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33 WIST MAIN STRUT
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and I ask your kindly consideration of my candidature. I came to you in 1882
known personally to few in the County, wholly untried in the difiBcult field of
Canadian politics and having nothing but my record of hard work aud fair suc-
cess to place before you. I had grown up among you, had worked for my edu-
cation, had gained an honorable place among my fellow Canadians and the
people of Kings took me upon my record, honoured me with their confidence
and returned me as their representative. Since then, in spite of the keenest
opposition, the electors saw me safely through the second contest of 1882, and,
when, in 1885, I was honored by being called to represent New Brunswick in
the Cabinet of the Dominion they again endorsed me with a majority about four
times as great as that first given me in 1882.
My course as a Minister and Representative is well known to you. I have
worked hard, worked honestly and conscientiously for the best interest of my
County and Country.
Upon ray record, the policy I have helped to carry out, and the good will
and earnest purpose which animate me to work for the future I appeal to you as
an elector and ask your support. I have full confidence in the electorate of
Kings and await their verdict with a certain belief that they know what is best
for their County and for Canada at the present time, and will, on the 22nd
February, show that knowledge by their votes.
I remain, dear sir,
Your obedient servant,
G. E. FOSTER.
MUSEU
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SPEECH DELIVERED
-M; TUK-
. •; MTNIHTER OF MAI fINE AND FISHERIES!, ^ v.. .: •»
' '■ At Hafn'ph)H, Kin£s Coimiy, N. B., Jamury lotli^ •
irOff. (1. E, FOSTER, ' i ;> •
who vfOtf receiv«d with pralonged an*l ciilhuKiagticcheeuiig, said: .. .i . •; "Nt-,,*
Jtfr. C/iairffian, Ladien and Oendtmen: — I am very glad indeed to havv b«en able this afternooir
to ha^e given you the pleasure of listening tci my hou. colleague, older and lAore experience4htban
mygetf, who, though coinin" from a Province far removed from this, is yet one with us in the
common citizenship thai; belongs to all Canadians. (Applause). I know you have listened to him
with a great deal of pleasure and, T have no doubt, with a great, deal of proHt -as well, and long
afterward, when he shall have gone to his home and you shall be in yours, you will have a kinecau8e of
some defect* in it is just as unwise as a man who would refuse to live among his neighbors because
eomeof them had defects in their (^aracter or imperfectiouBin their conduct. (Applause).* So when
deciding upon the merits or when arguine upofa tne actif «»"fupta^m^ fi^'^ themunderthis head?
' io vou ri tl.^lIX^ adniiniitered tlieGovemment with rftl^jrence tathe «re*v public trusts reposed
• fflaSa- ^,!« 5*'^^*°^ "ches of the Northwest, especiaMv with yefiirflnce Uf its coal areas, its
*. Sl?^!\; Jf colonwation areas aud its timber areas," and in all th«sp oor oppoile.i*s say and say
VS it t^rnTnr .If.; T°r*"'^^ ofreckle88> dishonest and corral admiwWratioa Thai Is the charge.
«^tl.r»ffXa!l/i '^ true then turuout the GoTernment «iat wiW iidmiwrter in such a man-
r«Ttt i»- X^f l?.fi 5*^"'^^*?^ '''"^^'^ **« *™«ts reposed 'm it; turn it oirt and put honester
Che trut}.«7f «»'-ge fbu proof, Jaok for eridence of
>irr^tter*^"'«'^^*'"*'^^'^^"''"«^'^ct«io relation i«^^ .L yc^r ownJo%wient ir,
'«hicrthl>\rte^**'!**u**fl''^°^''"^«'' ^"^ ^ ^ ^a^^ referued* tb them, in connection, wit/t
•S W adm ni^f^H iui!^''^ ^'^"r^^.'' *^** ^™ *»'« f*«^« ^^ ^^^^ *»*«'^ -^" opponents wiy rti«,^ -
«!Sher^dfS^i^i*''^!/''^"»'i'"-'^'>^« administered the<« corrniptly, IWve given 6hen*
IS W such r^^^^ V^^ P^'P*^ '^f corruption; Let ^e'^give one fir«v Ahtw
iS^ltion Z. H«l!f • ^ "'^^^ '^'■''. '*•".' "'^ ^^^ ^^e^^' »o gra^ang area, uo timbe? limiVnor
^ ;5Sff n?,^!r '«!^"«'^^'* '^''^y ^y ^ Dominion Ooverntnen? during the term .f its ad'--
' Ss of theGofer^'™«rh*PP''*"''-^ ^'''l «°« »^» ^'^'^ g'>"« °«* '^^ th?iime being from' the
/i^fflnd^ul ««?n ! '.'*'"r^n^f^"'^^'^»°? Act of Parlianient and according* t»- regufa^
iStoi^l™]na^e gone out of the hands of the Government by anj other wKy than by ^y of
«^'^TwlV/''^^"r''r'."* whenth^lea«ee:^res. We selt co«I area« «nd we illSon.
nafaw weas.- we le^e Umber limits ai.a we lea-^e grazing areas.
,..,,. . r.' ".■■"',» 1'UE ADJnNISTRAVION Sf COAL LANDS.
*f''Ftet, with regard to the coal lands. As I said before, a certain price is put b^o« them aodsell tfaelm in immense tracts to such persons as desire to purchase them, or shall we allow them to
vemain unused and unproductive, or how shall we administer thoia? It fiaally came to the con-
eaed? A' large grazing business is
aevelo(ted which materially adds to the wealth of the couotry and also to the earnings of our
railways. What elra has been dune? Why, this gentlemen. A eontnict for throe years haa
been lat«ly entered into to furnish the Mounted Police and Indians in ih« Northwest with the
beef that they eat and with which we have to supply them. The difference in the two contracts,
that is the one now about to expire and the other which comes into oi^eration soon and which will
extend over three years amounts to $121,000, so that on this article of beef alone the people of
Canada, consequent upon the stocking of the Northwest with thiese cattle, have saved $121,000 on
a three year's contract, and the Government has received into the treasury of the t^oiintry mora
than $100,000 from the rental ol these areas. But you say, you thereby close ui) tiie land and
prevent it from being settled. Not at all. On any of those grazing lands, tJie lease of which
lands runs fyr 21 years, any settler can go, take up a homestead of 'ICO acres free, and the moment
he takes it up it comes out from under the &peration of the lease ; it is his own just the same as
any land in the great Northwest. So we are not open to the charge of keeping the lajid iiw»iy
from the hand and toil of the settler. (Applause).
THE COLONIZATION COMPANIES.
day,
Of the third point, the colonization companies, you have heard iiad you h^'ar of ihom'every
\
Yott arc constantly being told of the terrible corruption in connection' with the companies.
These companies uodertool* their operations on conditions laid down by I'arliament, under statute
enacted by Parliament, and it was open to any person to take advantage of these conditions. These
colonisation companies went in and bought their land and settled up their tracts, so far as they are
settled, and what has happened? We have got into the treasury of the Dominion as the result no
less than ^857,455, while according to the sworn returns of the auditor $3^8,000 over and above this
sum wa& expendea by the companies themselves in bringing in settlers to their tracts. Not one
acre of the obloni/ation areas has been given away, and they have-been sold only under the pro-
-visiofis of the Acts of Parliament in relation to them. (Applause).
THE TIMBER LIMtlTS POLICY.
You have all heard of the timber limits. They say that these timber limits liuve b€ien
thrown around on this side and on the other, that people have been corrupted by tliem, and that
even members of Parliament have been bought with tiiem. Let me give you the truth with reference
to these timber limits. In tlie iirst place no man can put his finger on one sint;lc case where a
timber limit has been given away or disposed of in any other manner than according to the enact-
aaents of Parliament and the regulations based upon these enactments, and which are open to the
inspection of the whole country, and which may be found by anyone desiring the information.
