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 1 2 3 
 
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\ 
 
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 1\ 
 
 J. 
 
— -""BTaH! 
 
 \ 
 
 
 CANADA 
 
 UNDER THE 
 
 -•i' ■'■■- 
 
 \ ± 1 \J 1 
 
 POLICY 
 
 THE LOGIC OF FACTS. 
 
 A SPEECH 
 
 DELIVERED BY 
 
 J. F. WOOD, M. P. FOR BROCKVILLE. 
 
 IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS, 
 
 ON THURSDAY, MARCH 19, 1885. 
 
 BROCKVILLE : 
 Daily Times Printing House, 
 
 i88s 
 
ammmss 
 

 
 OPINIONS OF THE PRESS. :r; 
 
 ; 1 v. 
 
 ':^' (Toronto Mail, March 20% 1885.) 
 
 "Mr. Wood, of Brock ville, made, aa 
 he always does, a louioal speech, clearly 
 axid forcibly presenting uuansweruL- 
 ar^aments lo the asHertious of the 
 Opposition. His choice language, 
 courteous manner, and closereasoning 
 always conimaod the attention of the 
 House. He studies out carefully 
 his arguments, supplies facts that can- 
 not be contradicted, and invAtiably 
 throws new light upon any sabject he 
 discusses. He was interrupted by fre 
 (]uent applause as he passed I'roiu p«>int 
 to point in his powerful presentation oi 
 the benetits which hMi flowed from the 
 National Policy. At the close of hie 
 speech. Sir John Macdonald and a num- 
 ber of niembers congratulated hi<-i 
 warmly on his success." 
 
 (Mwitreal Gazette, March '20th, 1885.) 
 
 try, and that it was just as popular and 
 strong in tlie hearts of the people to-day 
 as at that time, he was trreeted with vo- 
 ciferous applause, ihowing that he utter- 
 ed the opiniora of a n«ajority of the 
 members of l^e house, at any rate. At 
 the conclusi'^n of his speech, Mr. Wood 
 was heartily and deservedly congratulat- 
 ed by his many friends, including the 
 prime minister. It is to be hoped that 
 his voice will be heard oftener in th'« 
 deliberaticns of the house, as he bids 
 fair to take a front rank among our par- 
 liamentary debaters." ^- ,; 
 
 ^-.^.H 
 
 m O » 
 
 -.15? 
 
 "One of 
 session was 
 
 the best speeches of the 
 delivered by Mr. Wood, 
 the member for Brcckville. He spoke 
 for three-quarters of an hour and held 
 the close attention of the house during 
 the whole of his speech. He has the 
 happy faculty of hiiting off his point 
 without too much detail and making it 
 clear and distinct. He showed the disin- 
 genuousness of the members of the op- 
 position when they lamented ihe decreas- 
 intr population in Ontario, wh?le their 
 friends in Toronto, at almost the same 
 moment, were proposing to asK for an 
 increased Bubsidy from the Dominion on 
 .the giound of the largely increased pop- 
 ulation of the province, and made it clear 
 to the house that whatever may be said 
 to the contrary, the consumer in this 
 country does not pay the duty on coals, 
 but that it is paid by the man- 
 ufacturer. When he stated that the 
 present government in framing the N. 
 P. in 1878 weib only voicing the senti- 
 ments of the workingmon of this coun- 
 
 (JJrockville Times, March 25th, 1885 ) 
 
 "The excellent speech made by Mr. J. 
 F. Wood. M. P., for Biockville, in the 
 house of com:none, during the budget 
 J bate, which speech we have 
 published in ful!, ^ill be read 
 with a great deal of pleasure 
 by his constituents, and by all who take 
 an interest in the political welfare of the 
 country, no matter in what part 
 of the Dominion they may happen 
 to live. Mr. Wood is to be congra- 
 tulated on the n^asturly manner in 
 which he dealt with the subject in hand. 
 The powerful lU-guments, backed by 
 substantial evidence of figures, which he 
 brtjught to bear, in pointing out the 
 effects of the national policy in de- 
 veloping the interests and conducing to 
 the welfare of the people of Canada as 
 a whole, showed that they were the re- 
 sults of close study and careful investi- 
 gation. His arraignment of the reform 
 party on the charge of inconsistency in 
 the question of population is particu- 
 larly good. It is pointed out how in 
 the Ontario legislature, the reform 
 party, li when seeking increased sub- 
 sidy,]Qclaim that such is necessary 
 owing to the increase in the population 
 of the province, while in the Dominion 
 parliament they contend that the popu- 
 

 OPINIONS OF THE PRESS, 
 
 lation is decreasing owing to the work- 
 ing of the national policy. This is exact- 
 ly in accordanoe with the average a[rit 
 record for inconsistency. Mr. Wood 
 deals with the coal question in an able 
 manner, and proves by figures gained 
 from personal inquiry, that the people 
 of Canada pay no more for their fuel 
 than do their neighbors across ths 
 line in the country from which the 
 coal is imported. This proves beyond 
 all dispute that in the case of coal com 
 ing into Canada the consumer does not 
 have to bear the burden of the duty. 
 Another very important point dealt with 
 by Mr. Wood, is the increased purchas- 
 ing power of money at the present day 
 as compared with 1878, previous to the 
 present tariff system coming into effect. 
 A bill ot general household goods 
 that in 1878 would cost $41.75 
 can now be purchased for $28.60, 
 thus effecting a saving of over thirty 
 per cent., certainly a very important item 
 to the workingmen who depend upon their 
 daily earnings to provide the neces- 
 saries of life. Under the national 
 policy the country has prospered, and 
 the electors of Canada were so well 
 satisfied with its working, that after 
 four year's experience, they emphati- 
 cally reaffirmed, the verdict they gave 
 in 1878, when tired of the tree trade 
 nostrums of the Mackenzie government 
 ■ they gave them notice to quit, and by 
 an overwhelming majority decided 
 to place the conduct of the country's 
 affairs in the hands of Sir John A. Mac- 
 donald, under the banner of the national 
 policy. Many other important points are 
 taken up by Mr. Wood, in his address, 
 to which we have not space to refer, but 
 
 .te.'?! 
 
 l'M;.vWw 
 
 
 which are dealt with in the same vig- 
 orous manner as those :^'"nH,oned above. 
 The speech should be carefully read by 
 all. It is generally acknowledged to have 
 been one of the best efforts made dur- 
 ing the seb^ion by any member of the 
 HouRe, and the electors of the constit- 
 uenoy of Brock villa have reason to con- 
 gratulaM themselves that in Mr, Wood 
 they have such an ab'a representative 
 in the halls of parliament." 
 
