"PampVi A 
 
 & * 
 
 • • • I 
 
 CONTINENTAL UNION 
 
 ;^ 
 
 VERSUS 
 
 ^ 
 
 RECIPROCITY. 
 
 Erastus Wiman Answered 
 
 BY AN 
 
 Ex«Member of the Canadian 
 Parliament. 
 
 f^ 
 
■%-'- 
 
 "* ' fCop>ji'>vhted Fcbruartj S, 1803. J 
 
 -^ Continenlal Union w^u^ ^d^^milp-r 
 
 — ♦ — 
 
 > Hi, Erastus Wiman answered by an Ex-Member 
 
 of the Canadian Parliament. 
 
 There is no Canadian residing in the United States wlio lias given as inucli 
 tliouglit and study to tiie question how best to promote tlie i)rosi)erity and devel- 
 opment of Canada as Erastus Wiman. No other Canadian living here for the past 
 thirty years has had equal opportunities. For the past ten years Mr. V/iman has 
 given his native land his best thought; his heart's best etforts, and his wealth as 
 freely as a spring gives forth its water. He freely asserts his claims to be an ex- 
 pert upon all (piestions relating to Canada, and as such was invited to appear be- 
 fore a Committee of United States Senators and give <ivi(lence. I do not (luestion 
 Mr. Wiman's sincerity, no one can who knows him; no one doubts but that in 
 giving his testimony he was loyal to his countrymen and presented their case as 
 strongly as possible. In fltiancial aft'airs Mr. Wimau is a giant and as a collator 
 of connnercial statistics probably has no e<iual in this country. For these reasons 
 his evidence l)efore tlie Senatorial Committee deserves consideration at tliis time. 
 
 My good friend ami myself were examined upon the same day by that C'ommit- 
 tee of United States Senators in a room in the Post OlHce building, in New Yorlv 
 city, some time in January, 18"J0, as to our views ui)on the Canadian <|uestion. 
 Mr. Wiman appearing in the interest of Canada, while I was present as a witness 
 for the defence. 
 
 '• ' I had frequently discussed political union and its etlect upon the value of the 
 assets of Canada, and unrestricted Reciprocity and its inrtuence upon political 
 union with Mr. Winum, and was most anxious to have the views he had expressed 
 to me go upon record, if possible, as his sworn testimony before the Committee. 
 I therefore suggestetl to one of the Senators two questions to ask him, as follows : 
 
 1st. What effect would political union have upon the value of the assets ot 
 Canada. Mr. Wimaii replie«l frankly and promptly, " It wouUl increase them one 
 hundred fold." One of the Senators remarked, "Mr. Wiman, you do not mean 
 that; you mean one hundred per cent., do you not?" lie replied, "No, I mean 
 just what I said, one hundred fold." I was delighted. 
 
2fl. If we grant Canada unrestricted lieciprocity, -when will political union 
 'take place in your judgment ? Mr. Wiman made answer as follows : "A large 
 number of American citizens will go to Canada to investigate her boundless 
 natural resources. Some will buy mineral lands and develop them. Some will 
 buy water powers and build manufactories upon them. Some will purchase tim- 
 ber lands and erect great saw mills and manufacture lumber ; others will invest 
 in her tlsherics ; others still will build railways and other public works and operate 
 them ; thousands will go in and occui)y her arable lands : Avhile others will devote 
 themselves to trade, commerce, and tinance. Tiiat in time the majority of the 
 population of Canada would be composed of citizens of the United States, and 
 tlien political union would naturally take place." As I was present as a witness 
 for the defence, his answer pleased me. When giving my own testimony, I was 
 very careful to call the attention of the Senators to the fact that Mr. AViman had 
 upon a great many occasions, when addressing public meetings in Canada, frank- 
 ly told his fellow countrymen in all sinccritt/ that unless they could secure a treaty 
 of unrestricted Reciprocity with tlie United States, political union was inevitable. 
 It was the plain unvarnished truth, and I honor Mr. AViman for having declared 
 it openly. Mr. Wiman did not otter any objection to my statement going upon 
 record as evidence. 
 
