THE ISSUES.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1240, 23 September 1911, Page 5

THE ISSUES.

A FIGHT FOR RECIPROCITY. PARTY MANIFESTOES. Both Sir Wilfrid Laurior and Mr. Borden, Leader of tho Opposition, issued addresses to the_ people at tho end of July. The Prime Minister reviewed tho various efforts inado since 1886 to secure Ifccinro--city in natural products with tho United States, and declared that Sir John Macdonald himself in 1891 dissolved Parliament for tho purpose of submitting to tho electors- of Canada tho .expediency of again 'approaching tho American authorities for a ronewal of tho Treaty of 1854. Ho pointed'out that since taking office his own Governmont renewed this offer to tho United States; but, meeting with no response, declared that, • uo further overtures of this nature would bo made by Canada. Ho went on to show that tho present negotiations are tho result of advances from Washington and that tho party sought to reverse tho life-long policy of tho great leaders in tho past, and has even adopted a system of recognised and avowed, obstruction to prevent a vote in Parliament on the trade agreement. He declared' that in these circumstances the Government decided that it was in aecordanco with the dignity of Parliament and tho traditions of British institutions that tho people themselves should decido between the Government and the Opposition, and should be permitted to say whether or not they were still in favour of Reciprocity in natural products and whether they would or would not havo an American market for tho promising crop soon to be gathered in Canada. Mr, Borden's Address. Mr. Borden,- in his address, dealt mainly with the action of the Government in dissolving Parliament without asking for Supplies and in the violation of a direct pledge given by the Chairman of the Committee of Inquiry into the charges against Mr. Oliver, Minister of tlw Interior, that tho committee would sit to hear evidence before tho Prorogation. Tho Conservative party, Mr. Borden declared, welcomed an appeal to tho people on tli-e great issue which has been under discussion in Parliament. Ho continued: "Tho President of tho United States has moro than ,once emphasised tho fact that Canada is at the parting of the ways. These two lead in very divergent directions. Tho choice of tho people will , bo fraught with momentous consequences to tho future destiny of this oountry. It is right and-just that they should speak, because with them rests the ultimate decision. The Government dissolves Parliament without Prorogation, without Supply, and without Redistribution. I urged upon tho Government upon March 8 last that it was their p>.:n duty to hasten taking a census, and to bring in a Redistribution Bill and thus give to every part of the country its proper representation and then submit this question to them. A Parliament elected without any mandate on this question ousjht not to 6peak. They, reversed tho policy of tho past 40 years without giving the peoplo the right to speak. They declined to hasten tho census, they declined to grant Redistribution, and, finally, they have dissolved Parliament at a moment's notice without even asking tho Opposition for the Supplies necessary to carry on tho Public Service until tho next Parliament be enabled to grant the same." ' Nationalist Policy. Tho Frenoh Nationalist party, after hesitating for • months between blessing And cursing, in Juno determined finally to opposo Reciprocity. Mr. Monk, one of tho party leaders, declares that the Americau Democratic party now in a majority in Congress, by its proposed roduction- of the United States tariff, would givo Canada gratis most, if not all, that was bargained under tho Reciprocity Agreement. Mr. Bourassa said that, while ho did not regard Reciprocity as a hanging offence, and was himself in favour of tho principle, ho could not approve of tho mariner in which the negotiations with Mr. Taft had bewi conducted, and would not allow Sir Wilfrid Laurier to uso Reciprocity to hide tho scandal?' of his regime. Mr. Monk, in reference to Imperial and national questions, said:—"We are ready to perform our 'duties as an integral part of the Empiro and to do what is right with foreign nations. But, this being granted, wo hold for tho maintenance of the individuality and freedom of Canada." PARTIES IN THE PAST. RESULTS OF PREVIOUS ELECTIONS. The two chief political parties are known as Conservatives and Liberals. From the ilato of confederation, in ISG7, the Liberals wcro only in power onco till their signal victory in '0(1. Tho lato Sir John Macdonald, tho leader of tho Conservative party, held office from '07 to '01, with tho exception of iivo years, when a Liberal administration under Mr. Mackenzie was in power. When Sir John Macdonald died ho was succeeded by Sir John Abbott, and ho by Sir Jolm Thompson, on whoso death Sir Mackenzie Bowell followed him (December 12, 1893). The Manitoba Schools question and othor questions, states "Hazcll's Annual," shook tho Government's position during IS'Jj and 1890, and after some internal dissentions Sir Charles 'l'upper became Premier on the eve of tho dissolntion of Parliament in April, 189 G. At the general election which followed there were linally elected 118 Liberals, 86 .Conservatives, and 8 Independents, the lattor being on the whole supporters of the Liberals. A wavo of Imperial and loyal feeling at tho' time of tho Jubilee la ISO 7 tad m am pX its

