[To TAR Erma or TEE "SPzerrros."] SIR,—In this city, where
lived your distinguished corre- spondent Professor Goldwin Smith, and where our equally distinguished Ambassador at Washington has probably often discussed with his friend the great issues of Americanism.-- here in Toronto it has been my privilege to witness the defeat of the professional attitude towards Imperial entity. Men of books often forget sentiment in their estimates or pass it by as a negligible quantity. To-day there are many sufferers from that very "wise wisdom" of the professors. Mr. Taft suffers, and in silence. Sir Wilfrid Laurier suffers with dignity and honour. A host of " thinkers " on both sides the boundary curse the day on which it was proposed to bring reciprocity to the " poor " Canadians. The motive was splendid: the methods were clean and honourable, but the promoters omitted to gauge the depth of "mere feelings" in this growing nation. One of the most distinguished editors here—Mr. Macdonald of the Globe—has been preaching a beautiful "Catholicity" for months in strenuous periods and fine English—a catholicity of trade and sentiment with the Great Republic—with exactly the same motive from which our friends at home preach peace at any price, Home Rule at every price, and an all-round millennium.
But, Sir, there is a deep sentiment here—a feeling of
wonderful power—which stretches out its hands to the East, and not to the South. British capital and British colonists have built on the United Empire loyalists, and the building is firm and strong. Not all the professcrs nor all the political economists can destroy this great structure. As a Free ;Trader, may I appeal to your well-known justice to consider what can now be done to satisfy the craving of Canada for reciprocity only with her own kith and kin ? A great American, discussing this question in private, boldly advised England to grant preference to her daughter nation and to place a tariff (for revenue only) on all outsiders. "This," said he, "would surely bring America into the Anglo. Saxon 'combine '; Germany must follow; and then there is real Free Trade, true complimentary exchange between the great nations." Is it not time to reconsider our somewhat narrow interpretation of "Free Trade " ? While our band. workers demand a greater wage and our cousins in Canada beg our responsive affection, is it not a great opportunity to rise above our preconceived ideas and lift this great question of sentiment and Empire above party politics ? Even Chatham could curse the Hanoverian troops out of office and bless them altogether when George II. had at last given him the Seals! Is it therefore to be expected that party bias and party bitter- ness have no effect on honest eyes? You, Sir, have a non- party position. Can you not draw together in conference the best of English opinions to consider how Free Trade—the real article—can be reached through Imperial Preference 2- Toronto Club, Toronto, Canada.
[We have always held that Imperial considerations are above Free Trade, and therefore heartily acquiesce in the wise policy of those Free Traders who in the past made
no effort to prevent the Colonies, if it was their desire so to do, from establishing Protection, even against the Motherland. 'We cannot believe, however, that the impoverishment of the United Kingdom—the centre and nucleus of the Empire, "the power-house of the line "—can make for Imperialism ; for in our opinion Preference, with its consequent forbidding or hampering of exchanges, must tend to waste and impoverish- ment. Of course if we did not believe that to interfere with freedom of exchanges would be to diminish a nation's economic power and vitality we should be Preferentialists ; but we do believe it-, and so cannot regard Preference as the true Imperialism. Free Trade is the foundation-stone of our Empire as of our Navy. Meantime we are delighted to know that the Imperial impulse, even if, as we think, mis- directed, is so strong in Canada. To hear of her high sense of Imperial duty must warm the heart of every true son of the Empire.—En. Spectator.]
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