The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-02-18
THE CANADIAN ELECTIONS.


the topic OF the day in the columns OF
the British papers. Sir John Macdon-
aids ultra-fervid address evokes general
congratulations, and his long and almost
unbroken tenure Of office ought, it il
felt, to inspire confidence in the result
OF the coming campaign. But it is com-
pnratively easy to read between the
lines a sense Of d~istrust. England has
a great deal at stake, and her scope OF
action is limited. The defeat OF Mae
donald and the Canadian conservative
party would mean the accession to pow
er of the liberals, who stand pledged to
closer commercial relations with the
United States, and. consequently, to
further discrimination against the
mother country. Such Il result would
strike a heavy blow against England's
manufacturing and commercial inter
ests in favor OF her most dangerous ri
val. but the trouble would probably not
end there. What Canada has done 9th
or colonies might feel entitled to do. II
the establishment Of reciprocal relations
with the United States brought to Can
ada a renewal OF commercial prosperity,
as it most certainly would, tho other
English dependencies and colonies would
not be slow to follow the example set
them. Canada, Of them all, has most
reason for discomfort. The trade Of the
dominion with England is diminishing
compared with that of the other British
possessions. In 1890 Great Britain i'm
ported Canadian goods and products to
the value of sixty million dollars. From
Australia came imports in the same
year to the value of one hundred forty
two millions. and from the East Indies
of over two hundred millions. During
the same time the imports from tn Q
United States represented a value OF
almost four hundred millions.
Canada, therefore, has a decided
grievance, and longings for absorption
or reciprocity with the United States
are a natural result. The English gov
eminent, however, has decided to come
to the rescue of Sir Johns sentimental
appeal with practical assistance. They
have taken into consultation a number
of powerful financial houses, and, 1t is
now announced, they have decided to
back to a practically unlimited extent
TIE projected mail routes to Japan and
Australia by the Canadian Pacific route.
Sop number two comes in the form Of
the promise of a heavy subsidy for the
nof aI,liohn1a nf IN ncann linn # ofnar1
ships between some south of England
barbor ana Halifax, to connect with the
Canadian Pacific road. The claim is
made that the new route would effect
e saving in time of thirty hours between
England and Chicago as compared with
the New York passage. Eleven days
would take the passenger from London
to Vancouver, and the difference of nine
hundred miles in favor of the subsidized
ocean passage would result in powerful
competition against the San Francisco
route. Esquimault, too, is to be imme-
diately fortified as a first-class naval sta
ton, and in fact nothing is to be too
good for the Kanucks, if they will only
return the conservative party to power.
From its wi point Of view, the Eng
lish government IL in the right, and, if
a few pecuniary sprats will serve to
keep their whale a little longer, they
need not grudge the necessary expendi-
ture. But the day is certainly coming
when the people of Canada will rise to a
sense of the greatness Of their possible
destiny. That greatness they can never
attain as the dependency, however nom
inal, Of ar old-world empire. 1t can
only be theirs by federation, political
and commercial, with their nearest
neighbors, and the combination will
outshine the pages of all past history.
QrsY has opened his mouth at last
and denies everything. Now let Don