 * ■ • ■» ^viiwu;i. 
 
 (Mmtreal Herald, March S6th, 1885.) 
 
 The special correspondent in Ottawa 
 of the Montreal Herald writing to that 
 paper under date of March 24th says : 
 
 "The interminable budget debate pro 
 ceeded to-day as usual, and I am told 
 on reliable authority that there are 
 fifteen or twenty more speeches on 
 either side. One cannot bttt regret that 
 there is not some way to bring those 
 interminable babblers to a stop. They 
 know that the House does not listen to 
 them, that no one takes any interest in 
 what they say, and indeed the signal 
 for clearing the benches is when some of 
 these people, who imagine that they are 
 orators, get up to speak. # # * 
 One occasionally gets some information 
 and has an opportunity of listening to a 
 speech that contains matter both inter- 
 esting and instructive, such as ^!ie 
 speech of Mr. Wood, of Brockville, on 
 Friday last, which was delivered in fa 
 clear and unpretentious style andjcon- 
 tained much matter that was interesting 
 and instructive. " 
 
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 fi'Hi'i<i '-yiii if\ i'i 
 
 
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 le viK- 
 1 above, 
 ead by 
 to have 
 e dnr- 
 of the 
 constit- 
 to con- 
 ■. Wood 
 entative 
 
 , 1885.) 
 
 I Ottawa 
 ; to that 
 th says : 
 
 bate pro 
 am told 
 lere are 
 ichea on 
 jgret that 
 ng those 
 p. They 
 i listen to 
 iterest in 
 he signal 
 
 II some of 
 ; they are 
 
 * * 
 
 formation 
 jning to a 
 loth inter- 
 1 as Kie 
 ikville, on 
 rered in (a 
 ! and'con- 
 nteresting 
 
 
 
 
 
 .. r^'., .- 
 
 
 J. F. WOOD, M. P. FOR BROCKVILLE, 
 
 IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS, MARCH 19, 1885 
 
 ui.s 
 
 In the House of Commons on Thurs- 
 day, March 19th, Mr. John F. Wood, 
 M. P. for Brockville, took part in the 
 budget debate. He spoke as follows:- 
 
 At this late period ot the debate, and 
 the late hour of the evening, I shall not 
 at any length, attempt a defence of the 
 principles of the National Policy. It 
 must appear very strange to the people 
 of the country that in the year 1886 we 
 are still in this House defending on the 
 one side the National Policy from the at- 
 tacks made upon it on the other side of 
 the House. But, Mr. Speaker, if that be 
 the state of things, it must be conceded on 
 all hands that the fault is not ours that 
 this debate is being prolonged. Hon. 
 gentlemen on the other side, as was tru- 
 ly said by an hon. member on this side 
 a few days ago, are like the Bourbons 
 of old. They forget not, nor do they 
 learn. Well, Sir, it seenw most remark- 
 able notwithstanding that in 1878 the 
 
 only issue before the people at that time 
 — that issue which restored to the first 
 minister the confidence of the people of 
 Canada, which for a brief period they, 
 much to their sorrow and regret, had 
 withdrawn from him and that again in 
 1882 they most emphatically re-affirmed 
 the veydict they then gave — I say it is 
 strange that noth withstanding all this 
 wefind hon. gentlemen opposite more pro- 
 nounced in their opposition to this 
 policy than at any period since its adop- 
 tion by the people of Canada. I am 
 sure, Sir, that we, speaking from a 
 party point of view, and speaking also 
 with a view to the best interests of the 
 country, have no reason to regret the 
 position which hon. gentlemen take in 
 this respect, provided they were just 
 a little more temperate in the language 
 they use. I am aware, Sir, that when 
 I make use of that language I am stat- 
 ing that which has been made use of 
 
 country pronounced so unmistakably Py many hon. gentlemen on this side of 
 and emphatically upon this issue— thejthe House. I am aware that leading 
 
6 
 
 THE NATIONAL POLICY. 
 
 il 
 
 members on the other side of the House, 
 hon t^eutlemen who have been raising 
 their voices, not only inside of this 
 House but outside of this House, on this 
 subject, a£fect a grievous tone — a tone 
 of deep-seated injury, when they refer 
 to the fact that we on this side have oo 
 casionally stated that their remarks 
 laid them open to the charge of not be- 
 ing just as patriotic as they should have 
 been. But if you take the remarks of 
 the last speaker^ the hon. gentleman 
 from New Brunswick, when he comes out 
 fiat- footed, not only as a free trader 
 that, he has a perfect right to do — but 
 against the principles of confederation; 
 when you hear him make use of hat 
 statement openly and above board to 
 this House and to the country, we can 
 gauge the extent of the affection which 
 that hon. gentleman entertains for 
 what he appears to think so much of 
 the autonomy of this whole Dominion. 
 Mr. speaker, I am very much amused 
 when I see hon. gentlemen affecting 
 this tone of grievous injury when we 
 make use of languacie of this kind 
 Why sir, we, the conservative contin- 
 gent of the right hon. first minister, who 
 reside in the Province of Ontario, have 
 been stigmatised bj hon. gentlemen op- 
 posite, and by the press of their party, 
 ad traitors to the province in which we 
 live. They have not hesitated to brand 
 us as such, and {ftill they affect the tone 
 of grievous injury when we on 
 this side of the House use very 
 moderate language to describe the 
 utterances they employ in speaking of 
 this our native country. Sir, I was very 
 much struck in the references which 
 have been made so far in this debate to 
 
