New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-02-13
SIR JOHN MACDONALDS APPEAL.

In many wavs Sir John Macdonald's appeal to
| the Canadian electorate is Shilful and winning.
The "Old Man." as his people more or less
| ,Foctionate!v call him, has not lost his knack
| of stating a case so that the clear grain IS all
ON his side and the knots on the side OF his OPP
norcnts He makes the Protection argument,
much As we make it here. and. although the
| natural resources and social conditions OF the
Dominion are very different from those which
in this country give overwhelming force TO that
argument we are far from saying That II does
not apply in Canada. Sir John has unqueSuoh-
ably accomplished much for his people That
looks well if it he not examined too closely.
| He has built up his chief cities remarkably but
the country districts have fallen both IN wealth
and population. He has constructed a grand
railroad. as good as any on earth. ana As he
saws. cit paws" but he forcetS. or rather he
ignores the fact that the United states enables
il TO pay by enforcing a law which diScrm-
| mates against its own carriers in favor OF Slr
Johns. and by granting II privileges III me
transportation of foreign frclghtS. Inc road'
having been paid for ont of the pockets OF tho
Canadian taxpayers, and having cost it' owners
scarcely dime does, under these CONDITIONS
run at what seems TO be profit. 1t Is not a
profit on any proper accounting OF legitimate
interest charges, nor could il even be Jueged
into looking like profit were the United states
TO cease lis absurd acts of fayolilSm.
That. however, is orr fault and Sir Johns
GOOD luck. and we shall not blame him II he
make, the most of it, In twelve years he has
drawn : 100. 0OO. 600 from 5000. 600 Canadian
tavnaycrs I, build railroads and to run steam
ships which they have not enough use for 10
nav ono months expenses ont of twelve. but 81
generous have we been in admitting CanaIIIn
produc,s tc our markets and So sharp has he
bcon in excluding ours from the markets Of
Canada that he can point to-day to many marks
of onnorcnt procresS These. however. are
somewhat less imposing than the vast debt OF
! 500. 600. 600 he has put upon them, result
of his policv which he does nor take thc trouble
to mention. and they are heavily discounted
too. by the fact that the population OF Canaha
has ceased to grow. There is more debt and more
! taxation every year. hut no more people. Inc
| Dominion debt to-day is quite >29o, oOo'ooo'
and Sir John thinks nothing OF adding ten or
dozen millions every year. His ordinary eX-
pcnditrcS for federal purposes reach forty mill
ions and thus the net debt per individual has
gone merrily on until every man. woman ana
Child in the Dominion stands to-day account
able 10 the countryS creditors for over 500.
It nav he agreeable for Canada 10 OWN a rail
road even If she has no use for it, but 10 obtain
it by running up the per capita debt from S3i
to more than go while the country districts
| and the small towns are being slowly dcrop-
ulatcd does not look like wise or good states
manship.
The remarkable thing about Sir Johns APP
peal. however. is not its winSomc phrases nor
lis lack Of candor. These were to be expected.
But it is surprising that h. cm,s to give any
| hint whatever as 10 his reasons for diSSolving
| Parliament. An election must have been held
| next wear anyhow. and no reason i apparent
why he should have forced an unnatural dis
solution lie certainly owed il TO the con-
StitucncicS if he proposed to address them at
ALL to tell why hc had put them to the
| trouble and expense Of voting now. This
he entirely omtS, cOntcnting himself with the
enumeration OF his own virtues and the de-
merits Of his foes. The fact is Sir John has no
reason 70 give that would look well in print
| He aimed 10 take his enemies by surprise. and
| TO rout them by the sudden force Of an attack
| on an issue that does not exist. We have no
| idea that he intends, if he wins, TO send his
representatives here on FOOLS GRAND. He
will either keen them at home and fix up
| tale to explain that. just As he has fixed up
| tale to explain his Reciprocity" move or he
will adopt the full platform of the Grts and
send them with authority to make such a treaty
| as we NAV be disposed to consider