What must you do to get a timber limit? Do not think theseiimber limits are like those in this
•country or in Quebec or Ontario or British Columbia, for the limits in the Northwest mean some-
tiling very difierent to these. There they are little sparse clumps of timber, you would scarcely
call thara trees here, which are scattered along the banks of the rivers and bluffs, and which are
not suitable for any kind of fine work, but which arc used chiefly for making settlers' houses and
fences and other things necessary for settlers' use. If atiy of you wish to work a timber limit yoii
must fi»t apply to the Department to see what the regulations Are. You there get a copy which
tells you what to do. You have first to find in what section of the country you desiro to ^work,
then application mu-st l)e made fur it to the Department, then it is surveyed and you pay for its
survey, tl^en you pay in advance $5 per, square mile a.s rental for the year. You must then erect
a mill uppn it which must have a cutting capacity of lO,000 feet of lumber a day, which mill mnst .
run for nix months per year, and every year you must pay rental. In addition to all this, upon every
bit of timber cut, you must pay a royalty of 5 per cent, into the Dominion treasury. If j'ou and
aaother apply for the pamc limit, what happens? It is then put up to tender and the one who
pays the highest bonus gets it. But, since 1884, all timber limits have been disposed of by public
advertisement and by public sale, so that the man who pays the most gets it What Ls the result ?
One is that the settlers who before were not able to get lumber, save from a distance, . have now the
mills cloae at hand and they get the timber cheaper, and in addition to that comfort there has
been paid into the Dominion treasury over $600,000 as the income of these timber limits, and, as
' I eaid before, noi one single instance can be shown where these limits have been disposed of ioaay
other way than according to the strict letter of the law and the regulations wjlvich have been laid
down. So much, then, with reference to this timber limit business, (n the light of the above facts, and
I cfaalieDge their contradiction, what must be tliought of the reckless dishonesty of those who taaka
such unfounded charges, and seek to gain a verdict agaioet the Government on the strength of a»
iiodictitient whose falsity is equalled only by the shameless boldiiess with which it Is ma de. .,
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•■ ' '-■' ■' y TKB R«;.«'AY SUHSr.iV cnrAHOhX . ■ .;
Then fhcy say, the (rovornment usoji the railway subj-^dy system a« u uiet>.u.s to debauch ain!
corrupt the olectorate and fllso to put money into the pockets of iheir favorites. Let us tinalyxe
tfaleibre them and nee if a foonas cannot oe griinteiii for
it. The time nomes, an application is made and the subsidy is granted. Now how much w
granted? $3,200 per mile, that is- the general bonus, it maybe a little more, it is n^verksn.
tkxfX that is the amount arose from the fact tht^t at a certain tim« a policy wa8 introduced of lend-
ing or giving the rails for some roads when built, and later by granting li>3.20(i it was considered
about the same wna given. Then suppose I built the road myself, is tnat $3,200 put Into my
pocket 7 Can anyone gay in Parliiunent '* of course you will support the Government because you
^t $3,200 for every mile of road built and you sit here with that in your jHXjket." Is the inone^
in my pocket ? I think you will say not, for every cent and much more has been taken to build the
road. Before that $3,200 per mile i»paid there has to be a company formed, a location for the lino has
to be found and the surveys approved by the Government. Then a contract has to be entered into.
10 miles o{the road must b^ built before a single dollar of that subsidy can be paid. How mm^
does it cost to build ? From ten to twenty thousand dollars a mile, and when I. if I am building
the road, have exp^n< a single
intiinitiion i'rom thern looking to a fair reclprocul arrangement betwe«n the two countries! Re-
peated adv anccH have been miidd by Great ISritain and by CaAada for the negotiaticm of a recip-
rocal treaty and thev have been absolnteiv refused bv tlie United States. A» a etill further proof ■
WW find that in the I'nited States Congress itself resolutions have been introduced year after year
since 1875, affirming the desirability of a reciprocity treaty betweeh the United States and Canada,
and in every c^tse those resolutions have been allowed to lau^e or have been voted down and no
single fniit of residt hafl come from any of them. In 188/, only lost year, the Senate of the
United States refuses! to allow the appointment of a mixed commission, which had been n^ooui-
mendod by the President of the United St^ites, in accordance with the desire of Canada and whose
duly it should be to endeavor if pofwible, to arrange for a settlement of the fishery troubles be-
tween the two countries and (nv an arrangement to ensure reciprocal trade with equivalent advan-
tages for the two countries. In 187!> the Dominion Government by statute enacted by Parliament
showed ne'>has repeatedly expressed his wlUingnesd to have a treaty made and that not a single
act or word of his or of any of his colleagues can be adduced to show that the Dominion Govern-
ment is other than favorable to reciprocal trade and is willing and aaxious^ on fair terms to have
it securf;d, and is willing to enter into negotiations at the very shorteot possible notice ; but I ^ay
now as before that the essential difference between ourselves And our opponents is this, that while
our opponents could not get a reciprocity treaty while in pwwer, they did not do anything to
compenspte the country for the loss occasioned. When the preseiit Government could not get
reciprot^ity they then said we will keep the markets of Canada for Canadians, we will maaufacture .
for ourseives, we will keep and pay our labor at home and if the United States will not agree to
reciprocal trade we will nroteot ourselves, build up and develop our own r<«ourcc;j, encourage
intcrprovlncial trade, ami enter upon a true and independent policy of Canada for C'anadians.
(■Cheers. ) That, ladies and gentlemen, is the difference between the two parties.
■ '\^ THE FIHHK.]:V QUIWHOS. '. , . . ; . ...
Th<' uojtt charge is, that we have not properly managed the fishery business. I must go short-
ly over this as it would otherwise take too much time. They say we have not fairly managed tt?
fishery question. You know that from 1776 down to the present time there has been more or less
of a standing dispute bridged over from time to time by treaties either of a permanent or temporary
character between the United States and Canada a.s regards the fishery rights in Canadian waters.