 the so-called exodus from Ontario and 
 i*" is simply because these remarks have 
 been made concerning Onta io that I 
 have risen to address a few remarks to 
 this House, and ask your indulgence for 
 that purpose. At the very outset of this 
 debate, when the ex-finance minister 
 was making his lengthy criticisms upon 
 the speech of the finance minister, 
 he led off in the strain that the popula- 
 tion of Ontario was decreasing in conse- 
 quence of this National Policy, and that 
 seems to be the cue which was taken by 
 almost every hon. gentleman who fol- 
 lowed him, down to the last interesting 
 and highly amusing address to which we 
 have just listened from the hon. gentle- 
 man from New Brunswick (Mr. Gillmor.) 
 Sir, it always appeared to me that the 
 school reports from which the ex-finance 
 minister drew his inferences and obtained 
 his facts, and which he first made use of 
 in Montreal, in the address delivered by 
 him during last summer, must be wrong; 
 and at the time I first read his address 
 I had nothing more than other hon. 
 gentlemen in this House have to guide 
 them. 1 had simply thu evidence of 
 my observation of the locality in which 
 I live. I knew that in my own town, 
 and in the county I have the honor 
 to represent, the population was increas- 
 ing; the value of real estate was increas- 
 ing, and general prosperity reigned. 
 Well, Sir, I do not know but I might 
 challenge hon. gentlemen in this House 
 to get up and state whether or not the 
 population in the constituencies they 
 represent in thi& House is not iucreaaing. 
 I believe, Sir, if I thre*' out this 
 challenge to hon. gentlemen opposite, 
 not a single one, especially from the 
 
 persist 
 the po| 
 vince- 
 cham 
 lire go j 
 tumin 
 their 
 them? 
 if thei 
 Strang 
 the ex 
 memb( 
 of who 
 words, 
 I facts.t 
 Ontari 
 say it 
 truthfi 
 almost 
 
THE LOGIC OF FACTS. 
 
 I 
 
 irio and 
 rks have 
 
 that I 
 tnarkB to 
 ^ence for 
 et of this 
 
 minister 
 Bms upon 
 minister, 
 e popula- 
 
 in conae- 
 , and that 
 a taken by 
 t who fol- 
 nteresting 
 > which we 
 m. gentle - 
 . Gillmor.) 
 ae that the 
 
 1 ex-finance 
 td obtained 
 lade use of 
 elivered by 
 it be wrong; 
 his address 
 other hon. 
 tve to guide 
 evidence of 
 ity in which 
 
 own town, 
 
 } the honor 
 
 was increas- 
 
 was increas- 
 
 ty reipned. 
 
 but I might 
 
 n this House 
 
 r or not the 
 
 uenoies they 
 
 ot increasing. 
 
 P'v out this 
 
 len opposite, 
 
 ftlly from the 
 
 provit:ce of Oataiio, would dare to get 
 up and state that the population in the 
 county he represents was decreasing. 
 Sow, Mr. speaker, if those statements 
 are wrong, if the facts so carefully 
 compiled by the hon. member for Card- 
 well (Mr. White) are true — and I 
 believe they are, because they are borne 
 out by the evidence of our senses, it not 
 by the census to which hon. gentlemen 
 object — if these are true, who are the 
 traitors to Ontario. Are they the men 
 who, following the leadership of the 
 First Minister and our common leaders, 
 are endeavouring to work out the legis 
 lation of this country in the lines and 
 upon theprinciples laid down by the fathers 
 of the confederation; or are they those 
 who, if they studied the facts carefully, 
 must know they are wrong — yet will 
 persist in publishing to the world that 
 the population of this their native pro- 
 vince — of which they pose as the special 
 champions — is decr&ftsing, tha our sons 
 are going to a foreign country and are 
 turning their backs on the homes of 
 their fathers and the flag that sheltered 
 them? Who are the traitors to Ontario, 
 if these facts are wrong? Now, it is a 
 strange commentary on tiie language of 
 the ex- Finance Minister, and of the h(m. 
 member for Bothwell (Mr. Mills), both 
 of whom stated, almost in the same 
 words, that in their belief, taking the 
 facts.they alluded to, the populatioh of 
 Ontario was continuously decreasing — I 
 say it is a strange commentary on the 
 truthfulness of that statement that, 
 almost at the very time the ex-finanoe 
 minister was making use of^that remark 
 there were procoedings going on in the 
 
 Legislature of Ontario, having in view 
 
 the idea of coming to this House for an 
 increase in the subsidies granted to the 
 Province under the British North Ameri- 
 ca Act. During the course of the debase 
 on that question the provincial treasurer, 
 in discussing the subject, made use of 
 the following remarks, as reported in the 
 Olobe of 4th March: — 
 
 "The increased population haa brought 
 to us an increased expenditure, but to 
 the Dominion government onl^ increas- 
 ed revenue. 80 I say that if we are 
 forced to look for i new basis on which 
 the subsidy is gianted, let it be on the 
 basis of population, and give us an in- 
 creased subsidy, say ev<)ry ten years." 
 
 Now, Mr. speaker, who is right, the ex- 
 minister of financd or the present treas- 
 urer of Ontano? But that is not all. 
 Another member of the same govern - 
 raent said: 
 
 ''So, as Ontario grew in population, 
 and the expenditure increased, it was 
 seen that more money was required to 
 carry on the affairs of the province. " 
 
 in other words, we find the present 
 opposition in this House, for the sake of 
 making some capital against this gov- 
 ernment, crying out, to the in j 'try of 
 our province, that its population is de- 
 creasing, that our sons are leaving our 
 shores, while for the same reason of 
 gaining a little party advantage or per- 
 haps annoying this government, in an- 
 other parlument the provincial treas- 
 urer says just the reverse. For die 
 purpose of making party capital they 
 are willing to ride two horses at the 
 same time, and to take any position, 
 however, contrary it may be to the i&cta. 
 I am aware, sir, that it is a very bold 
 thing in any man to say anything agaipst 
 the Mowat government] I am aware that 
 one of the members of Mr. Mowat's 
 
 ! 
 