 ' Now let us examine Mr. Wimau's three statements beginning with number 
 two. The present population of Canada is say 5,000,000, assuming an increase of 
 ten percent, each decade for twenty years in 1913 it will be 0,050,000 independent 
 of any Americans who may go there from here. (It will not exceed that number 
 if we do not grant Canada Reciprocity or political union is not consummated. Dur- 
 ing the decade from 1871 to 1881, the population of Canaila increased nearly nine- 
 teen per c«.nt., while from 1881 to 1891. it was only eleven and three-<iuarters per 
 cent., Avith an enormous expeiuliture of puljlic money upon public works, and an 
 abnormal increase in her railway mileage, including the Canadian Pacirtcand mauj 
 of its branches. During the latter part of the last decade immigration was less 
 than daring the early part of it, wliih; the exodus Avas nuicli greater. I predict 
 that Avithout reciprocity, or political union. Prince Edward's Island, Nova Scotia. 
 New Brunswick and (Quebec Avill sliow a loss in population in 19i;i, with <mly a 
 small 'ncrease in Ontario. At that time if our i)ercentage of increase is as great 
 for each decade as it was from 1880 to 1890, our population Avill be 105,000,o;;o, 
 or in other words, upon the basis of population our end of the whiffle-tree will be 
 seventeen and a half times as long as the Canadian end. AVhereas in 1890 it Avas 
 about thirteen times longer, and in 1870 only eleven times longer.) 
 
 To have a bare majority at that time of American ])orn citizens in Canada, we 
 should be compelled to part Avilh more than (»,050,000 of our best, most ambitious, 
 energetic, and enterprising sons and ilaughters, and all tlie capital they invested 
 in promoting the various eiiter prises in Avhich they engaged to develop the natural 
 
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 resources of Canada, while she remains under the British liaij, and take our chance 
 of getting all back when Canada has grown strong, lustj' and quite independent and 
 ten times more valuable to England than at the present time. Unrestricted reci- 
 procity according to Mr. Wiman's testimony means a very large exodus of our 
 best citizens to Canada, while without reciprocity there is now a large and rapidly 
 increasing exodus from Canada of her very best citizens to this country 
 
 Why should we attempt to reverse this happy (for us) condition of affairs. 
 , Now let us examine statements one and three. 
 
 First then number three, " without unrestricted reciprocity political union is 
 inevitable." Number one, " political vnipn will increase the value of the assets 
 of Canada one hundred fold." Mulhall gives the value of the assets of Canada in 
 1888 as ^964 per capita. The Canadian minister of agriculture estimates the total 
 annual gain at one hundred million dollars. Therefore upon a basis of a popula- 
 tion of 5,000,000, the value of the assets of Canada in 1890 was about Ave thous- 
 and millions. Which by political union according to Mr. Wiman would be increased 
 to five hundred thousand millions, a sum greater than the combined wealth of 
 Great Britain, France, Germany and the United States. Now if by refusing re- 
 ciprocity, political union is inevitable, we shall secure the five hundred thousand 
 millions without the loss of a single American citizen, or a dollar of capital. 
 
 After political union has been consummated, if our people go into what is now 
 Canada they will still be oursf and all the capital they take with them. By refus- 
 ing reciprocity we gain all Canada, according to Mr. Wiman, while by granting it, 
 in twenty years we invite and risk an exodus of over G,050,000 of our very best 
 citizens and a very large amount of capital ; and at the same time enormously 
 strengthen our greatest commercial rival at our very doors. I thought Mr. Wi- 
 man's estimate of the effect of political union upon the value of the assets of Can- 
 ada just a trifle high, although I had read the Arabian Nights, but as it was not 
 my duty as a v/itness for the defence to challenge evi<lence given by a highly intel- 
 ligent and expert witness for the plaintiff, 1 did not (luestion his statement. I am 
 inclined to believe that had I been present as Mr. Wiman's counsel, after his three 
 statements had been accepted as evidence, I should have advised him to withdraw 
 his case from before that Court. Neither would I advise him now to submit it to 
 a jury composed of the electorate of the United States, as I feel morally certain 
 that the verdict would be for the defence with full costs; or had I l)een counsel 
 for the defence I should certainly have advised my client not to call a single wit- 
 ness, but to lei the case go to the jury upon Mr. Wiman's unquestioned evidence. 
 In plain English there is neither rhyme, reason or justice in our l)uilding up 
 British power on this continent, and at the sanui time expending large sunjs of 
 money in constructing and maintaining a navy to protect our commerce. 
 