In 1818 a solemn treaty was entered into between the United States and Great Britain, represent-
ing Canada's interest in this respect, and in that treaty it was laid down that American fishermen
had rights upon certain restricted parts of our coast. They had no right to ti.sh wit^hin the three
mile limit, r^nd within these limits they had simply the right of entering for shelter and repairs,
the ol/taiiunc of wood and water and " for no other purpose whatever." Upon that treat)' were
based certain Provincial and Imperial laws, by authority of which the provisions were enforced
with mon? or less strictness, tmtil in 1854 a reciprocity treaty was negotiated which granted among
other things mutual advatitages of fishing and markets for fish between Canada and the United
.States,- nud settle^ thatqueatipn fro»n 1854 to 1866. In ISTtS'tteit reciprocity treaty was abrogated
by the lJnited.Stti(eM, and things went back to the treaty of 1818. aud when we began to enforce
that treaty friction commenced and trouble was likely to arisen The upshot was that that and cer-
tain other-troublefi w^re, in 1,871, referred to a mixed commission, of which'Great Britain appoin-
ted .one half the members and the United States the other half— Sir Joh'tf A. Macionald represent-
ing Canada u[ton tlie British side of the commission. The result of their labors wai the Waskington *
treaty of 1871 which shortly after came, into force. Having been niegotiated by a raixei commis-
sion ii was sent for ratification to the different Parliaments. It came before th« Pariiamedt of
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Canada, when, after a fierce debate, it became law, and from 1871 to 1885 its proviuiontt regulated
th« fishery privileges between the two countries, the United States allowing us to send in our fish
free of duty and wc allowing th^m to fish within three miles of the coast
Who abrogated that treatT ? It was not Canada. It Was the United States of Ameritu* which,
by resolution in Congress, in both houses, decreed that Great Britain should be notified that at a
certain date that ^^-caty would lapse and that it was not the intention of the United States to con-
tinue it. It was in vbin that efibrts were made to have it continued : they were inexorable in Uieir
demand to have it lapse and lapse it did on the Ist July, 1885. In the I>ominion of Canada before
thifi the policy had been favourable to a reciprocal arrangement of some kind between this country
and the United States, and seeing here a chance for renewing negotiations and desiring a sAtlement
of both fishing and trade relations on abroad reciprocal basis, the Government determined to
make a proposition to the United States. This fishery treaty would terminate on the
Ist July, 1885. The fisliing iXevf oes out anywhere from the 1st April, so that on the
Ist July, 1885, the American li le Heet would have be^n all over our coasts and
shores in the pursuit of its operations. We all knew that friction would have occurred if the law
had been put in force at that time and strictly enforced, and the Government said here is a «ihanoe <
to hang negotiations upon, and they made this proposition to the Government of tiie United States ,
• througii Gre.it Britain: we will allow the Auicrican fishermen to fish from the Ist July, I-JSt till
the end of the season providing that in return you will recommend to O^ngregs the appointment of
a commisHion jointly appointed by you and Great Britain which shall take into consideration the
best means of making an arrangement which shall cover the fisherierf and the question of reci-
procal trade. After some little negotiation that was agreed to and we gave afavJrfor which in
return a recommendation was to be .^ivcn by the President and 1u.h Cabinet to Congress as to the
appointment of this joint commission. Well, they went on and fished and the President and his
Govetnment fairly carried out their undertaking and recommended that the commission should l)e
appointed for the :!ry purposes agreed u[>on, but when that proposition came down to the Senate
t-he Senate rejected.it and refused to appoint such commission. Negotiations were thorenpon at
an end, but it shewed Canada in this.liglit, that whe liad mnde one more honest and self sncrifidng
eHdoavor to get these matters settled, and that the I nited States refused .is she lias refused time
,and time again in tie years that nre passed. Then, in January, 1886, the Government detcrmine^ the season ar, say some of these gientlonen, and yon seized three
vessels and only one for fishing within the three mile limit, so that is a sure sign that the coast
has hot been protected. That is .art ex parte statement and not to be relied on. I will have to
lay before Parliament testimony from all parts of the coast, for that is the portion most interested,
testimony which will prove to Parliament that the fishery protection service has been strictly
■ a!nd honestly carried out and with great benefit to Canadian fishermen.
. You will remember that last year in Parliament I introduced a bill regarding the fisheries
giving onlarged or rather better defined powers than those given in the old Act and providing well
defined and' summary penalty for violations of the provisions of the treaty of 1818 other than
actual fishing within the limits, and so make Canada feel secure in the full protection of her
fisheries, and although that Act was held over by the Governor-Generid for Her Majesty's
■ pleasure, inasmuch as it dealt with an international (luestiou, yet I am happy to say that tlie
Imperial Ciovcrnmcnt has consented to it and in so doing has backed up and endorse
the contention of Canada in this important matter. (Enthusiastic cheering). And next year
if it 80 happens that no treaty is made it is tlie intention of the Government to put on such a
force, bae^d by the power and authority of (rreat Britain, as will guarantee the full protection
of Canadid^i waters and the invaluable interests of Canadian fishermen within them. (Ai)plaa«»c).
^ THE i'ubuc di:»t.
And now let me ask your attention for a few moments to the question of the pi)J>Iic de!)t. Tl^e
os&t^rtioD has been made by the opptwition that the debt him l)een extravangantly and unne^'«»arily
.increased, that it has been almost entirely so extravagantly increased by the Liberal Coowrvatives,
atnd that it weighs with an intolerable burden u|K)n the people of the Dominion. Let us analyze
these sti^tementp, compare them with facts and see where the truth is to be found. And first, as tn
the amount of the debt about which the most contradictory assertions have been haz|9a-dcd, an'l
which has bf-en made to range everywhere from $200,000,000 to $35d,000,t>00.
mt£
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If we take the last published accounts, bringing the i^tateiuent down- to July 1, 1885, vve findl
that the ^ross. debt of the Domlhion at that titne was $264,703,607. But, against this groHs ddLlt,,
the t)ominion held available assets to the value of $68,205,015. These assets consisted of aish. irj&
hand, of loans to various companies and trusts, of sinking fund equivalent to cash, and other ii^v-
vestments. That these assets wore good is shown by the signidcint fact that the interest earned fcgtr
them in 1885 amounted to $2,694,333, or at the rate of^$3.94 for every $100, while upon our delijSt
we paid out $3.80 upon each $100. The aasets were worth more dollar for dollar than an equaSi
amount of the public debt reckoned by the true test of the intci'est rate.
We have, therefore, to deduct from the grossriebtof $264,703,607 the assets $68,295,9>1)5), xhSS^
so arrive at the net debt of Canada July 1, 1885. viz.:— $196,407,692. There can be no douf«*
about the fairness and truth of this. To get at the financial standing of a man or a comraerciaiBI
house you must find out not only how mucii he owes, but, as well, how much he owns. ThebaT*-
ance will show his position, and the same is true of a country. But to simply say that the net sa9^
real debt of Canada July 1, 1885, was $196,407,692 does not by any means give you a fair idea at
the whole truth of the matter. Was all this debt incurred by the Dominion and for Dominion ■pa.'p-
poses from 1867. to 1885? If so, it might wtll be deemed an extravagant incrcose. Bat what a8»r
the facts ? The Provinces before confecleration owed certain debts, incurred by themselves, anrjh
which would have to be borne by themselves had there been no confederation. 8ince confederaUonwi
these Provinces have incurred other debts which would have been incurred and must J©ve beencjit
borne by the Province^ had they not been united in a confederacy. Tliese FrovinoiiildeDTis, to Hut
amount of $100,815,214, have been asHumod by the Dominion and carried by the DorainioTo nmttl
form a part of the net indebtedness. If we subtract the Provincial debts from the net debt -««■.
have left $89,502,478 as tne net and real debt of Canada incurred from 1867 to 1885 for DcffiadDJiitSiM
purposes. Now, what have we to show for tliis? Has the money been wasted ? Or, lias it be^^a^
so expended as to show today a value equivalent in matter of cost, and a service equivalent to th«v
t^|>enditure? I^'t us «ee. We have built our 1,100 miles of Intercolonial Railway, threading^
P. K. Island, and reaching from >St. .Tohn and Halifax away to join the central railway syslenjfc
of Oaniidu at (liufcbec. fhis cost on capital account Sb'SOjHS 1,391),
We have an unrivalled system of water communication in the 8t. Lawrence and lake-*, whiclffc"
hyme.a0s of canals and channel deepening, has been made the linest transport medium in the:;
world. A few yeai-s since and vessels drawing more than 8 feel of water could not reach MontJTpa'8..
Now the grey-hounds of the sea, drawing 27^ feet, can run up the St. La\\(rence an-
west America in the very heart of the Continent. On this Canad.i. has spent on capital ncconTntt
$28,000,000. _ . ^ ..V ,
That great Canadian nndei taking, the Canadian Pacific Railway, leaves the Atlantic* C)Oite%,
>slretehes across a thousand miles of level pralile, pierces the Rocky Mountains, descends the vallefl*-
of the Fraser River ahd stops not until it reaches at Port Moody, the waters of the PAcitic, apa^
gives to and receives from the ships that come there from San Franciscoj from China aDd.^Jfl|Mtn^.
the ever increasing richness of trans-oceanic trade. In this gigantic enterprise Canada has px4IC.
$57,000,000 of her money.
Add these together and you have over $115,000,000 of public money represented in these grex# ,
works alone. That is, for an added net indebtedness of about $90,000,000, we can point to tJieafc
three invaluable systems of communicationH as worth far more than the whole added debt. TTiett:
do not include the vaar improvements and extension made in our light-house system^ the puMS«-.
buildings, the harbors, the piers, the breakwaters and other public works, which place Canallh to^
day in the van of young mitions in security and convenience for trade and commerce. ,
In the face of these facts who shall say that our increase of debt has been extravagant, cHTttlistfv
we have not a precious and serviceable equivalent to 8^J0W for it ? And I have not made .•ai;jy
mention of the Nqrthwest, the payment for which is included in the debt, and whose A7ai}ah£«
fertile lands at a valuation of less than one dollar per acre are more than sufficient to oHsHk .
the whole debt.
