the canadian dominion-第30部分

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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　was　drawn　across　the　trail；　and　many　a　farmer　followed　it　to　the　polling　booth。

From　the　outset；　then；　the　opponents　of　reciprocity　concentrated　their　attacks　on　its　political　perils。　They　denounced　the　reciprocity　agreement　as　the　forerunner　of　annexation；　the　deathblow　to　Canadian　nationality　and　British　connection。　They　prophesied　that　the　trade　and　intercourse　built　up　between　the　East　and　the　West　of　Canada　by　years　of　sacrifice　and　striving　would　shrivel　away；　and　that　each　section　of　the　Dominion　would　become　a　mere　appendage　to　the　adjacent　section　of　the　United　States。　Where　the　treasure　was；　there　would　the　heart　be　also。　After　some　years　of　reciprocity；　the　channels　of　Canadian　trade　would　be　so　changed　that　a　sudden　return　to　high　protection　on　the　part　of　the　United　States　would　disrupt　industry　and　a　mere　threat　of　such　a　change　would　lead　to　a　movement　for　complete　union。

This　prophecy　was　strengthened　by　apposite　quotations　showing　the　existing　drift　of　opinion　in　the　United　States。　President　Taft's　reference　to　the　〃light　and　imperceptible　bond　uniting　the　Dominion　with　the　mother　country〃　and　his　〃parting　of　the　ways〃　speech　received　sinister　interpretations。　Speaker　Champ　Clark's　announcement　that　he　was　in　favor　of　the　agreement　because　he　hoped　〃to　see　the　day　when　the　American　flag　will　float　over　every　square　foot　of　the　British　North　American　possessions〃　was　worth　tens　of　thousands　of　votes。　The　anti…reciprocity　press　of　Canada　seized　upon　these　utterances；　magnified　them；　and　sometimes；　it　was　charged；　inspired　or　invented　them。　Every　American　crossroads　politician　who　found　a　useful　peroration　in　a　vision　of　the　Stars　and　Stripes　floating　from　Panama　to　the　North　Pole　was　represented　as　a　statesman　of　national　power　voicing　a　universal　sentiment。　The　action　of　the　Hearst　papers　in　sending　pro…reciprocity　editions　into　the　border　cities　of　Canada　made　many　votesbut　not　for　reciprocity。　The　Canadian　public　proved　that　it　was　unable　to　suffer　fools　gladly。　It　was　vain　to　argue　that　all　men　of　weight　in　the　United　States　had　come　to　understand　and　to　respect　Canada's　independent　ambitions；　that　in　any　event　it　was　not　what　the　United　States　thought　but　what　Canada　thought　that　mattered；　or　that　the　Canadian　farmer　who　sold　a　bushel　of　good　wheat　to　a　United　States　miller　no　more　sold　his　loyalty　with　it　than　a　Kipling　selling　a　volume　of　verse　or　a　Canadian　financier　selling　a　block　of　stock　in　the　same　market。　The　flag　was　waved；　and　the　Canadian　voter；　mindful　of　former　American　slights　and　backed　by　newly　arrived　Englishmen　admirably　organized　by　the　anti…reciprocity　forces；　turned　against　any　〃entangling　alliance。〃　The　prosperity　of　the　country　made　it　safe　to　express　resentment　of　the　slights　of　half　a　century　or　fear　of　this　too　sudden　friendliness。

The　result　of　the　elections；　which　were　held　on　September　21；　1911；　was　the　crushing　defeat　of　the　Liberal　party。　A　Liberal　majority　of　forty…four　in　a　house　of　two　hundred　and　twenty…one　members　was　turned　into　a　Conservative　majority　of　forty…nine。　Eight　cabinet　ministers　went　down　to　defeat。　The　Government　had　a　slight　majority　in　the　Maritime　Provinces　and　Quebec；　and　a　large　majority　in　the　prairie　West；　but　the　overwhelming　victory　of　the　Opposition　in　Ontario；　Manitoba；　and　British　Columbia　turned　the　day。

The　appeal　to　loyalty　revealed　much　that　was　worthy　and　much　that　was　sordid　in　Canadian　life。　It　was　well　that　a　sturdy　national　self…reliance　should　be　developed　and　expressed　in　the　face　of　American　prophets　of　〃manifest　destiny；〃　and　that　men　should　be　ready　to　set　ideals　above　pocket。　It　was　unfortunate　that　in　order　to　demonstrate　a　loyalty　which　might　have　been　taken　for　granted　economic　advantage　was　sacrificed；　and　it　was　disturbing　to　note　the　ease　with　which　big　interests　with　unlimited　funds　for　organizing；　advertising；　and　newspaper　campaigning；　could　pervert　national　sentiment　to　serve　their　own　ends。　Yet　this　was　possibly