 It would be criminal on the part of any administration to promote such a 
 policy, directly or indirectly, by a change in our fiscal policy towards Canada, or 
 
—4— > 
 
 by a continuance of the bondinij system. When continental union lias been con- 
 summated Canada will not only enjoy all the advantages of unrestricted reciprocity, 
 and more forever, but will share "svith us all the benefits resulting from treaties 
 we have entered into or may negotiate with other nations; or in other words, in 
 all the benefits and privileges which inure to American citizenship for all time 
 to come, v-' j; ■ »> 
 
 Mr. Wiman seems to think that it would be an act of disloyalty on the part 
 of fair Miss Canada to leave her mother's house, and accept the heart and hand 
 of Jonathan and become his wife. Mr. Wiman is a husband, to become snch, a 
 man must persuade some good woman to leave her mother's home and care, and 
 become his wife for the express purpose of establishing an independent home and 
 family of their own. Is it an act ol disloyalty for a good woman to become the 
 wife of a good man ? Most certainly not. The moment Jonathan becomes the 
 husband of Mi.ss Canada he also becomes the son-in-law of dear old mother Eng- 
 land, and the dear old lady becomes his mother-in-law, and fair Miss Canada her 
 married daughter, and if we may judge from Queen Victoria's great anxiety to 
 marry off her daughters and grand-daughters, far preferable to an unmarried 
 daughter. The loyalty cry raised at Ottawa by the charlatans who have Miss 
 Canada ])onnd hand and foot, and are administering opiates to her, while they arc 
 mortgaging hor future, selling the l)onds in Englan<l, and dividing the proceeds 
 among thcnisolves is contemptible, hypocritical cant intended to divert public at- 
 tention, Avhile they secrete their swag and continue their crimes. 
 
 Makuiagk is honorable bkfouk God and man, and so will br the t^nion 
 OF Jonathan and fair Miss Canada, 
 
 i No young man in the city of Toronto in 18G2, had more brilliant prospects 
 than Erastns Wiman. He was manager in Canada for Messrs. R. G. Dun & Co., 
 and Secretary of the Toronto Board of trade. He had the good will and conlidcncc 
 of the heads of all the tinancial and commercial institutions and business houses 
 of Canada. No young man was better known or had more warm friends. Sud- 
 denly he received a higher call, which he promptly accepted, or in other words. 
 an offer of a hiiiher salary in a larger field of usefulness. He left kindred, neigli- 
 bors, all ids valuable lousiness connections and the flag of old England and came 
 to New York city to take charge of the City department of Messrs. R. G. Dun 
 
 From among all their managers they selected Mr. Wiman, an entire stranger, 
 not only to l)usiness customs in New York, but to the people he was to meet, as the 
 one most <'ompetent to fill that most dlfilcult and trying position. He left his home 
 under the British flag with alacrity to establish a new home under the stars 
 and stripes, when this nation was Involved in the most terrible civil wnr upon 
 record. When Ignited States six per cent bonds were selling fit forty cents on the 
 tlollar in gold, and when the issue of the war was involved in doubt, and Avhen the 
 
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 Iraperial government was manifesting a rlesire that the great Republic should be 
 dismembered and ^vas indirectly, at least, giving aid and comfort to the insurgents. 
 He has prospered here beyond his most sanguine expectations, and in legitimate 
 business enterprises has amassed an immense fortune. What has been the effect 
 of his action ? Why one million young men and women born under the flag of 
 old England have followed in his footsteps. Not less than ten thousand of them 
 have called upon Mr. Wiman during the past thirty years and sought his assist- 
 ance, in finding employment, and I am prepared to assert that he never rebuked 
 one of them for turning his back upon the Union Jack, but on the contrary, if 
 satisfied that they were of good moral character he most cheerfully exerted his 
 influence to find them good positions. Ten million immigrants have landed at 
 Castle Garden from Europe since Mr. Wiman came to New York. I doubt if he ever 
 crossed over from Staten Island ferry and urged one of them to go to Canada to 
 settle. I am led to believe that ninety-five per cent, of Mr. Wiman's great wealth 
 is invested in the United States; in all other countries, including Canada five per 
 cent. v; ;, ? 
 
 When discussing the boundless undeveloped natural resources of Canada, Mr. 
 Wiman deals largely in glittering generalities and sentimentalities. He seldom 
 descends to dry facts and figures. He appeals to the hearts of his hearers and 
 not to their judgment. He loves Canada and is intensely anxious to serve his 
 countrymen for which I admire and honor him, but I cannot adopt his conclusions 
 after a careful study of his testimony before the Senatorial Committee. 
 
