the canadian dominion-第37章

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rates；　fixed　at　twenty…five　per　cent　ad　valorem　above　the　normal　or　minimum　rates；　were　to　be　enforced　upon　the　goods　of　any　country　which　had　not；　before　March　10；　1910；　satisfied　the　President　that　it　did　not　discriminate　against　the　products　of　the　United　States。　One　by　one　the　various　nations　demonstrated　this　to　President　Taft's　satisfaction　or　with　wry　faces　made　the　readjustments　necessary。　At　last　Canada　alone　remained。　The　United　States　conceded　that　the　preference　to　the　United　Kingdom　did　not　constitute　discrimination；　but　it　insisted　that　it　should　enjoy　the　special　rates　recently　extended　to　France　by　treaty。　In　Canada　this　demand　was　received　with　indignation。　Its　tariff　rates　were　much　lower　than　those　which　the　United　States　imposed；　and　its　purchases　in　that　country　were　twice　as　great　as　its　sales。　The　demand　was　based　on　a　sudden　and　complete　reversal　of　the　traditional　American　interpretation　of　the　most　favored　nation　policy。　The　President　admitted　the　force　of　Canada's　contentions；　but　the　law　left　him　no　option。　Fortunately　it　did　leave　him　free　to　decide　as　to　the　adequacy　of　any　concessions；　and　thus　agreement　was　made　possible　at　the　eleventh　hour。　At　the　President's　suggestion　a　conference　at　Albany　was　arranged；　and　on　the　30th　of　March　a　bargain　was　struck。　Canada　conceded　to　the　United　States　its　intermediate　tariff　rates　on　thirteen　minor　scheduleschinaware；　nuts；　prunes；　and　whatnot。　These　were　accepted　as　equivalent　to　the　special　terms　given　France；　and　Canada　was　certified　as　being　entitled　to　minimum　rates。　The　United　States　had　saved　its　face。　Then　to　complete　the　comedy；　Canada　immediately　granted　the　same　concessions　to　all　other　countries；　that　is；　made　the　new　rates　part　of　the　general　tariff。　The　United　States　ended　where　it　began；　in　receipt　of　no　special　concessions。　The　motions　required　had　been　gone　through；　phantom　reductions　had　been　made　to　meet　a　phantom　discrimination。

This　was　only　the　beginning　of　attempts　at　accommodation。　The　threat　of　tariff　war　had　called　forth　in　the　United　States　loud　protests　against　any　such　reversion　to　economic　barbarism。　President　Taft　realized　that　he　had　antagonized　the　growing　low…tariff　sentiment　of　the　country　by　his　support　of　the　Payne…Aldrich　tariff　and　was　eager　to　set　himself　right。　A　week　before　the　March　negotiations　were　concluded；　a　Democratic　candidate　had　carried　a　strongly　Republican　congressional　district　in　Massachusetts　on　a　platform　of　reciprocity　with　Canada。　The　President；　therefore；　proposed　a　bold　stroke。　He　made　a　sweeping　offer　of　better　trade　relations。　Negotiations　were　begun　at　Ottawa　and　concluded　in　Washington。　In　January；　1911；　announcement　was　made　that　a　broad　agreement　had　been　effected。　Grain；　fruit；　and　vegetables；　dairy　and　most　farm　products；　fish；　hewn　timber　and　sawn　lumber；　and　several　minerals　were　put　on　the　free　list。　A　few　manufactures　were　also　made　free；　and　the　duties　on　meats；　flour；　coal；　agricultural　implements；　and　other　products　were　substantially　reduced。　The　compact　was　to　be　carried　out；　not　by　treaty；　but　by　concurrent　legislation。　Canada　was　to　extend　the　same　terms　to　the　most　favored　nations　by　treaty；　and　to　all　parts　of　the　British　Empire　by　policy。

For　fifty　years　the　administrations　of　the　two　countries　had　never　been　so　nearly　at　one。　More　difficulty　was　met　with　in　the　legislatures。　In　Congress；　farmers　and　fishermen；　standpat　Republicans　and　Progressives　hostile　to　the　Administration；　waged　war　against　the　bargain。　It　was　only　in　a　special　session；　and　with　the　aid　of　Democratic　votes　and　a　Washington　July　sun；　that　the　opposition　was　overcome。　In　the　Canadian　Parliament；　after　some　initial　hesitation；　the　Conservatives　attacked　the　proposal。　The　Government　had　a　safe　majority；　but　the　Opposition　resorted　to　obstruction；　and　late　in　July；　Parliament　was　suddenly　dissolved　and　the　Government　appealed　to　the　country。

When　the　bargain　was　first　concluded；　the　Canadian　Government　had　imagined　it　would　meet　little　opposition；　for　it　was　precisely　the　type　of　agreement　that　Government　after　Government；　Conservative　as　well　as　Liberal；　had　sought　in　vain　for　over　forty　years。　For　a　day　or　two　that　expectation　was　justified。　Then　the　forces　of　opposition　rallied；　timid　questioning　gave　way　to　violent　denunciation；　and　at　last　agreement　and　Government　alike　were　swept　away　in　a　flood　of　popular　antagonism。

One　reason　for　this　result　was　that　the　verdict　was　given　in　a　general　election；　not　in　a　referendum。　The　fate　of　the　Government　was　involved；　its　general　record　was　brought　up　for　review；　party　ambitions　and　passions　were　stirred　to　the　utmost。　Fifteen　years；　of　office…holding　had　meant　the　accumulation　of　many　scandals；　a　slackening　in　administrative　efficiency；　and　the　cooling　by　official　compromise　of　the　ardent　faith　of　the　Liberalism　of　the　earlier　day。　The　Government　had　failed　to　bring　in　enough　new　blood。　The　Opposition　fought　with　the　desperation　of　fifteen　years　of　fasting　and　was　better　served　by　its　press。

Of　the　side　issues　introduced　into　the　campaign；　the　most　important　were　the　naval　policy　in　Quebec　and　the　racial　and　religious　issue　in　the　English…speaking　provinces。　The　Government　had　to　face　what　Sir　Wilfrid　Laurier　termed　〃the　unholy　alliance〃　of　Roman　Catholic　Nationalists　under　Bourassa　in　Quebec　and　Protestant　Imperialists　in　Ontario。　In　the　French…speaking　districts　the　Government　was　denounced　for　allowing　Canada　to　be　drawn　into　the　vortex　of　militarism　and　imperialism　and　for　sacrificing　the　interests　of　Roman　Catholic　schools　in　the　West。　On　every　hand　the　naval　policy　was　attacked　as　inevitably　bringing　in　its　train　conscription　to　fight　European　wars　a　contention　hotly　denied　by　the　Liberals。　The　Conservative　campaign　managers　made　a　working　arrangement　with　the　Nationalists　as　to　candidates　and　helped　liberally　in　circulating　Bourassa's　newspaper；　Le　Devoir。　On　the　back　〃concessions〃　of　Ontario　a　quieter　but　no　less　effective　campaign　was　carried　on　against　the　domination　of　Canadian　politics　by　a　French　Roman　Catholic　province　and　a　French　Roman　Catholic　Prime　Minister。　In　vain　the　Liberals　appealed　to　national　unity　or　started　back　fires　in　Ontario　by　insisting　that　a　vote　for　Borden　meant　a　vote　for　Bourassa。　The　Conservative…Nationalist　alliance　cost　the　Government　many　seats　in　Quebec　and　apparently　did　not　frighten　Ontario。

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