Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-03-04
HOPEFUL LIBERALS.
They Claim to Be Making Heavy IT,
roads on the Tory Majority.
A SECOND STRUGGLE PREDICTED.
Laurier Says the Conservatives Won't
Have o Mai ority of One.
he DISCLAIMS ANNEXATION VIEWS
ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DISPATCH I


TORONTO. March 3.-The Liberals claim
that their prospects continue to improve.
and the party now in opposition hope to
achieve, if not q crushing defeat of the Gov
ernment, such gains in rural constituencies
as will make it impossible for Sir
John Macdonald to continue in power.
The Empire claims the Government
will have a majority of 81, but
Liberals consider this absurd, and the mani
fest feeling tine Conservative party have dis
played since the dissolution of Parliament
show they anticipate a smaller rather than
increased majority, with narrow ma
jority.
There will almost certainly be another
struggle in the near future. when the forces
now opposed to the Government will be very
much stronger than they are now. This may
mean immediate action by the Dominion Gov
ernment toward securing reciprocity with the
States, or another appeal TO the country on
new voters list based on the census to be
taken in few months.
Annexation May BE an Issue Soon.
1t may mean an attempt to carry on the busi-
ness of the country for two or three years un.
der the present policy. and finally. as limited by
Hon. Wilfred Laurier at Coburg last night. a
general election with annexation as the issue.
Sir John Macdonald having declared he would
prefer it to independence
Whichever party gets into power, unless it
has majority OF at least % the Government
OF the Dominion amid the varied and conflict
ing interests of the different provinces will be
difficult, If not impossible.
IL an interview with Laurier at CoburC, he
said: ..Sir John will not have a majority of
one. We will carry the whole country with the
inf inn Rrrf In (NA1r 81
west territories. We will sweep Ontario, and
have Quebec by 15 seats"
ut isalleged that the church is against youn
1T is libel on the holy church that she has
placed her influence on the side OF wrong as
against right. 1t is a libel. How insane the
people are to think of such thing The only
prelate in Quebec who is opposed to me is the
Bishop of Three Rivers, and that Is for per-
sonal reasons AS patriot and as Canadian,
as churchman and a Christian. he well
must be on the side of those who would make
the country happier, richer and freer.
Laurier Not in Favor of Annexation.
81 claim Sir John and his party as they
always have done, are making an unholy ana
unwarrantable use of religion. They not
only degrading the grand old flag in which we
are all SO proud. but they are besmearing re-
ligion itself-be it Protestant or Catholic"
will unrestricted reciprocity bring annexa-
tionf'
II pray 60 you and ask the Tories that They
say it will, but for the life of me l can't see
''Will it weaken our ties to the old country?'
Il pray you again. my friend to go to the |
Tories and ask these questions. l can't see |
how or why it shout. but they can, OF say they |
can. If / thought thar unrestricted recip- |
rocity would lead to annexation l would nc |
hesitate TO call back yonde: crowd and de- |
nounce unrestricted reciprociti' here and now. |
and everywhere from now till tn: last minute |
that the pollsclosed on Thu ID ".
Laurier was reticent on the Manitoba French |
school question that is agitatipS the Province |
of Quebec When askeI what he would do ]
with the Northwest school act he said: Il 1
would certainly oppress no people or body of |
people, however few or however many. The |
rights of the people are as well defined as the |
rights of the individual. 1 should rather not |
talk on the subject, as have not quite consid- |
cred it. Indeed, will not consider that till |
understand the subject in all Its bearings |
until have visited the Northwest"