 If " without reciprocity political union is inevitable" then I am opposed to 
 granting reciprocity. If " political union will increase the value of the assets of 
 Canada one hundred fold " then I am morally certain that sooner or later the Can- 
 adian people will seek admission to the union. If reciprocity will cause during 
 the next twenty j'ears an " exodus of over 6.050,000 of our best and most enter- 
 prising citizens " then, again I am opposed io reciprocity. 
 
 Mr. Wiman also admitted, in giving his testimony, that the products of Can- 
 ada exported to the United States formed so small a percentage of our consump- 
 tion that they did not affect prices in this country; that the Canadian producer 
 and not the American consumer paid the duty, and consequently that with free 
 access to our market the price in Canada of all the products of the farm, the mine, 
 the forest, and the sea would l)e increased by the amount of the duties removed. 
 
 ^in enormous gain to the Canad'an producer but absolutely no gain whatever 
 to the American consumer, and for this government a serious loss of revenue^ or 
 in other words a contribution from the treasury oi the United States to the pro- 
 ducers of Canada of several millions of dollars annually as an inducement to Can- 
 ada to continue as a dependency of the British crown. 
 
 Now for a few dry facts and figures with which my good friend never wearies 
 his hearers or readers when discussing the Canadian question. 
 
6— 
 
 The first blast furnace for the manufacture of pig iron in Canada was erected 
 in 1737 (one liuutlred and fifty-six years ago), and was in almost continual opera- 
 tion until 1883. A grand total of five (5) furnaces was in blast during 1S'.)0. 
 The same year 7G.511 tons of iron ore was mined, 18,754 tons of it was exported 
 to the United States, 57,304 tons was smelted in Canada, producing 21,772 tons of 
 pig iron or one ton of iron to two and six tenths tons of ore. The grand 
 total value of the exports of iron and steel and manufactures thereof (including 
 scrap iron) for the year ending June 30th, 1892, was $133,724, while the grand 
 total of imports of iron and steel and manufactures thereof was $13,835,493. It 
 will be observed that upon a per capita basis the imports of iron and steel into 
 Canada was equal to an import for the United States of $179,861,493, whereas the 
 actual imports of iron and steel and manufactures thereof into the United States 
 for the same fiscal year was only $31,520,054, and the exports of the same $28,- 
 800,930. 
 
 In 1891 Canada manufactured one twelve-hundredth part of the world's pro- 
 duction of pig iron, while the United States produced thirty-three per cent, of the 
 total product. The world production of pig iron increased from 14,119,203 tons 
 in 1378, to 25,124,544 in 1890, or seventy-eight per cent. There was not any in- 
 crease in pr(. luction in Canada. - . . >t. 
 
 There was more than ten million net tons of pig iron produced in the United 
 States in 1892, or about five hundred times as much as in Canada, although our 
 population is only thirteen times greater than that of Canada. 
 
 The stimu^aliiiy eftect of the blessed Gospel of a " tariff" for revenue on'y," upon 
 the iron industry of Canada, antl the very depressing eft'ect of the unconstitutional 
 American policy of protection upon the iron industry of the United States is clear 
 ly and most emphatically disclosed by these statements all taken from late Canadian 
 official reports. In 1890, there wis 3.117,001 tons of coal mined in Canada and 
 3,299,020 tons imported. 772,441 tons mined upon Vancouver's Island was ex- 
 ported to the Unitetl States, and 172,084 tons mined on Vancouver and in Nova 
 Scotia was exported to other countries (chiefly as ballast) for the year ending 
 June 30th, 1892. It will l)e observed that Canada consumed 1,120,490 tons more 
 of imported coal than she did of coal taken from her own mines. 54,000 tons of 
 the imported coal came from Wales as l)allast the balance from the United States. 
 1,819,222 tons of it was subject to a Canadian duty of 00 cents per ton. There 
 was mined in the United States in 1890, 140,874,729 tons of coal and in Great 
 Britain in 1891, 185,479,120 tons. 
 
 In 1880 the United States produced 105,774 tons of copper Canada produced 
 2,500 or 2 1-2 per cent, of our production. 
 