■:'-•■ THK IIIJRDKN OF DKIJT MEASCRKD HY INTERES'lf PAID. ,
But the but-den of the debt of a country is measured by the annual interest which is paidx^^t
ortier to carry it. What is this annual interest and what has been its increase ?
Tn 1867 when the Dominion had not incurred a dollar of debt but was siraplv carryii*:^
the old provincial indebteilness the pcopie paid as interes»» $1.29 per head. In 1874, the firMft
year of the Mackenzie Government, the amount paid to carry the debt was $1.34. In 187S>, wimkK/-
Mr. Mackenade had left "oflBce it had risen lo $1.59 per head, and in 1885, after' all the. t>dd«>B'
debt of which so much talk is made the per ca,pita Interest payment was just $1.59^.not one ntit^-
more than in 1879.
This Is an unanswerable argument to those who cry out that the burdca hus become int^ftfesi^-
ablo by reason of the extravagant increase of the Public Debt from 1879 to 1889.
But how ifl this explaine 1 says one? We owe more and still otir interest cKarge Is J3^' '
Ut^ 1 «-f «.Ut»Vk,.j'-<*<
greater? The cxplanatio'.i is ru;ide by the nicntion nl' two lact.s. Our popiilalion its uiui'cafiiug,
!ind w? c^u supixjrt a heavier d. c. Tor every
$I00"oftIu8 loan which we are to pay at the end oftlie loan jioriod !i;r Kicliai'd brougtit back
only $88.6iJ to Canada, the other $11.34 hfi left in Lr>udon ;is discounts nnd cbartres. The total
■ loss on the $19,600,000 wa.s ^<2,208,3-29. •
in 1876, he went to London and asked :i loan "f §l2,l()8,t)o(> at 4 p. c. Fvc overj- $100 we
-'' have to pay of thin loan Sir Richard brought biftk to Caiiada, only $8^.82, the remaiuHig $11.18
■ was left lu London as discount and charges. The total loss on thin loan was $>l,360,20o. In 1885,
■ Sir Leonard put a loan for £4,000,000 on the London market and foi- every £100 Canada has to
: pay when the loan limit oipires, Sir Leonard had paid into his hands ,£10i. I. S4d. and the total
• of charges, left in England was only ?140,444 as agaJhst $2,203,329 left by Sir Richard in 187 i.
'^'Both loans were unguaranteed, but no sinking fund was attached to .Sir Leonard's loan, while
: ihere was one attached (o Sir Richard's, and while Sir Richard could with diHiicultv get hLs loswi
taken at all, Sir Leonard had ,£12,000,000 oflered hitn insteatl of tlio f!4i)00,000 he- iisked for.
And in addition it is to be remcml)ered that Jthe bank rates in 1874 were within a fihiwle
equal to the bank rates in 1^85.
Ca^here be a more triumphant vindication of tho financial int 'merit of the present
Government and ofthe sterling credit of Canada today notwithstanding the cry of ruin which in-
terested partisans are oonlinuallv raising V But it will bo said than 1885 is not now, and that
since that the Debt has increased. That, is true, but until the public accounts are laid before Par-
' liainentl am precluded from fully discussing them, nor can tlie public posMSs the data necessary
•■' ibr a lull aniderstanding of them.
The net debt has increased somewhat since 1885, and chiefly owing to the fact that the Canadhan
•■l?;icilic Railway has been completed six years before the contract time, tiius making it necessary
■ for the Subsidy grantetl in 1881 to be all paid by 1887, whervas, othorwi.s*^ it would not have been
all paid until 1891. -But if the money has been paid earlier, tho country has (he great benefit of hav-
• ing the Railway opening up and developing our rosonr(x}s and enlarging our trade. If the debt
1 incrpased, 80 fdso have the as.set8 in that we have added to thei>3 nearly seven millions of dioice
lands lying along the railway belt, and made all the more vnlimhle by ih^^ opening up of the niU-
.- way, which lands, at the minininm calculation of Mr. Klake himself, nie worth nearly $20,000,-
. ;O00. ' It' is to be borne in mind that the inore.-ise of debt in Canada arose from building the latei'-
colonial Railway, the Canals and the Canadian Pacilio Railway. Those ara now finished solar oe
»i the KiilwayB CQ,«ud uearly fnished as regards the (^nal :'.}'stem. So that tlie great public ivorks •
'. --which Canada needed are aow practically accomplishe that revenue will1>e*ufficieut for the gencnU needs of-^the counWy, and that althimgh thfc
• -'ller capita rate of interest may, during the current year, be ) little in lul v.ance of that of 1685, yet
.^¥re may be certain that witJ» the increasing population, the increase of the linking fund, and the .
• replacing of someloans soon falling due by loans bearing a less rate of interest the amount paid
;i per hca«j as intere^tt ou debt will not in two years frona ti.i, *''uc ne as ii\iich as it was in 1886»
I ^o far, then, as the question of this debt is concerncl, .. lu not think the country has any
•cause to fear. We have the great works, we are prosperous, "U our credit is goo«l. Mr. Blakei
«aidrin tho Cily of Guelpli, if you let the present Government uiaii,;^o rhe aflitirs of the country
• for five ywu-s more, as tlie> have in the past, there will then be no counvry to r.avo worth saving.
*• Mr.-Charlton says it will only take 18 years more to throw us over the I'iiik of financial perdition. ■
■ Mr. Cameron Kays if this thing goes on for a few yeara more you won't fiixi (?vc»n the ruins of a
«ou«ftry to pick np. If these charges arc all true, then, in !h > nnue of all that is financial, how
• M it that a country so governed, a country so wrongfully and so xrleviously ml.-tmanaged, c-in go
'into the money markets of the world and borrow v^j so nujch better terms than. could be obtaine4l
'.tindrt the Government of the party who find these faults, in 1874 and 1876 ,' (Applause). How^
•s^ it that these shrewd money lenders,, without any Imperial guanintee. (-an give a premium upon^
our loans? liefore this nrlnous administration tamo into power, our friends in the opposition
( couW onlvget ^8 for every $100 borrowed, and which iilOO you liad to pay when the tune canu-
^or its redpmj)tion. (4pplaAjs«).
•" - rOMI'\RATlVK INDERTEDNKSS.
Oar critics are fond of cumpariiig ourdebt with that of the Cniled States .uui other countries.
