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'' DUJ^ELG/' August 12th, 187S, WOODSTOCK SENTINEL SIUCAM I'RESHES. ^ c ADDRESS !( HIS CONSTITUENTS ! -rv- LIEUT.-COLONEL JAS. A. i It MKUDEl? OF r.lllLLl.MEXT ■Vmx THE- SOUTH HIDING OF OXFOHD.- "DUXELG," Av^rost IP.th, 1S7S. f -<-b!e liasco; " that ller Majesty's representative would be obligetl on accouiit of (Ik ir sheer incapacity to turn them out of oflice, and send for Sir .John, that "heaven-born statesman," who alone was lit to govern the Dominion. There were false prophets in ihuso days, as there are now. After four years' pailiamcntary experience T have the honor to again address you and am glad to bo able to .say that my cc nfidonce in the integrity, honesty and l)atriotism of Mr. Mackenzie and his colleagiios is not only unimpaired but greatly strengthened, but also to boar testimony to the very great ability, indomi- table i)luck and porseveiing indu.'^try, which ho and thoy have in their respect- ive departments brought to bear on the Herculean task of cleaning out tho Augean stiibio left them as a legacy by tlioir predecessors: Tho f^ct that tho ability to govern is not tho exclusive birthright of tho Conservative Party liaa been forced cm tho unwilling minds of even tho Conservatives themselves, so that for some timo back we have hoard very little about Mr. Mackenzie's lack of ability — in truth, to nso a connnon expression, that cry is "played out." ]>ut something else must be got to do duty in its pi ace, so charges ( )f another na- ture must be hunted up, manufactured if necessary out of whole cloth if the raw m: - terial could not bo found ready to hand, and I regret i:o say that the great Conser- vativq Pa:ty, in its insatiable greed for office, has stooped voi'y low in that di- rection. Tlie most infamous charges have been made, or rather insinuated, throtigh the press and on the stump aflecting Mr. Mackenzie's honesty. You have had dinned into your ears without intermission the " Steel Rail job," tho " Ceorgian Buy Branch job," the " Godcrioh Harbor job," the " Foi-t Francis Locks job," the " Lachine Canal job," the great " Neebing Hotel job," and tho" last, not least, the charges made by the Sarnia C(/)uf(//«H (which, by the way, are the onli' direct charges V(;nturedon. Sir John is too old and wily a politician not to prefer insinuations as thoy answer his purpose better), viz. : First, that Mi'. Mackenzie had given information to a relative rt^spccting a contcmiilated change in the tarilT on tho article of iron tubing and, second, that ho had placed tho terminus of the C. P. Ry. at Fort William instead of at Prince Arthur's Land- ing, because ho had an interest in land at tho former place. Charges which, if true, ehould only have one result, that of compelling Mr. Mackenzie's rotire- ment from puijlic life in disgrace, at least, I, as an honorable man and as one Iiaving the honor of the Jleform Party at heart, oould not support him in his position of Premier— no, not for one hour. Well, what did Mr. Mackenzie do I Without a moment's delay ho commenced legal lu-oceedings against the pub- lishers of tho paper for libel, resulting in tho following letter of apology for the groat wrong done to him : ind whon 11 the j)o- m ])()liticB jgrity iiiitl tc occxipy il 6»ii>i)m't est, cc»)U- ^Tftckenzio inayo the a farce," esoiitative t of ollicf, was lit to urc now. ■in atldress inesLy iind >aired but y, indomi- ir respoct- ig out tho t thut tho Party has isclves, so iizie's lack lyed out." .nother na- le raw in; - at Consi'V- in that di- iisinuated, sty. You job," tho •t Francis oh," and y the Avay, politician ,, that Mr, ed change ilaced the ur's Land- which, if e's rotirc- nd as one lini in his :enzie do I the pnb- gy for the Saunia, June 4, 1878. " lion. Ahxait(lr- iiiiH, one of •.vhicli you road as aharyiii;^ yon with havins^ iiifonnod Messrs. (Z. M.'iokonzio it Co., in ailvanco of tlii.' aiinounceniont to Parlianiont, tliat it was t!io intontinn of yuur (Jovornuiont (n propose a duty on iron tuhinj,', and tho ditliur containin;,' a char^'i! that you Iiad iociitod the toniiinu.