The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1882-06-21
PORTLAND PUBLISHING CO.,
PORTLAND, ME.
The DOMINION ELECTION.


The election held in the Dominion yester
day was one of the most holly contested III
the brief existence of the young federation.
1t is the fifth general election since the Do
minion came into existence, and has been
fought with all the zeal and acrimony at
tending a fight for the Presidency in "the
States.' 1t will be remembered that the first
government after confederation, in 1867 was
acoalition one. The Conservatives were vic
torious in 1872, but were driven from Office
the Liberals, successful then at the polls,
were defeated in 1878 by the platform of
''protection to home industries" particular
" against the United States. The IMPOSE
ton of high protective duties, as is well
known, followed, and just at that time Can
ada began to recover from the depression,
and good times have. since been with it.
Loud complaint of this policy was made by
the opposition, and the Canadian premier,
Sir John Macdonald, confident of his
strength at the polls, dissolved parliament
and appealed to the people. Hence yester-
days election,
A Toronto correspondent of the Boston
Herald, who seems to be shrewd observer,
and is certainly plausible writer, gives an
interesting account of politics over the
border The protective policy, which has
worked SO well, is opposed by the so-called
Liberals, but the success of it has compelled
them to abandon their fight against the
general policy, and SO to speak, itemize their
bill of objections. All they openly ask now,
is, according to the Herald correspondent,
the abolition of the duty of so cents ton
on hard coal, of the duty of 81 a ton on pig
iron, and of the duties on breadstuffs, cot
tons, and woollens. That is, of the protec-
tive duties on the latter, because they must
always have revenue tariff. Tho position of
the Liberals on the trade policy is, therefore,
this: The necessities of the country re-
quiring for some time to come, large an
nual revenue, which must be raised chiefly
by custom duties, there will be sufficient
measure of protection to the manufacturer
any way, but the tariff must be readjusted
so as to equalize the burdens, which they
claim now rest heaviest upon the purchasers.
The tariff has been in operation three years.
The government seeks to make it
the main, and, in fact, the only
issue. It is the only plank in its plat
form. But, although the protective policy
is popular with the majority, there are 9TH
err and more important issues. Provincial
rights is one. Each Legislature of the sew
en- provinces forming the confederation
possesses, by the constitution, exclusive
control of local affairs. The Ontario Legis-
lature, with So members, passed an act per-
hitting lumbermen to float timber down all
floatable streams, notwithstanding any i'm
proyements made by another, providing
however, for compensation to the owner of
such improvements by way of tolls for their
use. This act, although admittedly within
the competence of the Legislature, was vet
oed by the federal government because, it
said, it interfered with private rights in
property. The Ontario Legislature angrily
resented this interference with its powers,
and, at its last session, again passed SINH
lar act, which will, of course, be again dis
allowed. Mr.. Blake, leader of the opposi-
ton disapproved of the veto. The power of
veto was vested in the federal government
for the purpose of guarding against the leg
islatures dealing with matters outside of
their jurisdiction.
The ''boundary award" is another ques
tion. There are 10000 square miles of ter
ritory lying between Ontario and Manitoba
which Ontario claimed always by right be-
longed to her. An arbitration decided in
favor of Ontario's contention and against
the opposite view held by the Dominion gov
eminent, but the Dominion government has
been Conservative since the award in 1878,
and consequently the banner Liberal pro-
vince has not got the territory. An act OF
Parliament ratifying the award is necessary.
This act has been withheld, and Sir John
now says distinctly that he will not give On
tariothe land. The Liberals claim that he
is under the dictation of Conservative Que
bee. which is jealous of Ontario's growing
power in this matter. Mr.. Blake says, If re-
turned to power, he will respect the award,
which, by the way, was unanimous one.
The territory is, in extent, as large as old
Ontario an has on it timber estimated to
be worth $15O.00O,O0O.
Yet another question is the right of Cana
da to make her own commercial treaties in
dependently of England. When Mr.. Blake
asserted this right in resolution moved in
the last House of Commons, he won to his
side for the nonce six Of his opponents, all
French Canadians, who, in supporting the
resolution, declared for the political indie
pendence of Canada as well. Sir John Mac
Donald spoke of the resolution as "Veiled
treason.u He said it was a long step toward
independence. and he has before declared his
preference for annexation rather than indie
pendence. Still another source IF discord
rose in this wise: At the closing hour OF the
last session, the government passed bill
for the redistribution of seats, which is as
serted to be gerrymander of the worst de-
scription. The bill applied only to Ontario,
where the government, it is claimed; sought
to rob the Liberals of their overpowering
strength by "hiving" them together and SO
weakening them in the majority OF the rid
ings as to assure Conservative victory, pro-
yided always the people voted as they did in
1873.
These were the questions put to the vot-
ers of the Dominion yesterday. Most OF
them, held unimportant by us, are consid-