 1 
 
 -!.-•( 
 
 S5" 
 
 'I 
 
d 
 
 THfi NATIONAL POLICY. 
 
 cabinet must be more nearly right, ac- Sir Charle* Tapper in this House two or 
 cording to the views entertained by hon three sessions ago on this subject. The 
 gentlemen opposite, than the ex-minis- ijdea was new to my mind, and thouKh 
 
 
 ter of finnnoe; therefore, I conclude that 
 the provincial treasurer ft right, and 
 the population of Ontario is increasing; 
 and, as an additional fact in support of 
 that, I would allude to the evidence 
 furnished by the report of the bureau of 
 industries in Ontario, which is most 
 damaging tn their utterances on this 
 subject. I would ret^uest hon. gentle- 
 men to look to the information supplied 
 by that report, as to the population in 
 their own counties, before they under 
 take to publish to the world that the 
 population of the provmce is decreasing 
 to such an alarming extent. I would 
 specially suggest to the hon. member for 
 North Norfolk (Mr. Charlton) to look 
 into that report, by which he will find 
 that, under the operation of the national 
 policy there has been a very large mea- 
 sure of prosperity in the county of 
 Norfolk. Of course, it is a fact that we 
 cannot expect him to admit in this 
 House; but we can expect these hon. 
 gentlemen not to state what investiga- 
 tion on their part would prove to be un- 
 true. 
 
 Now, there is another question to 
 which I wish to allude. I am aware 
 that when any resident of the Province 
 of Ontario declares that in this country 
 the consumer does not pay the import 
 duty charged upon coal he is sneered at 
 by the friends of the hon. gentlemen 
 opposite; but, sir, I am one of those who 
 believe that the consumer in Ontario 
 does not pay the duty on coal, »nd I will 
 
 tell you why. I listened with a great 
 deal of attention to the argument used by 
 
 not altoge!' converted then to the fact, 
 I believe to-day that the consumer in the 
 Province of Ontario does not pay the 
 duty on coal. In support of thin, I wish 
 to refer to what occurred during last 
 summer in the city of Philadelphia. 
 The inhabitants of that city complained 
 that though they were on the brink of 
 the mining district, they had to pay 05 
 cents a ton more for their coal than the 
 people of Boston, hundreds of miles 
 away, and quite as much as the inhabi* 
 tants of Canada, whose coal was subject 
 to heavy freight charges, and to a duty 
 of 50 centa a ton. In Philadelphia tl.e 
 coal companies have no competition and 
 they charge as they please, while in Bos- 
 ton and other eastern cities they are 
 compelled to keep their prices low, to 
 meet the English coal and that from 
 Nova Scotia. It thus happens that not- 
 withstanding the aistance of 800 miles, 
 which is against us as compared with 
 Philadelphia, and in spite of the duty, we 
 secure our coal at as low a figure as do 
 the Philadelphians, whose nearness to 
 the mines should be a point in their 
 favor. Now, sir, in the month of June 
 last a committee of the Philadelphia 
 city council was appointed to investi- 
 gate the charges of discrimination of 
 rates made against coal and ooal carry - 
 incr companies by one of the 
 city papers. The enquiry is of 
 interest to the ^Canadians, chiefly 
 because it elicited evidence sustaining 
 the view I have expressed. President 
 Roberts, of the Pennsylvania railway^ 
 
 t i 
 
THE LOGIC OP FACTS. 
 
 '^*i 
 
 80 two or 
 ject. The 
 1 thouKh 
 ) the fact, 
 ner in the 
 t pay the 
 lu, I wish 
 urinf? last 
 ijadelphia. 
 oiuplained 
 e brink of 
 
 to pay 65 
 Bil than the 
 I of miles 
 the inhabi' 
 ffoa subject 
 I to a duty 
 lelphia tl.e 
 )etition and 
 hile in Boa- 
 as they are 
 ices low, to 
 
 that from 
 ns that not- 
 f 800 miles, 
 ipared with 
 the duty, we 
 
 g^ure as do 
 
 nearness to 
 )int in their 
 nth of June 
 Philadelphia 
 d to investi- 
 'imination of 
 
 coal carry - 
 of the 
 juiry is of 
 
 lans, chiefly i 
 ice sustaining 
 d. President 
 
 ania rail way J 
 
 in a letter dated !20th June, to the com- 
 mittee uf investigation, says: 
 
 *'The rates that are now oharped by 
 
 our company for carrying soft coul are 
 
 • made for the purpose of meeting the 
 
 competition of the various markets in 
 
 which coal is introduced. " 
 
 And he defends this discrimination by 
 saying: 
 
 "* "Penrsylvania does not suffer by it, 
 but on the contrary is benefitted by it, 
 because without it coal would bo no 
 cheaper to local consumers, while with 
 it a large force of coal minirs and other 
 operatives are added to the wealth pro- 
 ducers of the State." 
 
 Mr. James E. Gowan, one of the man 
 agers of the Reading Co. , also wrote to 
 the committee, and this is what he 
 says: 
 
 "It has been customary, for the past 
 thirty or forty years, to allow drawbacks 
 on coal bought for exportation. I can- 
 not say to v;hat extent the custom pre- 
 vails now, but I can say that only for it 
 Pennsylvania coal would not have been 
 introduced at all into maiiy places where 
 it now is. The price of coal is regulated 
 by competition, and we have to do busi- 
 ness like other people; no man is in 
 business who does not do the best be 
 can for himself, and companies exist to 
 make money." 
 