results tho institution of a preferential tariff in favour of tho Mother Country, which ultimately gave British goods an advantage of 331 pw cent, over other imports. The result of tho general election in 1000 was the return of the Liberals to power with an increased majority. When the 1901 general election came on, Sir Wilfrid Laurier's Government obtained a majority of 52 in a House of 214. Tho Laurier Government was returned again in October 1908, with a majority of 48, tho | figures being: Liberals, 131; Conservatives, j 86. THE RIVAL LEADERS. FIFTEEN YEARS OF POWER. SIR WILFRID LAURIER'S PREMIERSHIP. Sir Wilfrid Laurier has had fifteen vears in power as Primo Minister of Canada. He was born at St. Lin, Quebec, and on November 20. will celebrate his soventy-first birthday. An able lawyer, he rose rapidly in his profession, and, in 1871, entered politics as a member of the Quebec Provincial Assembly. Three years later, he was elected to the Dominion Parliament, in which he has since sat continuouslj-. Sir W. Laurier became leader of the f Liberty party in 1891. When the Conservative Premier brought, forward proposals for a reciprocal treaty with the United States, with certain 1 restrictions, Sir IV. Laurier advocated unresiiicted reciprocity- At the general elections of 1596, his platform included, fiscal reform in the direction of Free-trade, extension of the franchise, enlargement of the trade of Canada, and a policy of non-interfer-ence with inter-provincial politics, especially with regard to Manitoba. The elections resulted in a decisive victory for the Liberal party, which obtained 118 seats,, as against 88 for-the Conservatives and 8 for tho Independents, who were practically supporters of the' Liberals. Kir W- Laurier bocarno tho Dominion Premier, and the session of 1897 was noted for its epoch-making financial legislation, a preferential rate in the tariff being given'to imports from the Mother Country. The Diamond Jubilee celebratioM in 1897 excited extraordinary enthusiasm throughout tho Dominion of Canada. Tho Colonial Premiers visited London to participate in the festivities, and on that occasion Sir W. Laurier was appointed a Privy Councillor and created 6.C.M.G. His personality, his facial resemblance to Lord Bcaconsfield and Sir John A. Macdonald, his vigorous patriotic speeches, in which, while acclaiming tho Imperial tie with the Mother Country, ho vindicated Canada's title to bo a "nation," and his striking position as a colonial Liberal statesman who was yet an Imperialist, made. him everywhere a remarkable figure. When tho South African War broko out in 1699, the Laurier Cabinet at once decided to dispatch a contingent of 1000 men to assist tho Imnorial Government. In March, 1900, the' Canadian Assembly, following upon an eloquent speech by Sir Wilfred Laurier, approved the action of the Government. Tho Canadian general elections of 1900 resulted in a largclyM'ncreased majority for Sir W. Laurier's Government, and in 11 he again came back with a solid majority. THE NEXT PRIME MINISTER. ' MR. BORDEN'S CAREER, Mr. Robert Laird Borden, Leader of tho Canadian Opposition, who will now presumably be called upon to form a -new Canadian Ministry, succeeded Sir Charles Tupper as leader of the Conservative partv in Canada in 1901. The conditions at tne time were peculiarly inhospitable. In Quebec he had to challenge the immense personal ascendancy of Sir Wilfrid Laurier. In the Western Provinces, in Ontario, where lay the chicf strength of tho party, and even in New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, he was comparatively unknown. He succeeded Sir Charles Tupper, who for a quarter of a contury stood at tho side of Sir John Macdonald, whoso name is written deeply in the history of tho Commonwealth. Of English stock, Mr. Borden was born in Nova Scotia in 1854, and therefore was 42 years of ago when he entered Parliament in 1896 as ono of tho members for Halifax. In youth his affiliations were with tho Liberal party; but when he came to the actual consideration of public questions ho seems to havo discarded his inherited opinions, or at least his inherited associations. In Mr. Bordens'. speeches and in his general attitude towards