CANADIAN ELECTIONS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1218, 29 August 1911, Page 5

CANADIAN ELECTIONS.

BASELESS CRY OP ANNEXATION. By Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright Ottawa, August 27. Mr. Fisher, Canadian Minister for Agriculture, is campaigning in the Quebec province. In a speech, he attacked tho Opposition, declaring that that party waspreaching a doctrine of timidity and cowardice by refusing to accept tho Reciprocity Agreement. He accused Mr. Sifton, an ex-supporter of tho Laurier Government, who recently seceded from the party, of cowardice in raising tho annexation cry. That cry, said Mr. Fisher, was utterly baseless. Sir Wilfrid Laurier had declared that if ho was defeated on tho Reciprocity question his heart would break.

The Opposition members of' Parliament (wrote the "Standard of Empire" on July 13) and especially those representing constitusneies in Eastern Canada, have returned from their pre-election campaigns declaring that the tide of public opinion is steadily rising against the proposed Reciprocity Agreement. Government followers assert with" equal confidence that the country as a whole is strongly in favour of the policy. It will therefore probably bo found that the vote will run along the usual straisht party liucs. The Government have given up all hope of securing the "assage of the Redistribution of Seati Bib before Uie general election. This fact will deprive the Western provinces of about twenty numbers, on tho basis of population increase. The population of the Prairio provinces is increasing nt the rate of about 1000 per day throughout the year.