* of tho (Janathi I'a- ciiic llaihvay at Fort William, on tli',) Kaniini.-itiiiui:'. Uivcr, instead of at rriiico Arthur's Landin;^, beoauao you wero iuteroatod in l;iiid« jit tho former place. Whon wo published these articles wo believed from iufoviiiation that we had vc- coivod that tho statotnouts wore tru,>. Sii1>iH'(;ucnt eii(|niry has, however, satis- tiod ns beyond any doubt that (mu- information was inaocuralo, and that tho charges already vofcn-red to were untrue. Wo very much regret their publica- i tiun, and hereby tender you this ai>olugy. "S. A. McVicAii, " lloirr. MAAMfi." And when tried by the same crucial test so would end " liko tl.e baso'.egs fabric of a vision " all t'.io other niendaci'tus and wicked insinuations. Piut why sh(mhl 1 occupy j-our tiiuD in defendin.;^ Mr. Maclceu/.io's char- aotor I It is surely un necessary in tho tSouth llidinii of Oxford when even my opponent, Mr. Gibson, has boon forced to aekiKjwledgo from the ])!;itform th.it ho boliovod Mr. IMackotizie to be as hoaoot a man as there is in tlie Domin- ion and that his (Mr. (Jibsou's) Tarty talk a j^reat deal of nonsense about Steel Rails, Ac, itc. In view of this fact [ may surelj', as far as this constituency ia concorned, take for granted that the election cry of dishonesty is as coni- plotoly "played out " as tho other one of incompetency. But the Opposition have still another cry which tliey mean to do yeoman service at tho coming election in their life-and-deatli stru;,'g!o to aii;a;n got control of the Treasury. Taking advanta.,';: of tho hard times whicli we in Canada are at jtrosont enduring, in comaion with almost every civili/.ed country in tho world, they toll us tliat our workshops are closed, our .artizans without emi)loy- mont and thoir families starving, our people emigrating in thousands to tho Cnitod States in search of that work whieh is denied thom at Iiome, in fact, that the country is fast "going to tho devil" and will assurodl)', unless Sir .John is .again entrusted with tho reins of gf)Vornmjnt. Well, 1 dare say wo are in a very bad way, perhaps much worse than we fancy and it m;iy bo woU for tia to Io.>k into tho matter. And what is (his wonderful nostrum that Sir .bihn has discovered ? This iianacea that is to euro tail tho ills that Canadian Hosh is heir to I Ho calls it tho " National Policy," as ondiodiod in his now famous rcscdu- tion introduced last Session of I'ariiament. T may as well give you tho pre- scription and yon can judge for yourselves if. it is worth the price he holds it .it. It is as follows : " llesolvod, that this l!oii«n is of opinion that tho welfare ot Canada requiroa tho adoption of a National Policy, which by a judicir.ua ro-ad- justnient of tho tarili" will beneiit and foster tlie ;'4'ricuHural, the mining, thii mannfacttiring and other interosts of the Dominion. That such a policy wdl retain in Canada tiioiisands of our fellow citi;:pns now obliged to ccpalriato themselves in search of tho em[iloymcnt denied thom at home, will restore pros- perty to our struggling industries now so sadly depressed, will prevent Canada from being maHo of words was to concenl (uie's tlioui cents on tho dollar, as wo are now obliged to do, we wotild have to pay from 15.") cent^ u[)WiU'd3, and all for what ! to benelit a fow manu- facturer in the hiri^o tovrm who aro alre.vdy rjUing in wjaltli. J)Ut, Jmus like. Sir John his iwo fai^es, o.mo for Ontaii(» and another for th« Maritim''' Provinces. The people down there ;ire a nnir against furtliwr taxation; in fact, in order toget thom toeonn- inti Confvtlerat ion Ht all Sir Johns own Government reduct'd the in\'>ort duties from 20 to 1.5 per cent. Well, what do( s ho tell the Nova Scofit free tr.Hlfr.s ! Hi' telegraphs them tho other day thnt his National ]*oliey will n^t hurt ti'em in the least, that it does not mean " higher customs duties but nurely n re-ad jnslment of tho tariti"," Janus, in the L»ng time ago, made the two face busines.sa snece.'^s, but it is too late in tho eenturie s,with the preas and telfjraj h at wnrk, for Sir John, clever as he is, to make it a sucocss in this Or.nii.i »n of our.