 The value of gold produced in the United States in 1890 was $32,845,000, in 
 Canada 01,495,000. Silver was produced in the United States to the value of $70,- 
 465,000 in Canada $495,000. There was consumed in Canada in 1890, 9,230,021 
 
_7_ . ^,., 
 
 gallons of Canadian refined vetroltnm oil and 5,075,G50 gallons of American oil; 
 duty upon American oil imported into Canada 7 1-2 cents per Imperial gallon or 
 about 100 per cent. For the fiscal year ending June 30tli, 1892, there was 5,G98,- 
 092 gallons of American oil imported. There was exported from Canada in 1890, 
 420,492 gallons oi petroleum oil valued at $18,154. 
 
 The foregoing facts clearly indicates that the " boundless undeveloped natural 
 resources of Canada " upon which my good friend delights to dwell in general 
 terms is suftering badly for a change in administration and that without it they 
 will remain for ages undeveloped. 
 
 Mr. Wiman, in a contribution entitled " Remove the barbed wire fence," pub- 
 lished in " Thuih," March 12, 1891, wrote as follows : 
 
 " The measure of development Avhich is possible for the whole continent is 
 that which has actually taken place in the southern portion of It, and which is 
 found in the creation of a commerce, and the development of wealth giving forces 
 for the good of man, which in the United States has actually taken place. The 
 comparisons given by the late Mr. Windom will illustrate the extent of this 
 
 growth. Foil INSTANCE : THK TONNAGE OF THE DETROIT UIVEU, A NARROW STREAM 
 IN THE NORTHERN PART OK NoRTH AMERICA, REACHED IN 1890 AN AMOUNT EQUAL 
 TO THE COMBINED TONNAGE OF LoNDON VND LiVPIRPOOL. ThE TONNAGE OP THE 
 
 Sault Ste. Marie Canal, in seven months, was greater than the tonnage of 
 THE Suez canal in an entire year. The value of a single cotton crop 
 r.ROWN IN 1890 in one section of the United States reached 400 million dol- 
 lars, A SUM EXCEEDING THE TOTAL OUTPUT FOR FIVE YEARS OF ALL THE GOLD 
 MINES OF THE WORLD. TlIE TOTAL MANUFACTURES OF THE COUNTRY AMOUNTED TO 
 1,500 MILLION DOLLARS MORE THAN THOSE OF GrEAT BRITAIN, 2,000 MILLION MORE 
 THAN THOSE OF FRANCE AND 2,300 MILLION MORE THAN THOSE OF GERMANY. 
 
 Canada, as the greater half of the continent, has had no progress at all compara- 
 ble with the progress of the United States. The two nationalities set out side 
 
 BY SIDE 120 YEARS AGO ON THE RACE FOR CONTINENTAL SUPREMACY. ThE UNITED 
 
 States had an untried form of government, had no capital, no backing, and 
 no previous experience, working out on a vast scale a pla?f of self-govern- 
 ment, and an experiment in finance and development. canada had behind 
 HER Great Britain, stable institutions, enormous supplies of money, and 
 
 EVERYTHING TO MAKE HER GREAT. YeT, TO-DAY THE TWO COUNTRIES ARE WIDELY 
 DIFFERENT IN THE RE8UT.TS ACHIEVED. OnE HAS A POPULATION OF 64 MILLIONS ; 
 
 THE OTHER A POPULATION o^' BARELY 5 MILLIONS. Everything elsB is in proportion. 
 A single State in the Union has as many people, and far greater wealth than the 
 whole of Canada. A single house in New York and one L hi'^T'o sells more dry 
 goods in a year than Canada imports. Measured by evek. . >ard of com- 
 parison, THE EXPERIMENT IN CANADA OF SELF-RELIANCE AND SELF-DEVELOP- 
 MENT 18 A FAILURE. Beyond all question, the cause of this has been that the free- 
 
~8— 
 
 dom of trade, which between the commonwealths has built them up, and which 
 has been denied to Canada. By a policy of isolation, restriction and exclusion, 
 she has been shut out from the great growth on this continent which has challenged 
 the wonder of the world. If the Declaration of Independence had taken in 
 
 THE WHOLE CONTINENT, THE SAME RELATIVE PROGRESS WOULD HAVE TAKEN PLACE 
 NORTH OF THE 45Tn PARALLEL -THE LaKES AND THE St. LaWRENCE — THAT HAS 
 TAKEN PLACE TO THE SOUTH OF THEM, AND THE WORLD WOULD HAVE llEEN KXRICHED 
 TO DOUBLE THE EXTENT OF THE CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE UNITED STATES. 
 