 Now, one of the strongest arguments 
 against the national policy made use of 
 by the free traders in the province of 
 Ontario, is that the poor man has to pay 
 50 cents a ton on the coal he uses, and 
 as coal is one of the necessaries of life, 
 tha* is to the workingmen of this coun- 
 try a very strong argument against the 
 national policy. Kut it is a fact in proof 
 of what 1 have read, thai in towns along 
 the river St. Lawrence, which are sep- 
 arated from the United States only by 
 
 the river, the people pay no more for 
 their coal than do the people of the 
 towns in the State of New York, on the 
 other side of the river. Last Saturday 
 coal was 96 a ton in the city of Ogdens- 
 burg, and the same price in Frescott, 
 just across the river. I mention this to 
 show that in these matters, which are 
 constantly alluded to by hon. gentlemen 
 opposite, the facts do not bear them 
 out; and I bring forward this evidence 
 with pleasure, as it is in strict confirma- 
 tion of the very elaborate argument made 
 use of by Sir Charles Tuppor in this 
 House. 
 
 Now, there is another matter about 
 which hon. gentlemen opposite have 
 made a good deal of capital. They 
 pose now as the friends of the working 
 men. Well, sir, it did occur to me 
 that whatever might be the assumption 
 of hon. gentlemen opposite as to the 
 stand they have taken wich reference to 
 any particular class, they could hardly 
 have the "cheek," if I may use the ex- 
 pression, to stand up here as the friends 
 of the workingman. My opinion is 
 that the workingmen of this country 
 have a very lively recollection of the 
 kind of affection hon. gentlemen op- 
 posite entertained for them in days 
 gone by. It is within the recollection of 
 every one in this House that the work- 
 ing classes, between the years 1873 and 
 1878, were in a state approaching 
 poverty. It is a fact that they were 
 crying aloud for assistance from th«* 
 government. It is a fact that the jus- 
 suciations of workingmen throughout 
 the country were pointing out, as did 
 the manufacturers aad agriculturists and 
 the representatives of all the industrial 
 
10 
 
 THE NATIONAL POLICY. 
 
 n 
 
 I 
 
 classes, the remedies which th<)y requir 
 ed. But that Koremment turned s, deaf 
 ear to everything they said, and very 
 arrogantly gave them to understand 
 that they knew not whereof ihey were 
 speaking. Now hqn. gentlemen op- 
 posite say ; You told us you were ^oing 
 to restore this country to p- perity 
 You toH us that your leaa«.r would 
 exercise his magical wand, of which the 
 people at that time knew nothinff, if 
 they would only restore him and his 
 friends to power. Have you done it? 
 Have you been able to ctraighten out 
 this difficulty unde^^ which this or the 
 other industry is lauoring and r^»8tore 
 prosperity to it? There can be nothing 
 more absurd than this. During the per 
 iod of depression previous to ISfS, it 
 was not the representauve men of the 
 conijcrvative party who alone were mak- 
 ing these statements. They were bat 
 giving voice to what emanated from the 
 people. But at the present time 
 there are no representations of that 
 kind coming to the government. 
 This is a distinction which I wish to 
 point out to hon. gentlemen ooposite. 
 From every place in which there was a" 
 industry of any kind previous to 1878, 
 there came down to the city of Ottawa, 
 to the finance mifiister of the day, 
 deputations and petitioiis, representing 
 the particular grievances of which they 
 complained and telling them all they 
 wanted was simply the opportunity of 
 laying before him their casej^but in no 
 single instance did he accede to their 
 wishes. It was in that state of things, 
 upon that case, that ^^he present fiir^t 
 minister took the position that these 
 people should be heard. We were then 
 
 imply giving voice to the wail thati 
 
 came up from the people all over the 
 country, and the «ympathy the first 
 minister t.ntertained for them found 
 practical expression in that now histari- 
 cal resolution, known as the National 
 Policy. And the National Policy which 
 he gave to the people is just as popular 
 in Canada, just as strong in the hearts 
 of the people to-day, as it was in 1878. 
 It is t'ae merest folly of hon. gentlemen 
 opposite to compare the position of 
 partibo to-day with the position of 
 ();arties then; to pretend to co'-apare the 
 present state of th^ country with the 
 state of the country in 1878. What 
 «re tell them ip this: Before you can 
 charge us with inconsistency, before you 
 can say, bring prosperity to this industry 
 ur to that, you must prove that the pro- 
 prietors and the working classes inter- 
 ested in these industries, that all the 
 inechanical, all the industrial classes of 
 the Dominion, are crying aloud for help, 
 as they did then; but you Cttnnoi prove 
 that, because no such proof exists. The 
 people of Canada to-day are enjoying;; a 
 degree of prosperity which is far beyond 
 that of almost any people in the world, 
 (f you compare the condition of our 
 people to-day with the condition of the 
 people of the United States or England, 
 you will find that the National Policy 
 has proved, not only a friend to this 
 country in her days of sunshine but also 
 the best friend she ever had in the time 
 when the clouds appeared upon 
 har commercial horizon. I believe I 
 am but expressirg the opinions 
 entertafned by the majority of Giinada 
 when I say that the ' first thiof; that 
 would weaken the confidence which the 
 
 people now have in the fitct minister 
 would be thA arst iu'^ication on bin part 
 
THE LOGIC CF FACTS. 
 