=«, at any rate it can't be d'.ine in Oxford. I will now a-tk y >'i t > g » wii,'.! in - t » some of t'ls neighb tring t »wn3, bo that yon can s '0 for yours jlres if tiie manuraetnri'ig mdu.stricH of tho country are in the deplorably doi)rosRod sl-atc Sir John would have yon believe, and first let ns look in at Ingersoll, a nnuufacturing town which 1 often visit but fail to see that lack of employment and consequent destitution which Taxationi.'it orators at I'ic-nics in th(! rural districts are s » fond of dilating u[)on and so gr.iphieally depict. Wo will visit the establishment of the Noxou Manufacturing Oo'y., it being close to tho station and as yov.. thw-. is limit.'d we will taJio it as a .sam- ]>le of tlie rest, and what will J\If. .lames Nuxon, tho head of this great manu- facturing enterpriso, tell yon / He will si}- to you ji^ lu* wrote to M:-. Charlton, jNI. I'., wlio read his letter to I'arliament duri)\g hut sessiDU, that the prolits <.f his coiupany last year were 'JS por cjnt. on the paid up eipital, that the prospects for this j'ear were good,*th.i.t theiv nevei wa.s a m >ro a' surd cry than that manufacturers are langiiidiing for the want of protection, and that tho iiiaimfacturers of Canadi are as ])rospertni3 as are the tnaunfacturers of any country in tho world at the present time. 1 think Mr. No-Kon's evidence is of much greater A'alue than Sir John's assertions. We will now take a nm down to Hamilton and see how tho maimfacturera 5 re getting along in that hive of industry, but in place of visiting the various w orkshopa I will give you ati extract from a letter which tecently appeared in {he\Timca of that city : — •• Lst mi! onuiuDrato a ivw uf t!io calivr;^o uoiiU mil' liy our louliii'^ luairi- facturors in thoir promi.sos diiriti;,' ilw. I.iMt ftiur yu.uvi. Danir^ tliat tiino ALusra. (Jopp it IJros'. promirttM li;ivo \)^o]\ »lo'i!iloil in si/.j, iis hiivc .lU • thusi* of Mo.mn. JiUiioa Stuwart iV. Cii. A iii!i54niii(!i.!iit '.viii^ li h liurii a Mid t'l M'js.srrt. E. iV ('. ( Juriioy's providUHly lar.;o iiroiuidin. Mj.sHi';'. D. .Mtonj rind C;. find LiiJIiiv it Co'». i)rciuidi.!.s hivo ;!.l.s » hfuii tuai'ly '>,;' isi si/o. Muiva. A. Wi! iiij it (Jij., st'wiiig-iaaoliuio m uuifaolurur.}, livvo built ontiroly njw proiin:4'.-i. MosjI's. Wjinzor it Co. liavo built a tmw foiiihtiy for tlioir own u:iv), and within the Kut few weeks ol)taino-l po.«j3.-(iv)n of an'»t!i>r facl.n'y in this city. MuisiM. Tuckutt it llilliiigii havo doubled tho sizj of their preinixos. Mr. .Ta:n03 Ueid, furtiiturj manufacturer, built last year one of the tinesr; furniture eiuporiuius in tl>is D.i- miniim. I\Iunro, Henderson it Mackenzie, uiauuf,icturer.j of olo^,l.in^, had to rouiovo this year t ) largor i>reiniaes, Messrs. Sandford, Vail it iUckley are now engaged enlargiiitj and bi autifyiug their already largo promises. M',!ssr.s. John Macphoraon it Co. ar(3 now enlarging tlu;lr boot a'.ul shoi» f;ict >;*'/. Messrs. John Garrett it C(. had to put another story on their biot and shoe fact iry very recently. And even Mr. James Walker, soap mauuficturer, tho Chairman of tho Tory meeting, had to enlargo his prenii.sos on both .sides of Hay streeo last year. There has also l)een a new eloek fv*jry sit.irted in this ei'y lately. 1 give only what I consider the l,vr;^e items i' i 'lu history of our julvauco in manufacturing in lustri-js tiuring the last few y^-.'ti. Minor iieiiii of tho same kind could l)o furnished in abuudancj." '1 I id Of my own pons inal kn -vlel^.' I kn •..• th'j fitaiov cits in the above extract to 1>.^ true. I also know thit the pirtivis mention -1 are now wealthy, that they ,j.'giii business in a small w.'v and worked up their trade in the fac.