PROTECTION A DEADLY ENEMY. 105 



If government has a full treasury, supplied from the 

 precious metals of the mountains of the moon, why not 

 secure to agriculture a never failing margin between 

 effort and result ? There is a prevailing opinion or 

 sentiment that our farmers and their like are only show- 

 ing a commendable and, in fact, necessary patriotism in 

 making no complaints against the conditions or the ap- 

 parent impediments which exist between their efforts and 

 liberal returns ; that it is only the proper patriotism for 

 certain classes to make no complaints of returns which 

 give only the satisfaction of ordinary wants, so long as 

 others are increasing in importance and power ; and if 

 they wish well to their country they should not mind if 

 the rightful opportunities for a high place in the world's 

 progress is withheld from them, so long as their country, 

 by it, becomes independent in variety of industries. 



In the first place, it is a trouble which is not confined to 

 one country only. Any country, however, is badly off 

 without a goodly number of patriotic citizens, but we 

 do not require patriotism from certain classes only. 

 We should not demand sacrifices from the great in- 

 dustrious, frugal, producing multitudes, and relieve those 

 who control capital and the national purse-strings. 



Capital is permitted to gain whatever it may require 

 as agents in production, relieved from artificial impedi- 

 ments in order that its efforts may exceed the minimum. 

 We have an illustration in Canada's annual import of the 

 six and a half million dollars' worth of hides, cottons, and 

 sheep's wool freed from duty. Capital is thus favored, 

 that it may produce with a minimum of effort, at the 

 sacrifice of patriotic treatment toward the farmers against 

 whom these imports compete. Canadian national pride 

 was sacrificed by its government in furnishing the High 



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