uildKhey would leave the-impression upon people's miuds that we wen* iu a m(>st iL-uinous con-
,' (Utittl "rftid thai Gftnadft v/as m a'very bad way. Do not other countrie/ have deb.s, ynd debts far
•• I in eikk-ss per capita of outs ? In 188.5 our per capiuv debt was $111.83 , Cape of (.Ujod Hope colony,
$9'».0O; Great Ilrl lain $99.00; Krancu, .'5181.00; the \uHtrali:in coh.uies, $1! 10.00. And yet these
at^L
MC fah'iy prudpet'oua co^JubricK and wo ili> uot hoai' o{ tiietii (>it<-tiiag ovur tbe prucipi(x> of tinancial
ruin. Vet their [lor capita dcbtH are from two to five times as large as that of Canada. They
oomparo our debt with that, of tho United States in an ingenious but not in an liouest vaj . In
the Unitc'd States thoy havo federal, atate and municipal debts. Ever)' state has its own debt
and tho iaiertmt of that state debt is paid by liirect taxation. There the federal debt means simply
:* war debt v/hereau the federal debt of f.'anada means something very different. It includes not
only what has been expended for federal piu-posea, but also every dollar of debt that the provinces
incurrctl; for the Dominion assumed all tlie debts of tho provinces and raan9,(j[es them, while in
bhfe United States the Federal governinont assumes no state debts nor does it nanage them. For
Ifce state debts the people are taxed directly. I will not, however, deal furthc j: with the (Question
except to ask, for what has the debt of Canada Ix-en incurred; for what have the debts of otiher
eountries been inuuned ? You arc a farmer, you take f.'i 000, and you can dLbpose of it m two
ways. You can set tire to it or you can in\est it in improvements on your farm. Su^osing
you do the latter, you. would not allow any oae to coxnpare. your financial londuct and manage-
ment with that (if the man who, right alongside of you. burnt his iJo.OOO. There can be no quea-
tton about it. He has spent iiis $5,000; you have spent youi-s; but yoursi has been expended in a
productive way, his is all air and .smoke. (Applause). But it would be a great deal worse if he
had taken it and used it to Iiurn and destroy his property. Every dollar of the United States
debt is a debt incurred for war, and for destruction of life and property, every dollar of it was
placed upon the .shotildci-s of the people V)y that dreadful internecine war th.it took place from
1860 to 1860 and not one single dollar represents a public improvement, a public bridge a public
harbor or railway; it has all gone for M'aste and ruin and destruction— (applause) — and they are
paying for it now. On the other hand, take the debt of Canada as on the first July 1885 at 8198, -
OOO.OOCt and it does not represent war or the waste of war, every dollar of that debt was a dollar
invest^ed in pro7,412,000 of that sum ii re earnings from the investments and public works
of Canada, not one single cent of which is paid as a tax. It is earnings upon money invested in
■linking fund, railways, i»o»t oflices, canals and divers other sources, but not a cent of it taxation.
If, therefore, we lake tiie earnings from the total revenue it leaves some $25,000,000 which when
rou calculate) it, makes only some $24.y0 for the average workingman's family.
(Jut ovcu'this is not all necessary tjixation, nor doc« it all fall upon the avei-atfe working
man. '
ThJM taxalimi is divide*! into two kintLs, a part is wlwUy voluntary, and the other partly vol-
untary Dn^ pjirtly npt, because you have to get the things oq. which it is raised as necessaries.
t8,4o0,t>00ofthat $25,000,000 which Mr. Blake calls taxation and which he says is v-id by the
averagC'family is raised upon tobai.-co and alcoholic liquors by excise or customs and you as th*
head of a workingman's family need not pay a cent of it tinless you use liquors or tobacco. I am
happy tit snv that there are u'ore than one-half of the {leonle of thui country who do not use
tobacco or liquors. (Applauses. Therefore, I say that lj»8,450,000 is altogether voluntary tax-
/
-.A
t - ■ , > . . '■ 'y ■ -i -I. .■/v
fttlon which you must pay if yoi> drink or smoke, neither of which y<»u are obliged to Jo, and I
believe the average farmer's and workingman's family in this country is a sober family and pays
little or nothing of the Drink tax. •
Then $1,624,000 is paid for high class I'jxuries, not one single cent of which you pay, because
the average farmer's or workingman's fanily does not buy silks, satins or jewelry, so that in deduct-
ing these, what may be called voluntary and unnecessary taxes from the $25,(M)0,000 wo have left
^5,000,000 at which rate the average family need pay only $14.S8 instead of Mr. Blake's $45,
so that today wc find that those who drink and smoke and buy high class luxuries pay nearly one-
half (^the whole taxation. Let us next enquire whether it is true that the average family is
highly taxed upon the prime necessaries of life. Take your breakfast table ; what is there that is-
heavily taxed ? Your tea and your coffee are not taxed — there was a tax on tiiem while Mr. Mac-
kenzie was in power, and if you last year had been compelled to pay upon your tea and cotlee the
rate of tax you paid in 1878, when Mr. Blake's party was in power, it would have taken ovev
51,000,000 out of the people of Canada to pay that tax alone, but todiiy under the present Govern-
ment these articles are free. •
The eggs on your breakfast table are untaxed ; your potatoes, butter, cheese, milk, fish, pork^
, beef, mutton, your native fruit — please tell me on which of these you pay a tax? They are alt to-
be raised on your own farms or your neighbour's farm, and there is no tax upoi thesi? articles.
And your bread, Is that taxed?' Why, Mr.. Cartright and Mr. Blake himself have repeatedly
■ stated that of all shams and delusions that was the greatest which made the people of Canada believe
that you could raise tlie price of flour or grain in Canada by putting a tax on it, here, where we
raise a surplus. The wood you burn in your houses is untaxed, and the item of coal, for you who
ase it in the Maritime Provinces, is certainly not increased in price by the Xatioual Policy. Be-
cause every one knows who will take the trouble of loosing into the operations of a mine that it
requires very expensive machinery to raise the coal to the surface ; he knows too that it requirec
as expensive machinery to raise 50 tons as it does to raise 500 tons a day, and that after one has
gone to the expense of the maclMuery'each athlitional ton raised makes the expenses of producing
it on the surface less and consequently reduees its price — it can be sold cheaper, If you take the
coal mines in Nova Scotia and campare the quantity of coal now produced with that under the no
duty period you will find an average increase of about 400,QOO tons per year, and the TOnseiiucnf ? •
is a reduction in price, the more raised the cheaper it can l>e sold.
Then as to your sugar. It is not so heavily taxed now as formerly, for si>eaking roundly it
now only pays half the duty paid on it during the Mackenzie regime. Let me give you one more
calculation. If you were taxed upon your tea, coflee, sugar and molasses to the extent that you
were in 1878 you would have paid in 1885, under that arrangement, $3,400,000 more taxea into the
treasury than you did actually pay in 1885 Injcauso part of these articles are now free and on pait
the duties has been decreased. But why tax tea and cotiee and admit coal free ? We cannot raise
tea and coffee hero, you may tax them, it does not help any industry herfi; but coal we lan raiise, and '
, by placing a protective duty on it we stimulate and develop an enormous industry in Canada.
Under this impetus the product of coal has gone on increasing from year to ye.ar, and today in Nova -
Scotia, in the Northwest, in the Rocky Mountains, in British Columbia and distributed all dlonE,-
that region we have productive and inexhaustible coal mines which are being rapidly developed
under the system we have introduced and kept up. Your tea and colfee on the other hand is let in
free, ti.e tax you formerly paid on these is siiifted on to the coal, you pay less tax in 1885 than yo)i
would under the regime existing in 1878, while in addition the country has all the advantage of
developing a great and paying industry. (Applause).
• Who pays the taxes, my workingman's frif .id asks— who, if the workingman does not? Tin
answer is that it is those who buy luxuries who pay the greater bulk of them. If a man who is
. rich enough wishes to buy a particular kind of buggy, such as can be obtaine
.. $100 into the treasury. A man purchases a piano in New York, he chooses the beet he can find;,
it costs him $1,000, and thereuiwn he has, on bringing it here, to pay $200 in the treasury. All'
these things go to make up the revenue of the Dominion. Take one who is fond of champagne,
i'.,and I am very glad to know that there are not many who now indulge in that luxury, but, for-
• those who do, for every bottle of champagne cracked the consumer has ta pay a good stiff^luty in-
'.j to the general funds of the couutrj'. If you wish Brussels carpet, and you want something rtoft to ,
tread upon, and you buy it, you have to pay a duty on it, and a nigh duty it is oa well ; but, ft)r the
average farmer and workingman, wlio lives upon the simple necessaries of life, and Uvea comfort-
ably, and who wears like myself cloth upon which no duly is payable, then I say that the average
farmer and the workingraen in the Dominion of Canada are more lightly taxed than the average
farmer or workingmf.o in any other country in this wide world. { Applatise). ,
T
11
..-. !
