The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1890-07-05
Recent Political Incidents in Canada.

| Provincial elections have taken place in tho
| two great provinces Of Ontario and Quebec,
| and in each case the party nominally on-
| posed to Sir JOHN MACDONALD has sue
! ceeded. If American precedcnts could be
| trusted to interpret Canadian history, these
| events would portend tho overthrow Of the
| Conservatives in the next struggle for the
| control OF the Dominion Government. That
no such assumption can safely be based
upon tho facts is. however plain enough to
| those who have had occasion to look beneath
| the surface of Canadian politics.
In Ontario the Liberals, or Grits, headed by
Mr.. MowAT, won partly because the Orange
men, instead Of supporting the Conservative
ticket, chose to put forward one of their own,
but mainly because 1t received the entire
Roman Catholic vote In Quebec the Lib
erals, who there prefer to call themselves
Nationaists, were easily victorious under
the leadership Of Mr.. MERCER, who was
zealously supported by t..e Catholic hierar-
chy. 1t Is almost certain that the alliance
between Liberals and Catholics, whose pre-
ponderance at the ballot box has just been
sodistinctly proved, could, if continued, com
mand success at the not distant elections
for tho Ottawa Parliament. That the al
lance will not be continued, but that on tho
contrary. in Ontario, at all events,
the Conservative candidates for the Domn-
ion Parliament will obtain the whole CathO-
lie vote, is the mistaken belief of the MAC
DONALD Government. This Is clear from
tho conduct OF Sir JOHN himself. who, in
stead OF condollng with Mr.. MEREDITH, the
beaten chief of the Ontario Conservatives,
actually congratulatcs Mr.. MowAT on his
success in retaining a firm grasp on the
Provincial Legislature. Evidently Sir
JOHN is counting on perpetuation
of the see saw arrangement which
he has found so useful in the past, and by
which the Liberal leaders in Ontario are al
lowed to avail themselves of Catholic assist
ance in provincial contests on the under
standing that this decisive factor shall DO
transferred to the Conservatives in the moro
important Dominion elections.
There Is no doubt that this extraordinary
game has been played successfully in Can
ada, and it will be remembered that we saw
something analogous to 1t on this side OF
the border in the spring of 1877. when a
curious compact Is believed to have been
entered into by the representatives of
Mr. HAYES and n section OF the South
ern Democrats. BY virtue of this al
legged understanding, Mr.. HAYES having
been permitted TO take the office which be-
longed to Mr.. TILDEN. withdrew the Federal
troops from South Carolina, thus allowing
Mr.. WADE HAMPTON to become Governor
OF that State and refused to recognize
PACKARD as Governor of Louisiana, al
though the said PACKARD VIGOROUSLY
hmm In,
that State for the Republican candidate for
President. Tho difference between NIr.
HAYES and Sir JOHN MACDONALD, consid-
cred as political conjurors, is that whereas
the former could do the trick but once tho
latter has repeatedly performed it with re-
markable deXtcrlty and unerrlng effect
1t is possible, nevertheless, that tho pleas
ant game of see-sAw may be rudcly inter-
rupted at the next Dominion elections. So
long as in the Liberal chiefs of Provincial
Governments Sir join MACDONALD had to
doal only with men Of small callbre and re-
strictCd influence, 1t was comparatively
easy for him to bargain with them on terms
favorable to himself. Tic situation is diff
fercnt, now that in Mr.. MERCIER the Pre-
mlcr of Quebec, Sir JOHN must reckon with
q politician of abilities equal to his own, who
has right TO look forward TO tho avowed or
real headship OF the Dominion Gov
eminent. Many recent Incidents con-
cur to prove that no other civilian In
Canada possesses 1.-THE of Mr.. MERCIER's
influence with the Roman Catholic Church.
1t Is incredible that against his protest the
Catholic vote in Ontario would be trans
ferred from the Liberals to the Con-
servatives. Suppose. then, that when
tho next elections for the Ottawa
Parliament como around, Mr.. MERcIER
should make up his mind that the time had
arrived to put stop to tho manipulation of
his co-rOligIonss in the Conservative inter-
est. and should cause the whole Catholic
vote t. h. pplled for Liberal candidates
in both the principal provinces Of tho
Dominion. There is but little doubt that he
has the power TO carry out such a pro
grammc, or that the result would be tho
overthrow Of tho MACDONALD Government q!