 11 
 
 of departintr from the prinoiple of the 
 National Policy. I believe we should 
 adhere to this policy until the industries 
 of this oouatrr are strong and firm 
 enough to lay down a bar, when we can 
 do so to our advantaf^e and the advant- 
 age of our people. Reference has been 
 made by previous speakers to the remark 
 made by the hnn. member for Kinfi;'s, 
 N.B., (Mr. Foster), and ! wish to allude 
 to that particularly, because it is in 
 keeping with the subject upon which I 
 am now speaking. It shows how very 
 careless these gentlemen are in making 
 their statements. This hon. gentleman 
 (Mr. Foster), in the very eloquent 
 address he delivered to this House a few 
 da 78 ag'), referred to the prosperity of 
 the country. He was interrupted by 
 some hon. (rentlemen opposite, who 
 referred to the frict that some men of 
 the conservative party, authorized to 
 speak for that party, had declared that 
 under the festering influence of the 
 National Policy hamlets would grow into 
 villages, villages into towns, and towns 
 
 into cities. Well, as fate would have it 
 against these h«m. gentlemen, in their 
 . organ of S.iturday last, the Globe, just 
 as if that organ never paid attention to 
 these gentlemen at all, there appears a 
 leading editorial under the heading of 
 the extension of Ontario. I will only 
 read from this editoral a lev statements, 
 Mfi they will be qnite sufficient to show 
 nofr only the falsity of every thing that 
 hi^8 been said, not only against the 
 industries of the province of Ontario, 
 but aUo the truth of v:\at has been 
 advanced on this side, with reference to 
 
 increase in population and prosperity. 
 The Olohe said : 
 
 "But let us look at the growth and 
 expansion of Ontario in 1872 — the first 
 year of liberal administration — there 
 were 406 townships and 121 village,town 
 and city municipalities in the provmce. 
 In 1884 these numbers increased to 451 
 townships and 205 tillage, town and city 
 municipalities. In 1872 the total popu- 
 lation, according to the municipal 
 census was 1,425,000; in 1884 it was 
 1,752,000. In 1872 the rural population 
 was 1,050,000, and the urban 375,000; 
 in 1884 the rural was 1,117,000 and the 
 urban, 635,000. With such growth, 
 what man in the possession of the five 
 senses, will affirm that public expendi- 
 ture should have remained a fixed 
 quantity ? It is not simply that some )i 
 the older counties have been making 
 progress —that new townships have been 
 organised, that hamlets have grown into 
 villages, villages into towns, and towns 
 into cities." , , 
 
 The hon. gentleman for King's, N.B.^- 
 has hi3 revenge. We all remember how 
 he was taunted by hon. gentlomen 
 across the flo(jr, that such a thing would 
 never bo; that it was simply absurd; 
 that it was a prophecy that would never 
 be fulfilled. Speaking of prophecies, 1 
 wonder if any of the prophecies hon. 
 gentlemen opposite made, prior to and 
 immediately after 1878, have been ful- 
 filled. I wonder if these hon. gentlemen 
 ever find that their prophecies at that 
 timehave proved mostmiserable failures. 
 After the adoption of this \. licy we all 
 reoiember we were told that the grind- 
 ing monopolies which were created 
 under thjs tariff wuuld be most oppres- 
 sive. Well, Sir, it is most remarkable, 
 that during the session of this parlia- 
 ment we find those hon. gentlemen 
 assuming the ro^e of sympathisers with 
 
 I 
 
 * ■ 
 
1 „.. 
 
 12 
 
 THE NATIONAL POLICY. 
 
 lis 
 
 have not paid, and that these capitalists, 
 these bloated nvonopolists, are now the 
 objects of their special attention. In 
 one breath it is the poor man; in the 
 other it is the bloated monopolist. Why, 
 do not these gentlemen know that the 
 result of all this capital being put into 
 these industries, which if you will, has 
 in some instances and to some extent 
 failed, is that the commodities pro- 
 duced by tl.ese factories have become 
 cheaper, and that the poor man has been 
 benefitted by that. In no sense have 
 the working classes been injured by the 
 National Policy, viewed from any light 
 in which you choose to view it. I wish 
 si-'nply to make a reference to another 
 matter, in rei^ard to which a good deal 
 has been said. I have here a short table, 
 giving a comparison of the taxation in 
 the sixteen years of our confederated 
 life, and a corresponding period in the 
 life of the United States : 
 
 PUBLIC DEBT— COMPARATIVE TAXATION 
 
 CUSTOMS, STAMPS, KXOISK. 
 
 Year. Canada Unit^ Stat<>S. 
 
 these capitalists. We find there is nojTaking the population at the middle- 
 stronger position that they have taken! period we have for the United States a 
 this year, than the charge against the [population of 45,000,000, and for 
 government, that they, bv their intro- Canada 3,900,000. This gives the 
 duction of this policy, have induced [average amount of taxation per head for 
 nen to put capital into concerrs that the sixteen years at $110 for the people 
 
 of the United States, $77 per head 
 during the period of sixteen years for 
 Canada. If we had been subject during 
 this period to the same taxation as thx°> 
 people of the United States we would 
 have paid into the treasury the sum of 
 $430,000,000 instead of $300,000,000. 
 I have not included the State taxation. 
 There is one thing in the remarks of 
 hon. gentlemen opposite which must - 
 have appeared strange to those on this- 
 side of the House, that from the very 
 opinmencement of their criticisms upon 
 the statement of the finance minister, 
 up to the present moment they have 
 not ventured to state, in any one par- 
 ticular, where they would alter this 
 policy if they were so fortunate as to secure^ 
 the treasury benches. They dare not- 
 do it, because, because when you go out 
 into the consutuoncies and find hon.. 
 gentlemen seeking the suffrages of the 
 people you do nor find them coming out 
 as flat-footed against the National Policy 
 there as they do in thid House. My 
 experience m the election of 1882 was- 
 that, in canvassing, they would get hold 
 of a voter, one of their own men, and 
 the canvassed would be told ; I am in 
 favor of this National Policy; and theni 
 the gentleman who was canvassing would 
 say : Come here and let us have a, t^lk;. 
 I am in favor of that, too; but if our 
 friends get into power they are not 
 going to change that. " That is what I 
 
 had to meet in my constituency, among; 
 other forcible arguments used to^defeat 
 
 1868 311,700,081 
 
 1869 11,125,573 
 
 1870 18,087,882 
 
 1871 16,320,368 
 
 1872 17.715,562 
 
 1873.,,,,,,... .,;,^.,.,,i, 17,616,554 
 
 1874 .... . . ■;. . . il*. . { VV. aOil28.186 
 
 1876 20,664,878 
 
 1876 18.614,415 
 
 1877 , 17,697,924 
 
 1878 17,841,038 
 
 1879 18,476,613 
 
 1880 13.479,576 
 
 1881 23,942,138 
 
 1882 27,649,046 
 
 1883 29,269,698 
 
 0351,713,348 
 336,596,828 
 376,749.842 
 346,457.849 
 844,390,052 
 290,004,479 
 268,167,082 
 265.100,137 
 262,415,690 
 247,428,527 
 239.102,888 
 246,318,908 
 307,324,268 
 829,571,346 
 863,132,299 
 365,796,216 
 