^ of a lower tan r than we have now, and W'^ may sife'y c vni3 to the onoltTsi )n that their respective industries retiuire no nure aldiuional protection than does Mr. .Noxon'a. Let us now see how tlie Cott m niauufactuiers are gLtting ue rf muily iudependenci will carry with the Canadian public infinitely more weight than the <[unrnlou3 romplainin': of Mr. Wait. How, in view of such a case, can it be .vitisfaetorily aicertainod how much of the killing otV of Canadian industries is due to foreign competi- tion, and how much to want of 1. ^sincss aptitude or c.q)acity '. it is quite clear, at all events, ^n Mr. Dolan's showing, that the cotton industry must be placed on tho list of those not needing more -protection than they no v. have, and his statement is fullv borne out by tho large returns cotton manufacturers roceivvs from their inveatmentB." \ We will oil our way home look in on L'ranfford and see wlial manufaciiirors nrc dc>iiij^ tbeie. I give yoii another iiewKn.i[>er cxtr.ict referring to u very en- terprising Una in tha' jily ; *• An aduitionivl proof of the vitaliiy of onr niannfactnring industries is furnished by tho fact ihtd the W'aterou.s Engine Works Company, of Brantford, have just shipped oi;c of thi-ir portable saw mills to Germany, making the sev- cnthsenttu foreign countries this year. JMnnufjuturing establishments that arc well mauiiged and are intended to produce articles suited to the capacity of the country need no more protection than they have. To ask for protection with a view to encoura!,'e n)annfactures which are unable to live without it after they are staiiod is to insult the common sense of the community. Most of the business failures of manufacturers, like the business failures of other people, are due to mismanagement of some kind, or else over-competition at home, from which no taiiff can protect them." The ne-xt is from the Ontario Jirfonnor referring to an important industry in the town of Oshawa. It snys ; 'The Oshawa IMalleable Iron Company's works arc being enlarged over 70 p«r cent, of their present power of production. It adds : ' The works have been taxed to their utmoRt cai)."*cily during the iiast yer.r, in fact have nut been able to do anything like the bu?iness that has been oflered them. They have been obliged to refuse a great many orderf.' And yet Sir John and his taxationist friends say the manufacturiiig industries of the country are going to the dogs." 1 could give you newspaper extracts without end all of the same tenor, but I will only tror.bie you with one more, a very little one, and I am sure my Con- servative friends will acknowledge its tniilifulucss as they are the words of 8ir Jdhn l#mself. At a Masonic pic-nic on the 1st of .July he spoke as follows : — " I thank (hid's providence, hero we are on the tenth anniversary of Dominion Day, a PROi>PEROUS AND CONTENTED PEOPLE, an orderly and law- abi.'ling people, with good hope of the future, having contidenco in ourselves and in our future prosperity." No ambiguity here. IIo who runs cfui read. I do like tSir John when he speaks as a statesman. I hopo you are now all prepared ii-rcspcelivo of your political leanings to agree with me that this cry may as well be put under ground along with the other two. We have now S'.'cn wli:it a revenue tariirima done and is ntill doing for the manufacluringintenst^i of Canada and, as Sir Jolni is eontii.ually preachirg up tho the prosi)erity of the United States all owins; to protection, it may be as well to hear what our cousins have themsidves to say on the subject, as it's not always safe to take everything Sir .lolni says for gospel. I will first (juoto from a npi'eeh delivered during last sosh-on <>f (.'ougicss by (ieneral Butler from the great mauufnc^uriiig state of Mas'ae'husfttn. He was appealing to Congres'S io appropriate sufficient money to en-.ble destitule arli^'.ans to be removed from the manufactu!i:ig cilics to the prairie lan.l.-i in tin West where they could earn a living f(jr t'lemselves and families by turning faruiei.v,, an.l as the (Jcneral has al- ways be 'U a strong Pi'oteel iunist I I'liu'c my friends of that porsiiasiou ouglit to allow him to be a good authority. This is what he said : — ** There is no fact more patent, no omen more portentous and alarming to .11 who carefully cxainiue the state of the country than the great luck of emi'loij- mod for tho indiistriiil classoa of men and woniDU in tlio Mid.Uo ami Eastern States, ami aomc two or more of the lartTei: cities of tlio West. Uy industrial classes, I mean tho^e who support thot)isnlves by wagea for their labor, whetlier skilled or nnskille 1 All classes of emphiycrs of every branch of business have been redvchuj the iitinihar of thtir Liaploiiccf aiid the riiiea of mtycs within the strictest and sternest possible limits, until li\iiidir(l.