 IF, THEREFORE, THE POLICY WHICH HAS HITHERTO PREVAILED IN CANADA HAS 
 BEEN ONE OF RETARDATION, OF SLOW DEVELOPMENT, OF DECLINING VALUES, OF AN 
 EXODUS OF POPULATION, OF INCREASING INDEBTEDNESS, AND DECREASED POWER OF 
 PAYMENT, IS IT TREASONABLE TO BEGIN TO TALK OF A CHANGE OF CONDITIONS-NOT 
 A CHANGE IN POLITICAL CONDITIONS, FOR THAT IS ENTIRELY UNNECESSARY, BUT A 
 CHANGE IN FISCAL POLICY, WHICH WOULD REMOVE THE BARRIER BETWEEN THE 
 TWO PEOPLE. • 
 
 IF THE VAST MINERAL WEALTH OF CANADA LIES SILENT AND DORMANT AND 
 DEAD BECAUSE OF THE WANT OF A MARKET, WHAT WOULD STIMULATE ITS DEVEL- 
 OPMENT SO GREATLY AS THE OPENING UP OF THE GREATEST MARKET FOR MINERALS 
 UNDER THE SUN? IF THE AGRICULTURAL FORCES OF CANADA ARE RESTRICTED, 
 UNPROFITABLE AND INSIGNIFICANT, WHAT BETTER CONDITION COULD PREVAIL 
 THAN TO OPEN UP ACCESS TO FEED THE GREATEST MONEY-MAKING, MONEY-SPEND- 
 ING AGGREGATION OF HUMANITY IN THE WORLD ? IF ILLIMITABLE FORESTS OF 
 TIMBER ARE ROTTING AND BURNING EVERY Y^EAR TO AN EXTENT GREATER THAN 
 THE CONSUMPTION.-IF THE GREAT COAST LINE OF FISHERIES, FIVE THOUSAND 
 MILES IN LENGTH, ARE WASTING FOR WANT OF USE, IF IN EVERY DIRECTION THERE 
 IS SLOWNESS IN GROWTH OF WEALTH AND DEVELOPMENT, AND ALL THIS COULD BE 
 REMEDIED BY AN OBLITERATION OF THE CUSTOMS LINE BETWEEN THE TWO PEOPLE 
 THAT HOLD THE CONTINENT IN COMMON, WHAT IN THE NAME OF COMMON SENSE 
 SHOULD STAND IN THE WAY OF SUCH A CONSUMMATION ? 
 
 *' Great BrUain would have been infinitely better off, because while she is 
 receiving 25 millions of dollars in interest every year from her possessions in 
 North America, she is receiving 200 millions of dollars in interest from the revolted 
 colonies that declared their independence of her fiscal interference. The British 
 goods used in Canada are no greater, per capita, than the English goods used in 
 the United States. Tlie population from the British Isles in the Union is ten times 
 that in the Dominion, and, so far as material advantage is concerned, the United 
 States is, to-<lay, one hundred times more important to the commerce of Great 
 Britain than is Canada." > > -i 
 
 Could Mr. Wiman have expressed in stronger or more explicit terms the fact 
 that British connection had stunted and ])lighted the development of Canada for 
 the past one hundred and twenty years, and yet he would continue its blighting 
 embrace while beseeching the people of the United States to come to the relief of 
 Canada. It would seem .<> most miuils after reading Mr. Wiman's statement, tliat 
 If after a trial of one hundred and twenty years, ujcasured by every standard oi 
 
— 9— 
 
 comparison, the experiment in Canada of self-reliance and self-development is a 
 failure, that something more radical or substantial and permanent than a treaty of 
 Reciprocity for a short term of years -would be required to retrieve the terrible 
 mistake made in 1770. Mr. Wiman's statement that British goods used in Canada 
 are no greater than English goods used in the United States is not correct. For 
 the fiscal year ending June 30th, 1892, the imports into Canada from Great Britain 
 was at the rate of $8.20 per capita, while the imports into the United States from 
 tlie same country was only $2.40 per capita. ,,, 
 
 If free trade with the United States for a term of years under a treaty of 
 Reciprocity will give unbounded prosperity to Canada, why will not political union 
 which insures to the Canadian people every benefit, blessing, facility or privilege 
 which inures to American citizenship, for all time to come, place the development 
 and continued prosperity of Canada upon a more sound and stable basis. Recip- 
 rocity ])y treaty is like Iniilding upon a foundation of sand while continental union 
 is building upon the rock — one is child's play, the other the incarnation of sound 
 common sense. 
 
