The Irish standard., 1891-02-14

OulS6S uo UO6S I0tAI0 I1OA0 1suA0 - 0O1
bach at least ten years
UNRESTRICTED RECIPROCITY.
Sir John A. Mcdonald, premier of
Canada, has dissolved parliament with
the view of sub hitting the question OF
unrestricted reciprocity with the United
States to vote of the people. Of course
Sir John is opposed to commercial union
between this country and Canada, not
because it would hurt the latter country,
but because 1t would weaken Sir Johns
power. For the past seventeen years
Sir John has been at the helm in Canada.
He was at first poor man having moth
ing but shrewdness and thrift to depend
on. Right here we might say that Sir
John when boy earned many penny
by backing shoes on the streets in elias
gov. When he entered politics in the
Dominion he eepoused: the cause of the
Tories, and in short time so thoroughly
entrenched himself in their confidence
that during these seventeen years OF
public life he has been the leading
spirit of that political party. Like Sir
Charles Upper, Sir John believes IN
keeping up the high tariff barrier be-
tween those two countries. Both men
have made themselves rich in politics.
To think that only few years ago Sir
John was poor man and to-day occu-
pies one of the finest homes IN Canada
known as Stadacona hall in the suburbs
of Ottawa. It was he who beggared
Canada to subsidize the Canadian Paci-
tic railway and to-day holds in place and
maintains some of the most tYrann1oal
customs laws ever enforced in any coun-
try in the world. The people of Canada.
who have had occasion to do business
with the customs authorities, are often
treated worse than confessed smugglers.
In spite OF all this SIR john has the
hardihood to appeal to the *'loyalty' of
the country and the love that the people
of Canada bear ia the "Union Jack" to
maintain HIM in power under the guise
of helping the country. The people of
Canada will no doubt ask Sir John some
very pointed questions before election
day. He will find 1t difficult to explain
how it comes that Oanada's debt is in
round numbers $500, 600. 900 now. and
that instead of growing less it is growing
larger all The time, While the population
Is but 5000, 1000. These are not very
comforting facts tor Sir John and his
Tory government to explain. Canadian
Tories are the same heartless men that
their brothers in politics in England are.
Sir John made a shrewd move when he
dissolved parliament SO soon; too soon
for the Liberals to discuss the adyan-
tages Of unrestricted reciprocity. The
people will be called upon to vote on
the question before they are aware Of it's
Importance, and will therefore vote to
sustain the government. The govern
ment has al army of sharp shrewd poll
ticians in the field; they are IN every
railroad depot in the country, they
crowd every railroad train from Nova
Scotia to the Rocky Mountains, and
backed by this powerful army the Tories
will have much hope of success. But in
spite of all we believe the people Of
Canada have too much sense to be gulled
by Sir Johns tafy, That they have
become thoroughly Americanized. and
will estimate the advantages such inter-
national Intercourse would bring them,
we have no reason to doubt. If the
people of Canada want to assert their
independence and bury Toryisn, now is
the time for them to act. Will they do
i We will see.