New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-02-04
THE CRISIS ~ CANADA.

l. is safe 70 assume that Sir John Macdonald
knows what he is doing, for an aStuter poll
t;can never held power than he. But II IS
equally safe to say that his appeal t. the con-
stituencies AZ this time and on the humbug
issue he has presented is a reflection, and a
eros, one. upon the intelligence Of the Ca
madam electors. Why. he might just a. wei
ask them to approve 4 railroad to the moon as Il
scheme of partial Reciprocity with the United
States. lie knows that he is engaged i'll moth
ing more dignlied than a llumpty-Dunpiy
show. Mr. Blaine has told him in plain Eng
lsh that he could not dIaw up the schedule
Of partial exchange which this country would
accept and yet he cooly ;els his people that
he cntcrtains such a scheme, AID is going =
send Commissioners TO Washington TO treat
about it. and wants to secure their consent.
Their consent 10 what? TO an impossibiity,
an exhibition of folly against which they are
frankly warned To trade with another
party which the other party declares he wont
make?
! As is the case with the devices of most per
sons who are more aItful than good, when ore
picks his WAY through Sir Johns tangled pol
icy he secs that. after all, it runs between two
points which c-ud as well be reached By q
straight line The Liberal cause in Canada has
been rapidly gaining during the last year 1t
has been resisted by al sorts OF prejudice and
misrepresentation. Even the hooking Sir John
! in a speech the other day worked himself into
a respectable counterfeit Of passion as he
accused the Grit leaders Of "1IeaSpn" Bat
DESPITE all this nonsense, which has been the
sum and substance Of the Tory press in Can"
ada since unrestricted Reciprocity was sub
stjtued for commercial union" a. the name
of the Crit programme, the Gr, cause has
| thriven. and Sir Richard Cartwright. Mr.. Lau-
ricr and Mr., Charlton have made it clear
recently that if they only had the chance to 90
over the country thoroughly they would have
| il in their hands.
Sir John doesn't mean that they shall have
| that chance. He proposes to take the wind
ont of their sails by claiming TO be himself in
favor Of frcer trade relations or partial
Reciprocity," so far as it is " safe to 90. a1d
by taking snap judgment from the country
before it has had fair chance to study his
scheme OF to compare it with that of the Op-
position, or to consider its fate in this county.
II is impossible to say that this will not accom-
pllsh its willy authors purpose. There is an
extent Of prejudice against the United States
among the Canadians which II Is out of our
power to understand. Many OF them imagine
that we are principally occupied with CON
spiracies to acquire their fair domain. Every
time the Fortiication' bill comes up at Wash
ington and our Senator's and Representatives
TAX about how we would seize Canada in the
event of a war with England the Tory papers
grow frantic with rage and take the oath OF
allegiance 10 the Queen with renewed demon
STATIONS of reverent loyalty. Droll this
seems to us. it is looked upon seriously enough
by many Canadians. Social and religious ques-
tiOns, too especially in Ontario, Quebec and
Manitoba, are never absent from the public
mind in Canada in its speculaaions as to tho