 So late as October 9th, 1892, in a paper contributed by Mr. Wiman to the Col- 
 um])ian issue of the Press the unhappy condition of Canada is described as follows : 
 " The greater half of thecontineut^included in the British possessions in North 
 America, are still develojied only to a partial degree. Larger than the United 
 States in area, richer in the resources whic). have made this country great, pos- 
 sessing potentialities of wealth l)eyond the dreams of avarice, Canada lies in this 
 day of rejoiciug a disappointment to the world. With natural means of inter- 
 communication exceeding tliose of any other land, in variety and extent of miner- 
 als, in magnitude of forests, in length of coast line fisheries, and above all, in the 
 possibilities of agricultural output, she is one of the richest of nations by nature, 
 but one of tiie poorest by policy. Isolated from the marvelous growth of the 
 United States l)y a line of demarcation which, while im])erceptible, is as higli as a 
 mountain and as l)road as a sea. she has had a growth so stunted and a develop- 
 ment so slow as to make a comparison witli the I'nited States seriously detri- 
 mental to the estimate which ought to be formed in the world at large as to lier 
 position among the nations of the earth." 
 
 I am contldent that Continental Union would increase the ronvcrtihlo value of 
 the assets of Canada witliin ten years after its consummation one hundred per 
 cent, or in other words five thousand million dollars, and that after ten years the 
 annual increase in convertible valu<> M'ould be enormous compared to the present 
 rate, estimated by the Minister of Agriculture to l)e twenty dollars per capita. 
 The difference between Mr. Wiman's estimate and my own Is only four luindrcd 
 and ninety thousand ndllions. Not a large sum when discussing i»i "glittering 
 generalities" the "enormous undeveloped natum csources," the "unlimited 
 possibilities" and "boundless potentialties" of hall u continent with live million 
 
of inhabitants. According to Mr. Wiman political union will increase the per capita 
 wealth of Canada from one thousand to one hundred thousand dollars," and yet he 
 told the Senators that it would be ruinous for a public man in Canada to propose 
 political union, and that political union was so far away in the future as to be 
 unworthy of consideration at this time. If the per capita wealth of Great Britain 
 and Ireland was one hundred thousand dollars the total wealth would be $3,800,- 
 000,000,000, and that of the United States upon the same basis would be $6,500,- 
 000,000,000. 
 
 The Honorable Edward Blake, the peer of Gladstone and the late Mr. Blaine, 
 the late leader of the liberal party of Canada, the greatest, truest and oblest liv- 
 ing Canadian, and the only living Canadian who declined knighthood at the hands 
 of Her Majesty, (now a member of the Imperial Parliament, and selected by Mr. 
 Gladstone as one of a committee of three to draft the Homo Rule bill now before 
 the House of Commons of England) describes the result of the present policy of 
 Canada in the following caustic terms, in his celebrated Durham letter of Feb. 6, 
 1891. . . ■ ' ■■ • ' • - 
 
 " Its real tendency has been, as foretold twelve years ago, towards disintegra- 
 tion and annexation, instead of consolidation and the maintenance of British con- 
 nection. * ' ' ' •' . : . .:• ,' J 
 
 It has left us with a small population, a scanty immigration, and a North-west 
 empty still; with enormous additions to our public debt and yearly charge, an ex- 
 travagant system of expenditure, and an unjust and oppressive tarill"; with re- 
 stricted markets for onr needs, whether to buy or to sell, and all the hosts of evils 
 (greatly intensified 1)y our special conditions) thence arising; with trade diverted 
 from its natural into forced and therefore less profitable channels ; and with un- 
 friendly relations and frowning taritf wall ever more and more estranging us 
 from tlu' mighty English speaking nation to the South, our neighbors and relations, 
 with whom we ought to l)e, as it was prf)mised that we shouhl be, living in gener- 
 ous amity and lil)eral intercourse. 
 