 Total! «300,219,021 «4,9S4,259,69Y 
 
THE LOGIC OF FACTS, 
 
 « 
 
 fUB. . That is the feeling throughout the 
 country. 1 say that these hon. gentle- 
 men in coming out so strongly agairst 
 the National Policy, in declaring that it 
 has been of such great injury to the 
 
 luxuries and lighten the taxes upon the 
 necessarians of life to as large an extent 
 as possible, while, under the present 
 government, he said, the policy was to 
 tax the necessaries at the rate of about 
 
 •country, that it has hung like a blight 50 pev cent, and to let the luxuries go 
 
 over c ur industries and has retarded our 
 prosperity and the growth of our popu- 
 lation, are not representing the men 
 "who sent them here. And, if it be a 
 fact, as has been stated on the other side 
 of the House, that hon. gentlemen on 
 this side are never going to come back 
 for some of the votes they have given, 
 I tell them that they will never succeed 
 in assuming the reins of power in this 
 <!Ountry if they fight out their political 
 battles on the lines they have during 
 this session. 1 would like to draw the 
 attention of hon. gentlemen very briefly 
 to the condition of the agricultural 
 Kslasses. The hon. member for West 
 Elgin (Mr. Casey), who spoke vesterday 
 and to-day, and who assumed to be the 
 special champion of the farmers; who 
 stated that no person could tell him 
 Anything about farming; that what he 
 -did not know about farming was not 
 worth knowing, first built up a case 
 against the government and then 
 knocked it all to pieces. He declarod 
 that there were parties coming to this 
 parliament and that they were deter- 
 mined to have a change of tariff, so far 
 as flour was concerned; and then he 
 went on to show how great a grievance 
 
 this would be, and he made out quite a 
 
 case against the government -for what 
 they have never done. And he made a 
 
 most astounding statement, which was, 
 
 that the policy of the government during 
 
 the Mackenzie regime was to tax the 
 
 free. I never ^>d8 more surprised at 
 anything I have heard from hon. gentle- 
 men opposite than I was at that. Let 
 me call attention to what treatment and 
 what sort of protection the farmers 
 enjuyed undei the Mackenzie regime : 
 
 Canadian Tariff, 1878. American. 
 
 Wheat, free 20 per cent. 
 
 Rye and barlev, free IB cents per bushel. 
 
 Indian corn and oats, free. ... 10 cents per bushel. 
 
 Wheat flour, free 20 per cent. 
 
 K^e flour and cornmeal, free. 
 
 Live animals, 10 per cent. . . . , 20 per cent. 
 
 Then, as to the luxuries — champagne, 
 wine, whiskey, spirits, tobacco, cigars 
 and so on, were all spared heavy duties, 
 high taxation for the necessaries of life 
 being put upon tea, coffee, sugar, 
 quinine, coal oil, books for the blind, 
 bibles when printed seven years, scien- 
 tific books, and all books printed seven 
 years. That is the way luxuries were 
 taxed under hon. gent' amen opposite. 
 The workincDsn of this country, those 
 who, as thewist speaker stated, know 
 how to appreciate a dollar when they 
 earn it by hard toil, will duly appreciate 
 the mode of taxing necessaries and 
 luxuries respectively, by hon. gentle- 
 men opposite, and when they pose as 
 the special friends of the poor working- 
 men and the laboring classe i, I can 
 assure them that they are taking a 
 position which is so manifestly incon- 
 sistent with their previous record, that 
 they will make no political capital out 
 of it notwithstanding their loud utter- 
 ances. Now, I want to give just a few 
 more facts, if the House will bear with 
 
 i 
 
14 
 
 THE NATIONAL POLICY. 
 
 'I 
 
 m I 
 
 me, upon thii question. 1 wish to make 
 a coT^parison as to the purchasing power 
 of money under this tariff^ at the present 
 time, and the purchasing power of 
 money during the time those hon. 
 (gentlemen were in power; because, 
 after all, it is only by comparisons of 
 this nature that we can get at the correct 
 state of the case; it is only by compari- 
 sons like the one the hon. member for 
 Essex (Mr. Wigle) made last -ession, in 
 this House, that the people understand 
 the practical working of the National 
 Policy. It is exactly like the coal 
 argument. Any man knows what he 
 pays and what he used to pay, and 
 knows what they pay on the oth^r side; 
 but he cannot see where he pays that 
 duty. And it is just so here. Now, 
 Sir, as to the purchasing power of farm- 
 ing products, in 1885, as compared with 
 1878. In the latter part of 1878 the 
 average price of wheat m Ontario was 
 84^ cents. Wheat is now quoted at say, 
 78 cents. The farmer in 1878, sold 60 
 bushels of wheat at 84^ cents —receiving 
 therefor $50.70, and he then proceeded 
 to make an outlay on hom^ necessaries 
 with the following result : 
 
 of wheat, at 78 cents per bushel, $46.80, 
 and proceeds to invest it as follows: — 
 
