rebellions against England were fomented on the tho American side of tho the border and refugees refugee from Jus- Jus tlc ice In either country had but to makE makA their way over the tho line lino Ino to find a haven of or comparative get safety The Tho most remarkable effect of the tho roe rec treaty of 1 iasi 5 was waa that It I put an immediate stop to all al this bickering The two people began to bo ho as friendly as Jf if they were all al under ono one fl flag much hag much more moro friendly at that time time than w were re the tho th people of the north and south under the stars and End nd stripes rho Tho treaty was extremely advantageous to lo Canada Canada In a commercial wa way and the northern norther country began to grow rapidly When the treaty was abrogated abrogated abro abro- gated b by the tho United States StateR In 1866 1566 Canada Canada Cana Cana- da had Increased ed until it had considerably more than people The Tho cessation cassation of or reciprocal trade relations relations rela rela- between the two countries was not BO so 10 much th the tho out outgrowth of or economic or or commercial dissatisfaction on th the American Amen Ameri can eRn side as It 11 was waR tho the re result ul of ot purely purel political considerations The Canadians Vu very ery much desired d to keep the treaty In force orce The Tho Americans hail had just emerged from rm tho trying ordeal of tho the civil civi war Tho victorious north was still stil furious with Great at Britain for or Its suspected sympathy with wih the tho confederate states state and the tho same feeling extended to the tho Canadians On the thc Canadian side the Interest In tho the civil cUIl war had been bEen mixed Most Canadians Canadians Cana Cana- were opposed to slavery so 80 the they thoy had hr proved by by their maintenance of terminals ter ter- for t the tho 0 underground railway clement element n never Yer had for forgotten oten their Tory ancestors and never had foi forgiven given the United Stat States s for or tho the rebellion against England Therefore man many Canadians vero moro more or less openly In 8 sympathy path with wih the south because they thoy wished tolice to lice tho the American republic disrupted The action acton of Lord In sending send end ing InK troops to Canada at tho the time of the I seizure of ot the British Brish steamship Trent and the tue capture of f the commis Mason Maon and 1 by tho the union na navy had cau caused cd tho the Canadian newspapers pens pers r pe-r especially those of ofTon Tory proclivities to make some very ory foolish boasts of re restoring restoring ro- ro storing the North Am American colonies to the tho British crown b by force orco of arms In 1166 the one ono determining factor In tn at Washington was the thc question Queston ques Ques- lion tion ton o of loyalty or friendship to the union The Canadians were were suspected rightly or wron wrongly I of being unfriendly Reciprocity meant much to Canada then and little to the thc United States The high protectionists protection protection- already wore were at t work at Washington to make the tho tariff wall Impervious All Al of these things operating together Impelled impelled Im Im- im- im the American government to do- do noun co tho the treaty treat Since that time Caa- Caa Cana Cana- da ha and tho the United States have paid full ful tariff duties dute to other at the tho boundary line lino Ino on all wares transported from one country to the other After ACer the welding weldin of ot tho the Canadian provInces inces laces Into the dominion tho the Canadian government gov gov- sounded founded the tho authorities at Washington with a view to a I renewal of the old treaty but met with wih no encouragement encouragement whatever Not until the Liberal administration of or Mackenzie did Canada formally attempt to renew the tho reciprocal relations In 1874 ISH George Brown a I famous famous fa famous fa- fa Canadian WI was sent to Washington on a mission for or reciprocity re but ho was wa met with cold indifference Four years jears later hater Sir John Macdonald and tho the Conservatives ps again came into IntI power They hey proposed to force the United United Unit Unit- ed States Stares Into a a. a renewal of or tho the tre treaty ty by raising the Canadian tariffs to a a protective pro pr basis The experiment of or course course was doomed to failure even en e If IC It i was wa sincerely Initiated As a result of these rebuffs Canadian sentiment nt was turned against the Amor- Amor leans and there was a renewal of or the old fisheries disputes President Cleveland oland Cle and Secretary of State Bayard obtained tho the consent of or En England land to a special commission com corn mission to settle soUle these thell disputes Sir Charles