the canadian dominion-第43部分

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Roman　Catholic　Prime　Minister。　In　vain　the　Liberals　appealed　to　national　unity　or　started　back　fires　in　Ontario　by　insisting　that　a　vote　for　Borden　meant　a　vote　for　Bourassa。　The　Conservative…Nationalist　alliance　cost　the　Government　many　seats　in　Quebec　and　apparently　did　not　frighten　Ontario。

Reciprocity；　however；　was　the　principal　issue　everywhere　except　in　Quebec。　Powerful　forces　were　arrayed　against　it。　Few　manufactures　had　been　put　on　the　free　list；　but　the　argument　that　the　reciprocity　agreement　was　the　thin　edge　of　the　wedge　rallied　the　organized　manufacturers　in　almost　unbroken　hostile　array。　The　railways；　fearful　that　western　traffic　would　be　diverted　to　United　States　roads；　opposed　the　agreement　vigorously　under　the　leadership　of　the　ex…American　chairman　of　the　board　of　directors　of　the　Canadian　Pacific；　Sir　William　Van　Horne；　who　made　on　this　occasion　one　of　his　few　public　entries　into　politics。　The　banks；　closely　involved　in　the　manufacturing　and　railway　interests；　threw　their　weight　in　the　same　direction。　They　were　aided　by　the　prevalence　of　protectionist　sentiment　in　the　eastern　cities　and　industrial　towns；　which　were　at　the　same　stage　of　development　and　in　the　same　mood　as　the　cities　of　the　United　States　some　decades　earlier。　The　Liberal　fifteen…year　compromise　with　protection　made　it　difficult　in　a　seven　weeks'　campaign　to　revive　a　desire　for　freer　trade。　The　prosperity　of　the　country　and　the　cry；　〃Let　well　enough　alone；〃　told　powerfully　against　the　bargain。　Yet　merely　from　the　point　of　view　of　economic　advantage；　the　popular　verdict　would　probably　have　been　in　its　favor。　The　United　States　market　no　longer　loomed　so　large　as　it　had　in　the　eighties；　but　its　value　was　undeniable。　Farmer；　fisherman；　and　miner　stood　to　gain　substantially　by　the　lowering　of　the　bars　into　the　richest　market　in　the　world。　Every　farm　paper　in　Canada　and　all　the　important　farm　organizations　supported　reciprocity。　Its　opponents；　therefore；　did　not　trust　to　a　direct　frontal　attack。　Their　strategy　was　to　divert　attention　from　the　economic　advantages　by　raising　the　cry　of　political　danger。　The　red　herring　of　annexation　was　drawn　across　the　trail；　and　many　a　farmer　followed　it　to　the　polling　booth。

From　the　outset；　then；　the　opponents　of　reciprocity　concentrated　their　attacks　on　its　political　perils。　They　denounced　the　reciprocity　agreement　as　the　forerunner　of　annexation；　the　deathblow　to　Canadian　nationality　and　British　connection。　They　prophesied　that　the　trade　and　intercourse　built　up　between　the　East　and　the　West　of　Canada　by　years　of　sacrifice　and　striving　would　shrivel　away；　and　that　each　section　of　the　Dominion　would　become　a　mere　appendage　to　the　adjacent　section　of　the　United　States。　Where　the　treasure　was；　there　would　the　heart　be　also。　After　some　years　of　reciprocity；　the　channels　of　Canadian　trade　would　be　so　changed　that　a　sudden　return　to　high　protection　on　the　part　of　the　United　States　would　disrupt　industry　and　a　mere　threat　of　such　a　change　would　lead　to　a　movement　for　complete　union。