 6 IbB. tMftt 60c, |150 
 
 26 lbs. BUgmr »t 6o 1.26 
 
 Sgitlla. tyrupat OOo LSO 
 
 3c-wt. flour At 92 8.00 
 
 6 lbs. sturch at lOo 0.60 
 
 1 doB. canned ^^oods at 121c l.f 
 
 20yda. factory cotton on 7o 1.40 
 
 20 yds. grey flannel at Sfio. 7 00 
 
 2sixlb. blaokeU at 46o. ft.40 
 
 lOyds. BhlrtinK at 12io.. . . 1.26 
 
 Total .128.00 
 
 6 lbs. tea at 76 cents $3.75 
 
 26 Iba. of sugar at 9cent6. 2.26 
 
 A galls, syrup at |1.00 S.OO 
 
 <8cwt.fIourst|S 9.00 
 
 6 lbs starch at IScts 0.66 
 
 1 dosen canned goods at 26 cto 8.00 
 
 20 yds of factory cotton at 9 eta 1.80 
 
 20 yds. grey flannel at 46 ctj 9.00 
 
 2 six-pound blutkets at 66 ots. poifpound 7.80 
 
 ]0 yds. shirting at 16 cts 1. 50 
 
 Total... 
 
 "if'ff'f 
 
 #*■••••. 
 
 141.76 
 
 Ait 
 
 fter paying his bill he had f8.96 re 
 maining. In 1885 the farmer requires 
 a similar bill of goods, and what is the 
 result? He derives from his 60 bushels 
 
 Leaving a remainder to the good of 
 $18.20, or $9.25 more than during the 
 partial free trade era of Sir Richard Cart- 
 wright's administration of tinancial af- 
 fairs. Mr. speaker, I imagine that when 
 these hon. gentlemen attempt, to talk to 
 the people of the country about what 
 they will do for them — for they have 
 never done anything for them yet — 
 when they can come to the people and 
 attempt, by specious promises to the 
 workingmen, to enlist their sympathy 
 with the party they represent, they will 
 find that the workingmen will not be 
 deluded; they will find that the govern- 
 ment which has done so much for the 
 workingmen in the past, which is doing 
 80 much for them to-day, not only by 
 protecting our industries, so that they 
 can get the same labor in the country 
 they did before, but also by cheapening 
 some of the commodities, which iq the 
 practical result of competition among our 
 industries and of the permanence of our 
 institutions — I say. Sir, that the work- 
 ingmen will be able to appreciate their 
 arguments at their true va^ue. The 
 cheapening of the commodities is the 
 natural result of this National Policy, 
 if it is tried long enough, because 
 naturally in the first years of a protec- 
 tive tariff, when our industries are 
 struggling for an existence, it is possible 
 
THB LOGIC OF FA JTS. 
 
 15 
 
 the purohiser may pay a lictle more 
 than he will afterwards, but the benefit 
 accruing to the people after a few yean 
 will be established In this country, as 
 in all countries, combix^ations and mon- 
 opolies will cure themselves. Since the 
 beginning ol the world there have been 
 very few monopolies that have not cured 
 the'jQselves; and no monopolies can live 
 where the conditions are favorable to 
 competition, such as they are in this 
 country. Now I notice, also, that our 
 opposition friends are endeavoring to 
 make a gco^ deal of capital out of the 
 subject of assisted immigration. That 
 is something which was taken up by the 
 Globe some time ago, and it has been 
 alluded to by the ex-minister of Onance, 
 and by all the lights of the party 
 opposite. It is here that their incon- 
 sistency comes in again, and it is 
 just as manifest as in all the other 
 arguments they have made use of against 
 this policy. You would hardly believe 
 that in the depression between 1873 and 
 1878, when our workingmen found it 
 almost impossible to live; that during 
 all that time they brought thousands of 
 mechanics into this country; that during 
 all that time it never occurred to them 
 that it was a shame to bring immigrants 
 ikito the market, the labor of which was 
 already overcrowded. Yet t^'^y stand 
 up to-day and tell this government that 
 they have been doing wrong. Sir, 
 can see at once that the policy an- 
 nounced by the minister of agricul 
 ture here, a few days ago, in reply to 
 the hon. member for Ottawa, was strictly 
 correct. I believe it is time that certain 
 organizations in the old country, and 
 certain charitable institutions, 
 
 given to understand, in soiAe way, that 
 Canada is now large enough to have a 
 pauper population of its own. I believe 
 it would be better if we were to disorim* 
 inate, even more than we have done, 
 agib. nst that class of immigrants coming 
 to this country. The government have 
 shown every desire to do in 
 
 this matter all that any government can 
 do. We have not only the assurance 
 of the minister of agriculture thab dis- 
 crimination will be made against that 
 class of immigrants coming to this coun- 
 try, and that the attention ofthe govern- 
 ment will be devoted to the introduction 
 of agricultural and farm laborers, but we 
 have something more substantial than 
 that; we have the announcement of the 
 minister of finance, in the interests of 
 the mechanical classes, that prison labor 
 will be prohibited altogether. I say. Sir, 
 in concluding these few remarks, that in 
 every respect the government has done 
 everything that it could do for the work- 
 ing classes, for all the industrial classes 
 and in fact, for all the producing classes 
 of this country. 1 say that no govern 
 ment could have done more than it has 
 done, and as all governments are liable 
 to err, possibly our own government, in 
 some respects, is not infallible. I think 
 the first minister always declared thai: 
 public men were liable to make mistakes, 
 and governments were liable to make 
 mistakes. Buu upon this question of 
 the National Policy it will be to the 
 everlasting credit of the first minister, 
 that froni the day he announced that 
 policy to the people of Canada he has re- 
 mained faithful to this principle; and up 
 to this moment he has shown no sign of 
 departing from it; but, as he stated s' 
 the magnificent gathering in Toronto, a 
 gathering of the young men, the old men^ 
 and the middle aged, who assembled to 
 do him honor, he has nailed that princi- 
 ple to the mast-head of his party, and is 
 willing to stand or fall by it, and in that 
 statement he voiced the sentiments not 
 only of his followers in this country, 
 bu^ in my opinion, of the large majority 
 were' of the people of Canada. 
 
 m