THE GROWTH OF CANADA 279 



the United States that the sole animus of the 

 Canadian procedure was the desire to force 

 concessions to Canadian goods in the tariff. In 

 Canada, on the other hand, it was charged that 

 the agitation across the border was designed to 

 break down the Canadian tariff in the interest 

 of American manufactures. That there was an 

 element of truth in both charges did not ma 

 terially relieve the situation. 



The tension due to this matter lasted till af 

 ter the presidential election of 1888. Only the 

 season of 1886, however, presented incidents 

 of a really serious character. As a consequence 

 of these incidents the American Congress, in its 

 following session, enacted a retaliatory law, au 

 thorizing the President, in case of further ill 

 treatment of the fishermen, to exclude from 

 American waters and ports the vessels and com 

 modities of the Dominion. No action was ever 

 taken, however, under the authority conferred 

 by this act. The lessons of 1886 produced a 

 less militant attitude on the part of both the 

 American fishermen and the Canadian revenue 

 officers. Methods were devised through which 

 the difficulties that arose between them could 

 be and were promptly adjusted. Yet on ac 

 count of the partisan political conditions pre- 