■ ' ■• OOMPAJIATIVE TAXAllON. ,
But| Bir, when you taltb the taxation here, and compare it with the taxation in the United
States—and there i^in they are unfair in their comparison — what do you find? Here, you pay
only ygur indirect Federal taxation Ihrongh customs, and your direct municipal taxes. You have
no direct taxes to pay for Provincial purposes And why ? Because the Dominion Government
gives hack to each Province from the general revenue sufficient, with some casual revenue, to carry
(Hi'the afi'airs of the Province.
How is itin the United States? They tax the people there in customs and cxciko morn per
head than we do in Canada and at tho same time every State goes down to its people man ai'ter
man and from house to house and takes the taxes directly fiom them in order to carry on the
government of the State. Here your municipal taxes are small, h: the United States: they are
very large and you must, to get at the proper relative weight of taxaiion in the United Btaton and
Canada, reckon what is paid for federal, State and municipal purposes there and here, add these
several sufos together and then you will be able to compare them. I have a tiible here which
I have prepared and ir^m which you will learn that the people of the Ignited States pay for federal,
state and miinicipal purposes per head $11.58, whereas in Canada the rate of taxation is but $8.00
per head, ot a difference in favor of Canada of !53.58 per head. (Applause). Let us take New
Brunswick an 1 ct)mpare it with Elaine, that State in the Union which lies contiguous to us. und
in Maine they pay ?)13.14 per head per year, while in New Brunswick we pay only $8.40 per
head or the sum of nearly $5.00 less per head than in Maine, and the people of New Bninswick
are, tt.ereforo, that much better off than the people of the State of Maine. Now, let us take On-
tario and Massachusetts and compare them. In Massachusetts they pay for federal, state and
municipal purposta $IS.8S) |>er head yearly, while in Ontario for like purposes the rate is but
$9.40 f>er head or less than one half the sum paid by the people of Massacluisetfs. Yet there are
men who would try to make you believe that this was the most miser.^ble and the most heavilv
taxed country in the world and would try to make you discontented with your lot hei-e. But if
you left this country to go to another you would soon find that it would be a cas-e of Jumping from
the frying pan into tlie fire (applause) when you found that you had left a country where
you were taxed but to one half oi'the extent yon found yourself taxed in the other. We (au-
uot get on without taxation, all taxation is not a curse, it is a benefit or if not a benefit it is the
step by whith we rise into comfort and ailvanceuient and better living. The thhig for you to be
sharp about is to see that the taxation is rightly imposed and wisely expended. You wish your
son to have a letter education than you were abfc to get and you send him off to a higher school,
may be to college, and you educate him". • How do you do it ? You do it by putting your hand
into your jwckct and taxing yourself. So in the case of a town, if you want a sewerage system or
water supply or the electric light you have to assess your property and raise the necessary taxes in
order to pay for those and other needed improvements and what lakes platx; in these cases takes
place also iu regard to the whole country. Kailways and other means of communication are
needed and they arc built, you enjoy the benefits arising from their' being built and you
have to pay for theiA, but you have an equivalent for your money and thus lookiug at the matter
of taxation from these points of view ask yourselves whether or not the Government is to be con-
demned for the taxation as it at present exists. (Applause).
THE QUUSTIOH O^ EXl'ENDtTURK. • '
Now, with reference to the exi)€nditurc, and T will simply point what f wish to say by way
of illustration. Watch the newspapers and the arguments therein put forth. They put out the
blank argument that the ( Jovernment is to be overthrown because its yearly expenditures are increas-
ed. They say that at confederation it took so many millions, that in 1878 U took so mufth,
and that now a still higher figure has been reached, and they say this is sure proorof extravagance,
nnd tha^ being so vou ought to Iwirl the present Government out of power. Now, let me say that
in argument based oh such a foundation is by no means strong or logical. Take the case of a boy
who went out from your midst into the world ten years ago — say he went to the City of St. John
md started up in a mero-antile life. He took the mast eligible place he could find in a bye street,
he did nut take a shop on King street or Charlotte, but he made it as attractive as possible and put
in aa goo«i a stock as he was able ; he put into it his time, — his good manners ; his energies were all
directed to make it a b'ucceas. Ten years olapse and where do you find him ? He occupies a firat-rate
stand on Charlotte or King street. He is doing a large business with all partA of this Province
and possibly with other Provinces. If Mr. Blak< went to this young man to criticise him, he
would say : " You are plunging rapidly into financial ruin, you are in a very dangerous way ; why
" t^\ years ago yoiu expenses were only .^500 and this year they will amount to $5,000." The young
man, ou'hearing such criticism, would look up into his tace and smile, for he would say — I know
that, Mr. Blake, but ten yearn ago I was doing a very much smaller business and now I am doing
one of the Iarg(>st businesses in the city. It is true my expenses are now ten times more, but my
business has increasefl twenty or a hundre«l fold. I have wealth in my pocket, hope in my heart,
a firnvbclijef J n my, futuro* prosperity, awl you may criticise away. fLaughtx>r and 4.pplAVV>9)>
•
80 wi*li Canada at coDfedt-ration, she was iJoing busimi^s in a bmull wjty, but luiir proviiicwj kee{iiu^
along togrithcr ; today nhe ha^ a inugnifictiit realm R'cond to uoue (a{>plausie) on this eoatinent and
doiii^ % magnificent business, the pride of every true Ciinauiiia and the H.druiration o> every
afrAHger who studies her history. (Enthusiastic cheering). liiU, Mr. Bluke still prophoaiea ruiu
•head, $11,000,000 at confederation, S).35,()00,000 now; but, like the yoita^ man of whom 1 have
i?pokeD, Canada looks up into his face and smiles and says : "All right,' Str. Blalte, I am net on the
tack street today; 1 am in the front rank of young nations, I nuiit necessarily redouble my exer-
tionit for the future which is to be richer til uu t lie past. 1 have hope in tny Lean, j6y in ray
countenance, and happine^ in my hornet from Cape Breton to Briti.-'h Columbia ; and, while this.
'iM so, you C'Ui go propliesy and criticise if it pleases yoti." (Deafening applaas"^).
We e xpend more, it is true; hut wc have more people to contribute to die revenue, we
earn more from our investments and public works wc give bacli larger airioimts \o Uie proviucea,
we lay up more yearly to pay our debt, and ve have growing public uervices for vhicli to provide.
In 1867 our population was but little over 3,000,000 ;,jaow it is nearly C> 000 000.
In 18G7 our earnings were but $1,987,247 ; in 1885 they had increAsed to $7,412,470.
In 1867 Wd gave back in direct cash to the provincca f<2,"!ry,],{iCS; in ISST) we gu,vv thtu»
$3,9C9 a-26.
In 1867 we invented in sinking fund for payment of debt §3r>5,266 ; in 18S.'> we paid into aiuk-
i,ng fund 1^1,482,051. •
And we must l>e.000,000, iu 1885 it had to pay the interest of
$106,000 OCK) of provincial indebtedness.
'J'aking all tnese things into consideration it may lie said thai, the normal e:>if-cnditure in J 885.
although greater than in 1867 by many millions, was not more burdensome to the incrcafted number
of. people, while the services for which it was incun-cd were far more productive of advantages,
awod brought in a corresponding return of financial benefits and general comfort.
A» anple of the wide extension of public service let ine give you two e>ujmplo« only : —
">•'' STATlSTJCj OF niL PO«T OFnCK l»KP-\iiTXLB><3 342,574 $10,:i84,2l0 ,
?. 0. Savings Banks, 213 355
••:' No. of Depositors 6,07!) " 7^,322
'.*•.: Amount Deposited ; $861,655 87,0118 459. •
lievenue, , $1,024,710 $!2,400,062
.,: /' . STATlSneS OF LIGHI'^HOUSK SKRVTCH — LIGH-i'f< ANVJ FOCi AVin;-iri.ii:H.^
:.v'^'.'-"''': ■ * 1868. "1885. '\[','^ .