public; affairs, however, thero is much M the temper and outlook of early Canadian Liberalism. During tho last Parliament, Mr. Borden dovoted himself .chiefly' to criticism of Departmental methods and to the movements for Civil Service reform, for free rural mail delivery, and for reorganisation of the Federal Railway Commission. Ho declares for tho abolition of tho whole patronage system, and would place tho Government railways under an independent 'commission. Mr. Borden, like the great bulk of the members of his party, is a determined opponent of the Reciprocity Agreement. CORRUPTION. THE OPPOSITION CHARGES, LONG-STANDING COMPLAINTS. There havo been many heated charges of corruption levelled against the Canadian Liberal party during the election campaign. Mr. Oliver, Minister for the Interior, who has been tho target of the repeated charges, and. whose candidature was not ondorsed by the branch of tho Liberal party in his electorate, has curiously enough survived the deluge. In viow of the charges that have been brought forward,' it is interesting to recall what a correspondent of "The Times" said of the situation prior to tho elections in 1908:—"To many in Canada, both British and Canadian born, theso elections mean a great deal more than the mere choice between tho two parties; they indicate the settlement, at least for another four years, and probably for considerably longer, of tho question whether Canadian politics arc to sink to the worst depths of Tammany Hall methods, or to rise to a level where .either party will be compelled in self-defence to dismiss from its ranks members who have become notorious for 'graft' and 'boodling.' ' In the present election campaign tho Conservative party has no great constructive programme, and certainly has not tho number of men of shining ability in its ranks that the Liberals have; at tho same time, if Canada is to have an Administration even moderately free from bribery, corruption, and the worst forms of machine politics, it is imperative that, tho present Liberal Government should be swept from power, or at least that tl'jfcir majority in tho Houso should bo so materially reduced as to compel them to take serions warning and to proceed to purge their ranks of tho most glaring offenders of tho past few years. . . . "On tho hustings tho Libera! speakers denounce theso charges in general terms as boiing baseless, but in private conversation they tacitly admit their truth, while condoning them on tho ground that tho crtlicr party would bo just as bad, if they had the chance, and, further, that in a young country liko Canada one cannot expect to obtain tho sorvicos of really able men in politics unless ono is content to allow such men to make handsome fortunes for themselves while in the service of tho country. llndoubtodly there aro many in tho Conservative ranks who aro only anxious to oust their rivals in order that they inay themselves tako odvnntnpo of the opportunities offered by tho holding of siffico, DAd undoubtedly also thoro

is great difficulty in Canada in persuading tho most able, and withal honest, meii to step into public life, and for theso reasons it is by no means certain that tho doctors on the 26th wiJl fjjvo their duo reward to tho various authors of tho incent scandals; but if tho present Administration is sustained by anything liko its majority in the lato House, such an event can lie accepted by them as an open invitation to continue past evils, and by their opponents as instructions to await patiently their opportunity to tako their share of tho plunder.-" QUEBEC NATIONALISTS. FRENCH CANADIANS AND THE EMPIRE. THE PREMIER REPLIES TO THEM. Queboc, which has now gone over to tho French Nationalists, is the homo province of Sir Wilfrid Laurier, and has long been solidly Liberal. ilr. Baurassa, the Nationalist leader, has been making bitter attacks on the Prime Minister, and, in the columns of "La Devoir," the principal .Nationalist organ, Sir Wilfrid Laurier has been presented from day to day as a traitor to his race and province. Ho has been pilloried as engaged in a Jingo movement to enslave the compatriots, to destroy Canadian autonomy, to sacrifice the honour and integrity of Canada to tho scbemos of British Imperialists. For tho time (wroto the "Times correspondent recently), tile Conservative party in Quebec has disappeared. Tho whole French Conservative contingent in Parliament lias joined the Nationalists. There may be (i solid body of French Conservatives loyal to Mr. Borden, but they are inactive and inarticulate. It is a contest between Laurier and Bourassa for control of the French province. This was apparent in tho speech delivered not long ago by the Primo Minister at Montreal. Although he attacked the Conservative party in characteristic fashion, much of the sps£ch was devoted to the charges of the Nationalists.