< of fhniimiulK of iiuhintrUnfa men ond ironirn. tnid ihi'ir fmnUU'n, ii'ho Imrr In iflofure Ural froiii ■irdijfs, are reduce I fo Hie. piniit of ■■ii'irnUivn for ilir ini)d (f ih:f>1o\jiiifiut, or ore harclij chitifj out c.ri.itcnre upon the ton rncd'jre rcf i.c/.',s from ilirir hibor. This state of things his come while bountiful harvests have lieon gathered in year after year, and the granaries of the West are bursting with breadstulFs ; her plains and meadows tiseming with cattle, sheep and swine for meat, and all this in addition to the millions of dollars' worth of j^rovisiona loaded up(m the ships of the merchant marine of Europe to supply tlie wants of the poor of other na- tions. We find the evil to be of a twofold cliaractor : First — Instifiiciod n.i- jihriimpnf for labor for iniUln)iif of inoi. ojul )vo'»ivii, I'Vio tnnild labor if llnnj eoidd find cmploiimcnt. Second — Iiistifiricid uuiifif for tho laborers who are employed to meet the ordinary necessities, not to say comforts, of life. He who labors and produces ought to enjoy That these constitute an evil so extensive as to be a public wro:ig, hot!' in the ordinary and legal nccejitatitm of tlio term need not be argued. This is too painfully ajtparent to him who reads current history." Tho General's picture is anything but pleasaut and certainly ofiors but poor encouragement to the thousands of Sir John's "fellow countrymen now obliged to expatriate themselves in search of the employment dinied them at home." Now for the evidence of quite another sort of wilncss, that of William Cullen Bryant, who died recently, greatly to his country's loss. He was a tnu» ]'atriot and a thorotigh gentleman. He is speaking of the late years during which the mnnufaeturers of the United States have been protected by a tariif ranging from 35 to 100 per cent, and upwards. This is what he said and every word is true : — f! ! I 1} "And what years, my friends, wore thf^se ? Years of languishing enter- prise, yeai's of dcRi)airing industry, years of strikes, years of contention lietweeu the employers and employed, years which showed the sfiectacle of laborers by hundreds looking in vain for occn[>ation, an:l htmgcr-pinched families shivering in their unwarme protective sys- tem be the ground of commercial jtrosperity, the country should now be pros- perous beyond the ground of all previous experience. Our mills, now silent, should be in constant em})loyment : not a willing arm should now bo idle, not a spindle should ei^ase to hum. Is it not time for a re-"icti«iu / Are we to go on in this nnunerindetiiiitoly I We havctiied the protective fost fortunate change in the oondilion of thi3 country. Ye.<, my friends, the time for a reaction his arri^e;l, and we are cbv termined it shuU liave a fair hold. Free trade has slept while its ■jnomies Irsvo been jc'iforming their unhajipy experiments upon tlte public welfare, and now wo i 'ok to see it rise invigorated by its long slumber " Let mo say that I am in ftvvor of protection, but of f, protection of a kind very different 10 i\ i! i! from that which for many years past has dealt so cruelly wir.h the interests of the country. 1 am fur protecting the consumers, the class who.se niunbors are counted by millions. I aui for protecting this class in its natural and proper right to exchange what it produces in whatever market it can exchange it to most ad- vantage. I am for rescuing it from the hands into which it has fallen, and whicli plunder it with as littld remorse as the rovers of the Barbary States, in the early part of this centu)y, pillaged the merchant ships that entered their seas." I willnowgiveyou two or three ex tracts from the recent message of the Gover- nor of the State of New York and this is what ho tells his Logislaturo and I de- sire you to ponder well on his words. " The depression in all branches of trade, business and manufacture, and