>i,i«,"i.i Ontario , 67 17f> . . . , *
«(j * . ' QaebjBc 64 W7 ... ,.
•■■'■:■'•> •; New Brunswick, 26 114 > • . .
. ..- . Nova Scotia ? 62 ' 176 ^
.. , Prince Ed wardlflland. (1873) ! 17 , 4» '
.. v.^ , British Cohmibia 3 W v..
., ■; . Manitobia, 2 .. '.., ..
"'"■'■ ;:!*'^v- ' Total 239- 689 '\' ; '
This latter table does not include the great e.^tension of our Buoy anil Beacon System, and
tiie creation of our Signal System in the (rulf. the laying of Submarine Cables, and our eystem of
Weather and Storm predictions.
x A glance at tlie above . tables shows how greatly the service of our country has oxtended.
aod what necessary increased expenditures mUst be made t,o sustain them. But no one would
think of Curtailing either to the demensions of 1867. v
Now, ladies and gentlemen, I do not wish to weary you but haying dealt with the 'charges, "
under (wo heads I desire to say a word or two upon the thiwt pojint. .
. r TITK QVt>5TION OF POUCY — CONrKDEKATIOS OF. TTtK T'HOVIVCKH.
As to the ^)olicy of the administration has it Iwen a wise one or'^hai it l>een a fiiilure, has'it
been a g*od policy or has it been a bad one as shewn by the restdts V m
What was the policy of the Libcral-C^onservative party wiien it first became tlie Liberal-Con-
«ervati ve parly ? At the Union the pld progressive 0/onservati ves and the oid. progre8«i ve Lil>erul8
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coalescing tbnued what wan knowu lis the Libcr:il-Cons<;rvative party, and (rom ihie jiroviiwe $ir
I^eonard Tilley, one of our pureet and noblest gtiueeman, went as ite representative. Why, sir,
Liberal.Cone<;rvatism had its birtb in the idea of Confeiitration — it was the party of C'onfedeiatioD.
it saw tlieee provinces disunited with diiferent aims, with different tariffs, its people unknown to
each other and it said there is a future before us if all these provinces can be miitert into jnCncw
of citizenship, if they can be animated with a oomraon purpose and have a nnited commerce. But
. you say Liberals were among them. That is true. Otherwise we could not Iiave been the Liberal-
Conservative party. Liberals wcr% among them tiien and Liberals are among them today, the
most progressive Liberals of Canada, whilst in the ranks of our opponents stealing the gar1) of
liberalism and parading its name, you lind the Anti-coBfederate blue blooded unprogressivc toriee
of a quarter of a ccntun' ngo, men who voted againfet confederation but who were debated in their
fight and have been bitter ever since, a'ld who would not mind seeing the confedration sroashed
even tsday. (Applause).
To take a familiar illustration, — J do not mention it in any disrespectful manner,^ — take Mr, €~
' W. Weldon, he stands alongside c/; me and s:iys, "Oh, you are a Tory, I am a Liberal." You alJ
know Mr. \Veldon'<3 antecedents and you know ray antecedents and you know that Mr. 'Weldon
was of the real old tory blood — the blue blowl of toryism — he was opposed to Confederation, be
fought it^ and now claims to be the quintefi-senvW of liberalism find dubs such old time liberals crvatives hold no dealings with such. There
were Liberals and Conservatives united to carry Confederation, and equally miited have they been
in extending and maintaining; it. Who ailde<^ the great Northwest, the complement of this Do-
minion ? It was the Liberal-Conservative party, and they did it in spite of the criticism and con-
tention of the opposition at that time and to day we have in the Northwest a heritage of millione of
acres of fertile land out of which we could carve seven provinces greater and better and more
fertile than the older provinces of the Dominion. In 1871, the question of having the Pacific
province enter the Dominion came up. Who were opposed to it ? The liberal party, who were
then as now in opposition, opposed it in the strongest possible way. Do you think it was a wise
policy or not? There was British Columbia on the Pacific coast, with the United States to the
south, and to the north with the then impassable barrier of the Ilocky mount^'ns intervening be-
tween it and eastern Canada, and if we had not brought tliat province into the confederation ther«
were grave doubts whether or not in the proojss of time it would not drift into the confederacy on
the otiier side and t-o close to us tnc advantage of having a seaboard on the Pacific. And men of
foresight hwked westward even then anM>U:XICATI0K.
' Then arose the question ol intercommunication between the various provinces of
this great country so that the life blood of commerce of these provinces might How into
one another, intermingle and give us one common life. How was this solved ? By building the
I. C. R. some 1200 miles, threaiding P. E. I., and reaching fiwn upon tiem uud yuu will have some idea of, the imineasDseryative8, uniteil
in a great party, have been the originators or the consistent advocates of these great works.
It was that party which in 1881 took its political life into its hands and appealed to the people of
the country on the Pacific Railway and the people passed judgment uiK>n them and said we will
sustain you and the policy which we believe is the best for the interests of Cannia. It was the
Liberal-Conservative oarty who when dark days came to Ihe company building that great .railway,
when credits were scarce and ruin stared them in tho face, who came in with a subvention of
money and loaned them $SO,000,000 in 1884, and $5,000,000 itf 188G when the opposition ail ever
the country was saying we would never get a dollar back ag:tin into the treasury. But the Govern-
m«ut of Canada had faith in their country and they backed the enterprL'^e and today we kno^v for
a fiict that $25,000,000 of that sum have been paid' back in hard cash into the treasury and as my .
friend said good lands, not the skim milk lands, lying along the line of the railv/ay have been
taken for the repayment of the remaining $10,000,000, so that today there is only good will existing
between us and them, we owe them nothing, they owe us nothing, and the country ha& the
benefit of that great work, a work second to none in the world. (ApplnuRe). And soon, in pur-
suaace'Of this same wise policy, the complement of this railway — the Short Line — will be com-
pleted, and give to St. John and Halifax as winter ports a generous portion of the rich traffic
brougnt from the far West.
These, ladies and gentlemen, are some of the lines of policy to which I wish to ask your atten-
tion in full confidence thfft you will approve them and the party which carried them out.
i" •— i; THE »IATIOKAl. I'DLICY. •
Later, when in those depressed times fro»_ i874 to 1878 commerce languished, industries declined,
our mills shut down and the wail of distress made its way into Parliament in vain petitions for aid,
what was done? By the then Government, nothing; but the Liberal-Conservative opposition
formulated the policy of Canadian protection, plac^ it before Parliament and in 1878 went to
the countrv upon it. Reciprocity the United States would not give, their markets they 'shut from
us, our industriei; they drove to the wall, and so the people responded to the motto " Canada for
the Canadians," and endorsed the proposed policy. 1879 saw it enacted into law and put into
operation. Under it new life came oack to our manufacturers, new heart to labor, and renewed
hope to the country. To read its results we have Imt to look around on our growing industries and
note the great pro'gress made. Sugar refineries, cotton mills, duck and woolen factories, print
works, manufactories of raw materials of all kinds are running on full time employing Canadian
labor having Canadian wages, keeping our people at home and our money among ourselves.
This policy has been fought from the first by the opposition, and even today is safe on) in
the hands of those who inaugurated it^ and have maintained it. For if Mr. Blake were to get into
power I verily believe that the National Policy would not be safe for a single hour, and with
that swept away we should return to the old depression of 1874-9. The Halifax Chronicle calls it
" an immitigated curse," Mr. Anglin tells the people of Halifax that he would sweep it away, Sir
Richard calls it a sham and delusion, while Mr. Blake hedges carefully, and prefers to wait until
he gets into office before enquiring what he really will do. The country wishvs to know what
plank it will step on to, when it is asked to step on from tlie one f-m footing which has supported
it from 1879 until now, and it has a right to ask in view of the tremendous consequences, just what
a pafty proposes to do in fiscal matters, before it entrusts that party with power.