Tupper later a Conservative e premier pro pre pr- pr mier attempted to induce the American commissioners to to consider some means moans of or freer trade relations between tho the two countries but the Democrats were no nomore moro more mor willing to to db so 80 than their Republican I lican pr predecessors d had been Tho The only result of ot the tho commission was a stop gap I compromise o of the fisheries quarrel Ten y years ars later In 1897 nn negotiations werA vero renewed otter oter both countries had undergone a a. a political change chAngo destined to affect affairs for or many years In 1806 1896 the Canadian Liberals obtained a lease of power which they still hold and tho the American Republicans began a sorl serIes s of victories not in any an wl wise e interrupted entil until un un- til t last lat November The Republican con- con gross repealed repeal d th the tho Wilson Gorman Gorman Wison-Gorman tariff and substituted for It the DIngley bill bi which made mado provision for I the tho he negotiation negotiation tion ton of reciprocity tr treaties atos Mr Ir Blame a a leader who had appealed appeal d strongly tr n ly to the imagination of or the rank and Inc 1110 o of the thc Republican party part had preached reciprocity reciprocity reci reci- as o the tho correct palliative for tho the alleged evils ls e of protection and the tho Ding Ding- Ic Icy bill nih bi t took ok that fact net Into consideration In Canada the new newly elected government had made mado reciprocity with tho the United States a part of or Its Is program President nt McKInley and Rud Premier Laurer named a Joint hl high h commission lon to fettle cUlo all nil th tho various disputes b between the tho two countries Sir Wilfrid himself sat fat at nt the head of or the Canadian contingent and Charles Charle CharleY W. W Fairbanks lat later r vice ICA president preal- preal dent was vas the tim ranking American member was considered and a a treaty treah- 1 was drawn up tip bearing the name of J. J A. A Kasson I lp one ono of the thA commissioners commissioner o But Dut like all al the other 1 Kasson Mn reciprocity treaties it nc never ne was was so o much n as considered consid consid- tr ered cred d b by tho the senate which had b by that time como come c completely under control of or tho the hl high h pot protection sentiment sentiment The Tho Joint high commission slon brought its Is labors labos to a fruitless fruit fruit- less lees end when the dispute over o the Alaskan Alaskan AlaSkan Alas Alas- AlaS AlaS- kan boundary bundar aro arose c neither side being willing to yield After Ater that that failure Sir Wilfrid LaureI announced that as much as he believed In reciprocity he was wal unwilling to submit to humiliation aM that the future policy of o tho the Liberal party part a would be no more pilgrimages to Washington That plIc pal pol- pl- pl Ic icy icv he adhered to lo The present r reciprocity agreement Is th the tho result of an American pilgrimage to Ottawa When the Payne Aldrich tariff bill bl was passed lh with Us its Is pro provisions for fora forn a n surtax on Imports imparts from Crom countries not giving gl ln 1 the United States Its IR best tariff rates it became necessary for tor President Taft to enter into negotiations to prevent pre pro vent a R tariff war with Canada something something some some- thing not at all al desired on either side o of the line lne The negotiations resulted In se securing securing se se- curing from Canada concessions sufficient suf- suf cent to justify the tho president In proclaiming proclaiming pro pro- claiming the minimum tariff for Canada During these negotiations the tho statesmen statesmen states states- I men of the two countries countrieS got acquainted It I was found round possible to deal directly between Ottawa and Washington without reference to London b by the device of considering considering considering con con- concurrent legislation and forgetting forgetting for for- getting tho the uso use of ot the word wor treaty The American commissioners loners went vent to Ot Ot- Ot- Ot tawa Th The Canadian commissioners to Washington ton The agreement was signed 1 nc and went scent to parliament and to COn leM for Cor ratification If I It Is II ratified It will wi bring Canada and the United States clos closer r to together r in mutual th than n they have b been cn since 1866 and that was waR before born the tho provInces provinces provinces inces of ot British North America hart had hoc been united into the dominion o of Canada Canada Canada-a a dominion still under the British fla flag and anda a n part of or the British empire but In hi fat fact act t tone one of the freest and bravest young oun nations nations nations na na- na- na of the world Tomorrow Tomorrow Dressmaking |