the wreck of our too numerous railroad, mining, irf i and milling ventures, hace thrown out of ctnploij a vcust winiher of laboriii,q mciij loho, loitlioat fault of their oimi, are now suffering extrcnc wunt,'^ " At the same time another great evil was strongly developed. Individuals and corporations engaged in the various branches of manufacture, taking advantage of the necaisities of the Government, rushed to Congress and, by every means in their power, procured, each for its own benefit, the levy of what were called protective duties, nnder the false pretence of raising revenue for the Government, but really to cotnpd coiisii mcr!< to pay c.i'orbiiant prices fur the favored articles thus protected. Under the wing and stimulus of this so-called protection, new enterprises were under- taken, new and extensive factories built, new and needless railways projected and undertaken, new mines and foundries opened, and armies of laborers allur- ed by high wages to these enterprises from helds of agriculture and other sober and rational employments of life. The few notes of warning raised against the certain consequences of this wild overaction were unheeded. Extravagance of expenditure, the absence of everything like frugality and economy obtained in all directions. The empty and delusive bubble thus raised could not endure, and although kept afloat by the whole power of the Government so long as it was possible, it met at last the inevitable day of doom. Imaginary fortunes vanish- ed in a moment, ill-advised railway schemes, mijies, mills and factories were suspended, and ^/ks if thoHsanis of innocerd and ■tiafortimate laborers were left ii}ithi»it emploiioiciit nr the mecDh'i nf subsistence. IiMfead of the hiijh icages by v>ti,ich. they tiiul been odiced from other occujudioiis to thcKc tnterpriscs, they received no u'li/jes at all.'" " There can be but one permanent and clfectual re- medy. That is, to return as speedily as possible to the condition of things that existed before the road tt) ruin was entered upon ; by means of a return to specie payments, a sound and stable currency, and the reduction of the tariff to a striethjrcreiitte standuid." Now, gentlemen, you have the evidence of three indopondent eye-witnesses who know whereof they speak. How does the account of the situation tally with the mendacious statements of Tory stump orators ? And this is the country Sir John desires us to imitate, and theirs the fiscal pf)licy (wliich has brought that country to the deplorable state depicted above) that he would have us adopt. Oh, yes ! He still thinks the fools are not all dead, and if wo would only ''ive him one more chance ho will give ns tho boneiit of his newly-discoverod philosopher's Btona which he warrants will turn 11 everything into go\d. The groat nifigician liiia only to wavo his wand froni the TrejiHiu'y bench when, ^imsfo / everything will chango. This fair Canada will blossom like the rose, the land will flow with milk and lionoy and everyone will become rich, dreat is hinnbug and Sir John is its prophet I Once npon a time, some 400 ynirs ago, thoro livod in Eiiglaml a gentlcnnn. Sir John C.ido was his nimo. Ho likewise desiro.l to onst the Mackenzie of his day. Ue also held pic-nics and great crowds went to hear wliat he had to say and when ho got on the stump this is what he said : — '' Be brave, my friends, for your leader is brave and vows reformation. When I am Premier there shall be in England seven half-penny loaves sold for one penny. The three-hooped pot shall have ten hoops, and 1 will make it felony to drink small beer. All the realm shall be in common and everyone shall oat at m^' expense." m History repeats itself and after an interval of four centuries here we are in this Canada of ours with a Sir John of our own animated with the svme do- sires and aa[»irations and eiinally lavisli in his promises of good things to come. On the whole, if anything he betters the inatriictiou of his ancient prototype. Let us now SCO how wo stand as regards this X.ition il Policy of liis. T have shown j'ou by the incontrovertible evidence of the parties most