The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1892-03-11
Letter from Ontario.
PORT PERRY, ONT. Feb. oath. i,

PORT PERRY, ONT, Feb. Gath, '92.
If canada is lacking in any of the ele-
menus of greatness, politics is most assured
" not one of them. Early last yearthe
Tory government, fearing the effect of the
growing desire for better trade relations
with the United States, and, also, the dam
aging result OF the census which was about
to reach the people, precipitated n general
election upon the country. The result was
a victory for the party in power, but the
felceness of the struggle cost it the life of
its great leader, Sir John Mcdonald.
OF the two hundred and twelve members
who were returned to the House of Com.
mons, about one fourth took seats under
! protest. Some OF these protests were >ub-
seQuently withdrawn; but thirty-seven of
those who had participated in the legsla
ton of q five month session, were finally
unseated by the courts. These vacant eats
| win otnerS made so by deaths, are now
being filled by special or "bye-elections. !"
SO far these contests have been of the
SharpeSt character, but with all the SChpm
ing advantages on the side of the ms. The
dates, and all the Diet lis. of these election
have been arranged by the government 50
as to place It's speakers and the peoples
money where they would do its party ''the
most good"
The best speaker who has appeared here
on the Conservative Cor Tory side, is the
Hon. G. H. Topper, Minister of Marine and
| Fisheries, for which he receives $50, 0OO and
"c0ntngenceS" annually He is also son
of Sir CiaS. Topper High Commissioner to
ne Imperial government, with a salary of
$4,000 and ''cOntingenceS " This TuDper
| family have been pensioners, of the highest
class, on this people from time almost i'm,
memorial; and II there is any one character
lSllc OF the family more prominent than its
greed for the peoples money for itself and
Its friends, it is its hatred of the United
States The young Upper in his speech
mere, When ne made any illusion to the
''AmerlcdnS" fairly DriStled with bitterness.
In his effort to make the vor erS believe that
the present United States tariff was made
TO force this country INTO anneXation SAID
''he heard Mckinley in his advocacy of
his Dill IN Congress, state that Goodwin
smith and the Hon. Mr.. Charlton said the
bill would ruin the farmers of Canada''-
leaving his hearers to infer that that result
was only what Mckinley desired lie i'm
proved the smallest kind of an opportunity
to slur Mckinley by saying that "he didn't
know any better than to say Hon. John
Charlton Mr.. ChartonnOt being a Tup-
per nor Tory, remains an honored mem
Der of the Ontario Legislature, two thirds
of the members of which are, like himself
of the Grit persuasion.
This Tory asprant for the honor of knight
hood, the posseSsOrs OF which are about as
plenty In the Dominion as Southern Briga
dlers IN Congress. closed up his speech by
telling the farmers that they "were better
off than their class In the States and that
the people, man for man, here were better
off than on the other side" What is his
party sending delegations to Washington
for?
Of the Liberal Cor Grit side, we have had
Cartwright Sanrer, and some very able
local speakers. The former son of a
United Empire LOYaliSt, and a veteran Grit,
is very Interesting speaker taking in
t"ruptions with the greatest good nature,
and always making them help his oNn side.
Sir John Mcdonald once descended to taunl
hisbrother knight Of striving for anneXa
ton that he might obtain a seat in the
United States Senate A position Sir
Richard Cartwright would grace by his per
sonal presence and intellectual ability.
One of the hardest worked and most
efficient members of the Province Il Ministry
OF Ontario, made very quiet reply TO a
speaker who had been bowling about the
dlsloyalty of the Grlts to the ''Od Flag"
Said the former gentlemen, whose par,tnts
were English, Il respect the Old FldrA j
was bred to respect it: and have bred m,
children to respect it; but cannot make
them SubSiSt on 1t. They cannot eat it,
Although the government, with the lucra- |
tiN G patronage Of the Dominion, the money |
of the manufacturing combines, and the i'm
menSe influence of the subsidized railroad |
Of which Van Horne of the Pacific. has
plainly succeeded 20 Sir JnO. McIOnalds |
intrenching itself in power
b. carry ing the electiOnS,s the GritS are not |
at all dsmayed. The great central Prov
irce, Ontario, with nearly half the popula-
ton of the Dominion and payinl three
GfthS of The taxes, is on their side. The
Grit legislature of this Province is now in
session: and the Provincial Treasurer re
ports no Indebtedness. and Il balance in
The treasury of 52S50U0: while all the
other Provinces are heavily in debt and
the dominion over topping al, with debt
of $4,000 600
The State of New York. with a pUpula-
ton larger by one million and quarter
than that of the entire Dominion, and owes
only $4,000, 600: and has net onl ) indulgediD
hoOdling herSrlf-nOtably Ill her capitol
building and canal expenditure sh has
This, and other countries. with conspicuous
experts in the profession.