His chicf object was to prove that he had not surrendered to Imperial persuasion or coercion. Ho pointed out chat in 1902 ho' had resisted and defeated the proposal that the colonies, or "the Powers" as ho now calls them, should equip and maintain a reserve force of tho army to bo held at the disposition of tho War Office, and also the proposal that "tho Powers" should make an animal cash contribution towards the maintenance of an Imperial fleet. "The Canadian Ministers/'' he said, "opposed this demand of the Imperial Government in a categorical refusal, a refusal respectful in form but absoluto in meaning. Ho insisted that again in 1907 as in 1902 he had been loyal to the principle of local autonomy. Ee had opposed tho resolution of Dr. Smartt, of Cape Colony, with all his strength because it recognised an obligation to contribute to naval defence. Because of his opposition tho proposal was abandoned. In justification of tho naval programme he argued that it was tho duty of every Government with maritime territory to organise a naval defence. It did not follow, however, as tho Nationalists contended, that because Canada was exposed to attack through her connexion with Great Britain she would tako part in aff the wars of the Empire. Necessarily Canada would act if sho herself were attacked, but under tho policy of tho Government tho nooplo and Parliament would decide in which wars the country should engage. A LAND OF MANY RACES, CANADA AND HER PEOPLE. Have the British people any adequate comprehension of tho immense problem of assimilation which confronts Canada? This is not (says a Canadian correspondent of'"The Times"),peculiarly a British country. It is not even a bi-lingual country as is the new South African Confederation. It is a country of many races, with English and French as the dominant elements. In the whole Confederation there aro nearly 2,000,000 Ironch-speaking people. Of these 1,350,000 are in Quebec, where French is the language of the masses of the population, and where tho racial solidity is as compact as it was ;fifty . or. a hundred years ago. In Ontario there are 230,000 French-Canadians. In Nova Scotia there aro 50,000 French. There aro 80,000/ in New Brunswick, 20,000 in Manitoba, and 10,000 in Alberta and Saskatchewan. The country is divided into 221 electoral divisions, and in S9 of theso the French elcotors are numerous and influential. Americans in the West. Beyond Ontario and Quebec and tho Atlantic provinces there is the great West with new conditions and new problems. During the last ten years 1,250,000 immigrants have entered Canada. The mass of these have settled in the Western prairie provinces. It is' estimated that there are now nearly-600,000 Americans in Canada. Over 250.000 of those have come in during the lost five years. Many of these are German or Scandinavian, but they are not British. They can have no inherited love for British institutions. They can havo no natural loyalty to a flag wllich flies over-soa and which is the symbol of a monarchy. Tho Canadian West is not to be divided between French and Euglish or oven occupied by the overflow from the United States. All the nations of Europe claim part and lot in this inheritance. It is estimated that there are now 40.000 Ruthenians in Manitoba, 50,000 in Saskatchewan, and 30,000 in Alberta. In tho West thero aro 10,000 or 12,000 Poles, 10,000 Hungarians, 25,000 Swedes, 15,000 Norwegians, 10,000 Finns, and 5000 Danes. Thero aro Meiunonitos, Doukhobors, Mormons, and fragmentary representations of various other groups and sects. Since 1900 50,000 Italians, 40,000 Jews, and 12,000 Japanese have entered Canada, and in tho older provinces there is a considerable- and important German population.

NEW ZEALAND MEMBERS INTERESTED. The news of the defeat of tho Laurier Ministry created great interest in Parliament last evening. The defeat was not expected by somo residents here closely in touch with Canadian affairs as advices received by. last mail from people in official positions in Canada were to tho effect that Laurier would come back to power, though with a reduced majority. Tho chango in Ministries will probably mean tbat Earl Grey, ttio Governor-General, who is just on tho point of returning to England, will have to remain in Canada for some time longer, aB tho Duke of Connaught would not. bo likely to take up his new position until the new Ministry is. installed in office-