interested that our manufacturing industries are not in the depressed condition represented, that our artizans are not compelled to expatriate themselves, tliat all legitimate business is in a atato of progression and that capital judiciously placed givea an ample return. I have also shoAvn you the other side of the shield and have proved by evi- dence equally incontrovertible that our friends over the way who are now ni the full enjoyment of this blessed National Policy are in a very bad way indeed, with their furnaces unlighted, their workshops closed, their mechanics and hi- boririg men otit of employment, their families on the verge of starvation and their capitalists without dividends. I have not indulged, like my OppoHiti(m friends, in n);itiufactnring nnveraoi- t""s which they would like to pass current for facts. I have dealt only in facts that ai'c patent to all exce[it those wIkj are willfully blind, and ''facts are stubborn chiels that winna ding and downa be disputed." rjentlemen, T have too much faith in your intelligence and patriotism to fancy for a moiUHut that you will Ilmi 1 your ears to th^ charmer but that you will tell him at the polls that you will not havf his "National Policy" at any price for it is only another name for National Pnin, for it means the erection of a Cluneso \v>ill all along our extensive frontijr .s;nti'ijlled by an army of Custom House oflicers, for it means largely increased taxation, for it moans the forma- tion of rings with their natural accompaniniont of log-rolling and bribery, for it Hieans inflation and extravagance, for it means drafting labor from the country into the large cities, for it means ovcr-prodnctiim ending in bankruptcy, closed factories, idle njechanics, hungry tianipa, and last but not least, it must finally result in separation froni that glorious old land across the sea. It '1 12 Tho land that freemen till, That sober snited freodinn cUoo'«»i ; The land, when girt with friends or foes, A man may speak the thing ho wi'l. A land of settled government, A land of just and old renown, Where freedom In-oadens slowly down From precedent to precedent. Where faction seldom gatlicra head, l^nt by degrees to fulness wrought ; The strength of some diii'usive thought, Hath time and space to work and spread. >n What an extraordinary interest Sir John and his already wealthy Protec- tionist friends take in ns fanners at tho present time. Tliey would like to per- suade us that they know (aw interosia bettor than we do ourselves. It's tho very frion'Uy just now, and tlicy wish to make ns a present of the National Policy— something, as far as we are concerned, very much like throwing away a sprat to catch a whide. They would consent t(j placing a duty on all grain coming into tlie country, which they tell us would put h)ts of money into our piu'se.s. I won't insult your intelligence l»y attempt- ing to refute this gross fallacy. The only elKect of shutting otit American farm produce would be to ruin our railroad and shijiping interests, to close up a large number of our milling cstaljiislimcnts which giind forexport, and to render conijtaratively valueless our c;).stly canals. But even if it did increase the prico a few cents on the bushel on wli.it oats and cr>rn we do not require for our own use, (which 1 do not admit), look at M'hat we would hiive to pay for the great lioon in tho increased prict^s of ovrry articio we would require to I)uj'. As a mercantile transaction it would be somethinif like getting one dollar in excliangw fur fifteen, the ditlerence going into the pockets of capitalists. We, na fn,rmor3, at present arc UiUch more favf)rnbly situated in every respect than the farmer in the t'. States and have nothing to envy them for. They have been humbugged into assenting to a protective tariiF under the belief that they wouid get a higliiT )»rice for their produce, l>iit what is the fact .' In the j-ear 187 1 they ox|iorted !::ht the infamous combi- iiRtion of rings created by capitalists to corrupt the Legislature. But rings won't rule always. The farmer, the bono and sinew of the cf>untry, will before long rise in liis