 Worse; far worse! It has left us witli h)wered standards of pul)lic virtue, 
 ami a death-like apathy in publii* opinion; with racial, reliiiious, and rrovincial 
 animositii's ratluT inllamed than soothed ; with a subservient parliament, an auto- 
 cratic executive, <lebauched constituencies and corrupted and corrupting classes; 
 with lessene*! self-reliance and increase*! dependence on the public chest and on 
 legislative aids; and possessed withal by a boastful jingo spirit, far enougli re- 
 moved from true manliness, loudly proclaiming unreal conilitions an«l exaggerated 
 sentiments, while actual fat^ts and genuine opinions are suppressed. 
 
 It has left us with our hands tied ; our future compromised ; and in such a 
 plight tiiat, whether we stand or move, we must run some risks AYhich else we 
 might liaveeltlier declined, or encountered witli grealer promise of success." 
 
— n— 
 
 Discnssing Mr. Wiman's scheme for unrestrictcfl Reciprocity, Mr. Blake says, 
 as follows : , . . 
 
 :, " Of the financial problem presented by Unrestricted Reciprocity I have seen 
 no solution -which would leave us without a great deficit. 
 
 I have said that any feasible plan involves diftcrential duties ; but it does more. 
 It involves— as to the bulk by agreement, and as to raucb from the necessity of the 
 case — the substantial assimilation, in their leading features, of the tarifts of the 
 two countries. ' > 
 
 The absence of agreement would (jive to each conntrij power to disturb at will 
 the industrial system of the other; and Unrestricted li^cijrrocity without an ayrced as- 
 similation of duties is an unsubstantial dream.'' '' 
 
 When considering a treaty of commercial union, at that time clearly the most 
 practical of all propositions before the Canadian electorate, Mr. Blake writes as 
 below : 
 
 " Whatever you or I may think on that head ; Avhether we like or dislike, be- 
 lieve or disbelieve in Political Union; must we not agree that the subject is one of 
 great moment, towards the practical settlement of which we should take no seri- 
 ous step without reflection, or in ignorance of Avhat we are doing ? 
 
 Assuming that absolute free trade with the States, best described as Com- 
 mercial Union, may and ought to come, I believe that it can and should come only as 
 an incident, or at any rate as a loell understood precursor of Political Union; for 
 which indeed ice shoidd be able to make better terms before than after the surrender of 
 our Commercial Independence." . 
 
 Of the vital importance to Canadians of free access to the market of the 
 United States for all their surplus productions, Mr. Blake say • vith great frank- 
 ness, that, 
 
 " While that free market which the United Kingdom, on a just conception of its 
 own interests, opens permanently to all the world, is to us of very great value; 
 and while every prudent efibrt should be made to enlarge our exports there and 
 elsewhere beyond the seas; yet the results of all such oftbrts must be far below 
 those to flow from a free market throughout our own continent." 
 
 In judging of the opinions exi)ressed by Mr. Blake and Mr. WIman, it must 
 not be forgotten that Mr. Biake has since Confederation Avas consununated m 1807, 
 been the foremost statesman in Canada, while Mr. Winian has been for a larger 
 period a resident of New York and for the most part deeply absorbed in business 
 enterprises in this country. 
 
 It is to be feared that when Mr. Wiman's countrymen read his testimony before 
 the Senatorial Committee and his fretpient contributions to the American press, 
 they will (lucstion his loyalty to Canada or his good judgment in presenting their 
 caso before the electorate of the United States, 
 
—12— 
 
 -The late Henry Ward Beecher was a stupendous moral power in politics and 
 religion, but in the administration of his private flnancial affairs a child. 
 
 As I have said Mr. Wiman is a giant in finance, and as a collator of financial 
 and commercial statistics has no rival in this country, but in the domain of prac- 
 tical statesmanship I fear I must class him as an unweaned babe. 
 
 Five millions of more industrious, intelligent, ambitious, progressive, enter- 
 prising, conservative, peaceful, law-abiding, home-loving, moral people, thorough- 
 ly versed in the art of self-government, than our Canadian cousins does not exist 
 iu any part of tlie world, therefore I would secure to them forever every advant- 
 age, every opportunity, every 4)riviiege, every benefit and l)lessing, which inures 
 to citizens of this republic upon exactly the very same conditions which the Re- 
 public exacts from each one of us, viz., that they should assume all the duties, obli- 
 gations, and responsibilities of American citizenship, and swear to defend the 
 
 American flag, and upon no other terms. 
 
 FRANCIS WAYLAND GLEN. 
 
 
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