This　prophecy　was　strengthened　by　apposite　quotations　showing　the　existing　drift　of　opinion　in　the　United　States。　President　Taft's　reference　to　the　〃light　and　imperceptible　bond　uniting　the　Dominion　with　the　mother　country〃　and　his　〃parting　of　the　ways〃　speech　received　sinister　interpretations。　Speaker　Champ　Clark's　announcement　that　he　was　in　favor　of　the　agreement　because　he　hoped　〃to　see　the　day　when　the　American　flag　will　float　over　every　square　foot　of　the　British　North　American　possessions〃　was　worth　tens　of　thousands　of　votes。　The　anti…reciprocity　press　of　Canada　seized　upon　these　utterances；　magnified　them；　and　sometimes；　it　was　charged；　inspired　or　invented　them。　Every　American　crossroads　politician　who　found　a　useful　peroration　in　a　vision　of　the　Stars　and　Stripes　floating　from　Panama　to　the　North　Pole　was　represented　as　a　statesman　of　national　power　voicing　a　universal　sentiment。　The　action　of　the　Hearst　papers　in　sending　pro…reciprocity　editions　into　the　border　cities　of　Canada　made　many　votesbut　not　for　reciprocity。　The　Canadian　public　proved　that　it　was　unable　to　suffer　fools　gladly。　It　was　vain　to　argue　that　all　men　of　weight　in　the　United　States　had　come　to　understand　and　to　respect　Canada's　independent　ambitions；　that　in　any　event　it　was　not　what　the　United　States　thought　but　what　Canada　thought　that　mattered；　or　that　the　Canadian　farmer　who　sold　a　bushel　of　good　wheat　to　a　United　States　miller　no　more　sold　his　loyalty　with　it　than　a　Kipling　selling　a　volume　of　verse　or　a　Canadian　financier　selling　a　block　of　stock　in　the　same　market。　The　flag　was　waved；　and　the　Canadian　voter；　mindful　of　former　American　slights　and　backed　by　newly　arrived　Englishmen　admirably　organized　by　the　anti…reciprocity　forces；　turned　against　any　〃entangling　alliance。〃　The　prosperity　of　the　country　made　it　safe　to　express　resentment　of　the　slights　of　half　a　century　or　fear　of　this　too　sudden　friendliness。

The　result　of　the　elections；　which　were　held　on　September　21；　1911；　was　the　crushing　defeat　of　the　Liberal　party。　A　Liberal　majority　of　forty…four　in　a　house　of　two　hundred　and　twenty…one　members　was　turned　into　a　Conservative　majority　of　forty…nine。　Eight　cabinet　ministers　went　down　to　defeat。　The　Government　had　a　slight　majority　in　the　Maritime　Provinces　and　Quebec；　and　a　large　majority　in　the　prairie　West；　but　the　overwhelming　victory　of　the　Opposition　in　Ontario；　Manitoba；　and　British　Columbia　turned　the　day。

The　appeal　to　loyalty　revealed　much　that　was　worthy　and　much　that　was　sordid　in　Canadian　life。　It　was　well　that　a　sturdy　national　self…reliance　should　be　developed　and　expressed　in　the　face　of　American　prophets　of　〃manifest　destiny；〃　and　that　men　should　be　ready　to　set　ideals　above　pocket。　It　was　unfortunate　that　in　order　to　demonstrate　a　loyalty　which　might　have　been　taken　for　granted　economic　advantage　was　sacrificed；　and　it　was　disturbing　to　note　the　ease　with　which　big　interests　with　unlimited　funds　for　organizing；　advertising；　and　newspaper　campaigning；　could　pervert　national　sentiment　to　serve　their　own　ends。　Yet　this　was　possibly　a　stage　through　which　Canada；　like　every　young　nation；　had　to　pass；　and　the　gentle　art　of　twisting　the　lion's　tail　had　proved　a　model　for　the　practice　of　plucking　the　eagle's　feathers。


The　growth　of　Canada　brought　her　into　closer　touch　with　lands　across　the　sea。　Men；　money；　and　merchandise　came　from　East　and　West；　and　with　their　coming　new　problems　faced　the　Government　of　the　Dominion。　With　Europe　they　were　trade　questions　to　solve；　and　with　Asia　the　more　delicate　issues　arising　out　of　oriental　immigration。

In　1907　the　Canadian　Government　had　established　an　intermediate　tariff；　with　rates　halfway　between　the　general　and　the　British　preferential　tariffs；　for　the　express　purpose　of　bargaining　with　other　powers。　In　that　year　an　agreement　based　substantially　on　these　intermediate　rates　was　negotiated　with　France；　though　protectionist　opposition　in　the　French　Senate　prevented　ratification　until　1910。　Similar　reciprocal　arrangements　were　concluded　in　1910　with　Belgium；　the　Netherlands；　and　Italy。　The　manner　of　the　negotiation　was　as　significant　as　the　matter。　In　the　case　of　France　the　treaty　was　ne