might and then aeltish rascality had better look out. To show you how the American farmer " has to pay for his whistle " I will give you an extract from a speech made in the House of llepresentativea bj' Mr. Marshall, of Illinois. He said :— " The farmer starting to his work has a shoe put on his horse with nail.s taxed (57 per cent., with a hammer taxed ."34 iK'r cent.; cuts a stick with a knife taxed no per cent, hitches his horse to a jthjw taxed 50 per cent., with chains taxed ()7 per cent. He returns to his home at night and hiys his wearied limbs on a sheet taxed 58 per cent, and covers himself with a I'lanlvct that luis paid 250 per cent. He rises in the nuuning, puts on his humble tiannel shirt taxed 80 per eent., shoes taxed iio per cent., hat taxed 70 per cent.; re..ds a chapter from his I'ible taxed 25 per cent, and kneels to his God on a 'jlieap carpet taxed 150 per cent. Sits down to breakfast, eats from a plate taxed 40 percent., with knife and fork taxed .'55 per cent.; drinks his cup of cofl'ee taxed 47 per cent., or if he indulges in tea 78 per cent., with sugar 70 per cent. ; seasons his food ■with salt taxed 100 i)er cent, pepper 297 per cent., or spice 379 per cent. He looks around upon his wife and children all taxed in the same way ; takes a chew of tobacco taxed 100 per cent, and if he indulges in a cigar ho has tirst to pay a tax of 120 per cent, and then he is ex[iectt'd to thank hia stars that he lives under the freest (Jovernment under heaven." "What think you of that, my fiicr.ds ? Don't you think we had better let well alone ? Protection is a grand thing for the capitalist uianufactiu'ers, but not even for them in the long run, but it's death to the farmer and .■5 laboring man. I have endeavored as briefly as possible to put the question at issue between the two great political parties H([\iarely before you. I have made use of no '.resent it has become almost invisible. In their lust for office they forget their Conservatism and preach revolution. You will soon V)e called upon to pass judgment to decide which party shall rule the destinies of this countiy for the next five years. 1 do not claim per- fection for Mr. Mackenzie. No doubt he is liable to make mistakes like other mortals. Rut this T claim for him, that he is an able and wise ruler, a true patriot and a thoroughly honest man without one stain on his gharacter, 14 As for his oiipnneut, Sir John, I havo no desire to say anything unkind or seemingly liarsh. 1 have always had a liking foi- him. I still like him for liis uiM for his services to the seo him in the House ; at Wlicn in jtower ho committed struck at the very root of the many good (lualitiea, and I feed gratifful to country in the past, and would be sorry not to the same tiino I can't be blind to his ''aults. a grave political otlence — an otl'ence which l)urity and independence of Parliament, On that account I am i.ot willing that he should be re-instated. Hut the ofl'ence ho then connnitted was venial when compared with the one he now desires to perpetrate, for the doctrine ho now preaches is revolutionary, and if carried oiit will not only be the utter ruin rf the country but must iuevitalily end in bursting asunder the chain that binda us to that Mother-land, which was done and is still doiuir so much for \is. He- lieving such to be tke legitimate rcsnltsof theadcipiion of his "National Policy," as a patriot, as a lover of that dear old land, ot its Queen and of its institutions, but above and beyond all, as a ('lounUdii, I, for one, whether in or out of J*arlia- ment, will light against him and his policy to tlie bitter end. I uftw leave the matter entii-ely in your hands, having conGdenco that you will use yonr franchise in the interests of good, stable, honest and economical governuuMit, and that you will again honor mo by electing me as your represen- tative to the Parliament of the Dominion. DrxEUi, 12th Aug., 1878. I have the honor to be, Oentlemen, ^'or.r mr.ch obliged and obedient servant, JAS. A. SKINNER. i.-' ; il or r liis I the ) ; at littotl f tlio iUing enial le ho mill binds ions, irlia- U you nical iseu- m. i-^