Some say the National Policy is no good for the farmer or th"e workingman, it is only good
for the monopolist and the capitalist; lately, I think,, they wiv.as well that it is no good for the
capitalist, but I hold no such doctrhu'. I hold it a fact that the artizan, the farmer and the. capi-
talist are bound up one in the prosperity of the other. (Applause). Let me illustrate this
matter in a simple, plaiu way. Suppose that in 1878 there were living around this town 100 farm-
ers, and in it there were living 100 artizans with their families. The farmers come to the skilled
artizans and say : Now you and your families must live, we have good products of all kinds to sell,
do you buy from ue for yourself and your families, you will get what you need, we will (ret the
money for our produce and all will be benefitted. The artizans say : Yes, we and our families
need what you have to sell, and we are willing to buy from you, but there is no work for us here,
and we cannot buy from you ; we must go elsewhere and look for work to keep ourselves and
families. But the farmers think this can be remedied. So they take the workmen with tliem and
go to fK>me large capitalist and say to him : Here are 100 men, ekilled in their trade, wllliag to
work and wanting only opportunity. Will you not build a factory aqd have these men do your
work? Then you will have the products of their labor to sell, thejr will have the wages to sustain
them and their families, and we will sell them the products of ourlarms.
The capitalist admits that would be a good thine, but he says:— The trouble b here : I build a
f:u;tory and put the men to work, but when my goods ttxe made I find no market for them. United
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8tate«* iiiaQuiacturers, with immense surplus stocks utmI a steady marl^et at dome, Mind their sur-
plus heit!,' put their goods down to slaughter prices, nod drive me from the market. UDle»8 th^i
is stopped I cannot sell and so oaoiiot make. I must have a steady, fair market, protected from
the slaughtci- competitions of the United States manirfacturers. So the capitalists, the artizans and
the farmers go to the Government, explain the whole matters, are joined by like groups from every
;pai't of Canada, and all refer their comaion prayer for aid to keep labor at home and buil^ up
native iLduatrie^. The prayer is heard, tl'e request acceeded to, a fair tariff" late is put >ipon what
Oaniida can produce, and, as a consequence, c; pitalists invest their raoney, factories are built, arti-
zaas get employment, the wages are paid in our own country, and, what is better, arc spent hete,
iod farmers and merchants and all share in its reciprocal benefits.
Now I tell you that is a j^ain and simple illustralon of th^ National Policy. Lateljr when
at Milltowu, St. Stephen, I went'into the cotton mill there which is one of the best in the Dominion —
it I;iHS been built since the introduction of this policy and cost a lai'ge outlay of capital to
l)uiid it. It is a mill which is to-day doing good work. I there saw 1,600 busy hands at work, 760
^rsons being employed there. I asked where they came from and I found that 95 per cent, came
trom Milltown and St. Steiihen and the country adjacent, this family sending a boy, another a girl,
and they carry their wages home. $20,000 in wages are paid every month. I asked if they got
plenty to do when I was told that they had orders for six months ahead. I then asked the test
question : — .'' o you make large profits? I was answered: " We never soid on so small mai^ins iis
to-day, but ViC never had so heavy a sale and in consequence we are keeping these people employed
and are going a head." I then asked if it could be run if the Naitional Policv did not give tucm a
fair rate of protection, and the reply was that it would have to close inside of six months and that
it would be impossible to run it unless assured of an average market. In Dowraanville I saw the
organ factory which had been ereciad prior to the introduction of the National Policy but which
at that time was on its last legs. Bankruptcy stared its proprietors in the face when the National
Policy ciime into operation and put a small per ccntage on such work as was produced tlyre.
•The result is that establishment is at work now. I counted 210 skilled artizans, every one of
them at work there, and they send their organs today all over the country from British Columbia
to Cape Breton, and their business is extending. So much indeed has the organ businesis of this
country increased that one firm alone has an c idcr for 3,500 for the British market as the result of
the display of their workmanship in the Indian and Colonial Exhibition this year. (Applause).
Take the question of sugar. 105,000,000 lbs. came in 1878— Canada ought to be pretty sweet
■with that amoifl|| of sugar (laughter) but in 1885 she imported 210,000,000 lbs., so it ought now to
be a groat deal sweeter (laughter). "What is the difference? In 1878, there w^as 105,000,000 lbs.
of which only 8,000,000 was raw sugar, all the rest was refined in foreign refineries and the wages
were paid to workmen in foreign lands. In 1885, 201,000,000 came in, over 190,000,000 lbs. of
which was raw sugar and which was refined in our own refineries with Canadian hands doing the
work and with the wages paid to Canadian labor kept in the country and spent in this country
•for the articles that we manufacture or produce and consequently so much added tb the spending
power, the wealth and the prosperity of this country. (Applause). AVhat occurred in connection
with this industry occurs in all our Canadian industries.
The cotton industry for 1873 to 1878 was such that some 6,000,000 lbs. were annually brouglit
in and worked up in this country. But mark the increase under this policy. From 1879 to 1886
there had been 20,000,000 lbs. each year brought into the country on an average and worked up
in this country. W'hat does that mean ? It means employ ment for our people and would you
believe it about one-half of that quantity is made up by the Maritime Provinces mills which
aend their cottons into all paits of Canada, into Ontario, the West and British Columb'ia. (Ap-
plause). .
Take the woollen factories. .'5,000,000 lbs. of wool on an average were brought on yearly
from 1873 to 1878 but there was an average of 8,400,000 lbs. yearly worked up in the
period from 1879 to 1881. All these are but instances of the marvellous effects which have taken
place under this policy with reference to the industries of Canada.
This past year over in tbe city of London, was seen a sight that Canada had never witnessed
before anu which the old country had never thought of seeing. There in the Indian and Colonial
Exhibition were displayed our goods with those of other colonies, and proud are we that Canada
took first place. Canada there made such an exhibit aa astounded tke people on the other side
and astounded every Canadian who wont fix>m this country and who did not till then appreciate
the immense progress we had made in all lines of progress.
I ask you to think of these things, and judge from them and thousands of other instances
wfaict4 1 might have pointed out had time ^rmitted of the results of the policy adopted in 1870.
Do you approve of the policy of the Libdral-Couservative party ? Do you believe in this
great Confederation, in its formation, in its extension, until now all continental British North
America is included, in its union by great lines of railway and canal, in its maintenance against-
rebelUoa, annexation and repeal ? Do you believe in Canada having a fiscal policy of its own,
oonecrring its own welfare, developing its own resources, building up its own industries, keepbg
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it» sons athume and tiudiug employment lor tb«m, and cultivating, along with a coui-teooD teeat-
inent of all outside countries, a patriotic pride in her own prosperous present and promising future T
If you do, and of that I have no doubt, you will show it by upholding at the. coming clefitiomt
the t>oHcy and the party which boa done so much in the past to build up and develop a |io|kd
and proaperous Canada, and which has the purpose and the power to work for the same ^nd in
the future. We love our country, we believe in it, we are proud of it. Wo will not deliver it
over to the tender incrcica of rebels; of Rielites, of American sympathisers, or 3ccc?»ioni<)t8. This
country ia to remain one and undivided; it ia to remain loyal and true to the grand old flag which
for a thousand years has aymbolixed freedom and progress and Christianity in the world. Here it;
our citizenship, here' are our fortunes and here will live the generationH that succeeds us. The
policy for us to approve ia that which bids fair to make our country moat stable and moat pro«-
perouB. Ponder the facta, make up your minds for yourselves, write your judgment upon your bal-
lots .when the time arrives, and I have faith to believe that the good old (]!ounty of Kinga, which
took me up unknown and untried in 1882 and made me its representative, which .8tood^at,my back
' a second tune in 1882 and again in 1S85 will rally to my support in 1887 and give me arrencwal of
tiiat generous confidence which it has heretofore so kindly repoaed in me. (Tlie hon. gentleman
resumed his scat amid cnthnsiastic checriog which lasted for some time.)
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