The sun., 1894-01-11
Cosg1SrNrst UxroN.

/ Quebec which indicates that puolic opinion In
| that province is pressing him severely 10 take
| an advanced position upon the question Of the
i future political relation Of Canada 10 the
| United States. Mr.. Laurier is q sincere Re
| publican and believes that the political re-
| union Of the United states and Canada must
| should. and will bo consummated. and that
| such political reunion will promote and pre-
serve the best and h est interests ofthe Cana
dian people. His spirit II willing but the flesh is
weak. Why1 His public and private life Is
| unassailable. He Is n charming orator. q
statesman OF lofty aims and aspirations a
| political leader that any man NAV follow with
pride. Always genital. hopeful. cheerful. Kind
and courteous to friend and foe. No loader
| ever attached his followers more strongly. l
| speak from nine years personal Intercourse
with him in Parliament. and close observation
OF his course since left Parliament In 1886.
Dir. Laurier is a liberal French Canadian Cath
olic. To maintain his leadership OF the Lib
eral party In the Dominion Parliament he re-
uuires the influence and support Of Sir Oliver
Mowat in Ontario. The Scotch Presbyterians
In that province would not support him with
out Sir divers endorsement.
Sir Oliver is the strongest individuality In
| Ontario. II not In Canada. For nearly twenty
| four years he has been Premier OF that
province. He has governed wisely. honestly.
and well. He has solved many difficult
problems In politics and finance. His oppo-
nents have never dared charge his adm inistra-
| tion with corruption, nor ever with the eXer-
| else OF bad judgment His political career has
been a marvel OF continued and well-deserved
| successes.an n constant disap ppointment to his
political opponents. Sir John Macdonald. with
the resources of Canada in his ha nds which he
| always treated as his personal assets in elec-
tion contests. failed to dislodge him in Ontario.
although his laefra IN do IN int Ua
| gave away public contracts. Judgeshlps life
Senatorships. special charters. timber. mineral
and grazing lands as freely as water to defeat
| him. but failed completely. Ontario is free
| from debt. and has several million dollars Of
| well invested surplus. No community in the
| world has been better governed than Ontario
| under Sir Oliver. And yet the most am bilious,
enterprising. energetic. and best educated
| young men and women OF Ontario are coming
| to us by tens Of thousands. and, to quote my
good friend Erastus Wiman. the present con-
dition OF Canada is " ono Of retardation. slow
development, Of declining values. OF an exodus
| Of population, OF increasing indebtedness, and
decreased power Of payment"
Sir Oliver is the most powerful advocate in
Canada OF the status quo we'll as the most pow
erful opponent Of political reunion. Like Mr..
Gladstone he has long passed the allotted life
OF man. His acceptance OF knighthood was q
DOlltlchi UtStuhe ana IN hy cost MIN mis- Buprem-
acy at the next general election some time
this year. His defeat would liberate Mr. Lau-
rier from PRESBYTERIAN domination as leader OF
the party In the Parliament OF Canada. Onco
relieved from Sir Oliver Mowats dictation, Mr.
Laurier no doubt would come forward with Mr.
Mercier and demand the independence OF
Canada. In his Quebec speech he endeavored
to meet the demand In his province for politi-
cal reunion with the United states and at the
same time not arouse the opposition OF Sir
Oliver and his friends. and therefore proposed
a commercial union OF all the English speak
Ing communities of tne world His PROPOSE
ton Is simply childish. but forced upon h m in
trying to please two masters. He Is useless as
political reunionlst SO long as he Is under
the thumb OF Sir Oliver Political reunion will
be best promoted by the defeat OF Sir Oliver in
Ontario and Mr.. Laurier in the Dominion Par
lament Mt the next general election. Sir OIL
ver's defeat In Ontario now would be final. 1t
would rcmove the strongest opposition to con-
tinental union In Canada Mr.. Laurier's de-
feat would drive him into the Independence
party. He and Mr.. Mercier united could sweep
Quebec for Independence as a prelude to a re-
united North America. The Ontario Liberals
with Sir Oliver shorn OF his power. would fall
into line and follow Mr. Laurier. Free from
his domination Mr.. Laurier would cease to
stultify himself by making such childish prop
ositlons as he made in his Quebec speech.
commercial union between England the
United States, Canada. Australia. India. and
British Africa is decidedly visionary. II IL
were practicable to be OF any value such
union must be permanent. and therefore
binding upon all the parties for very long
term Of years. From practical standpoint IL
10 not worth a moments serious onsldera-
tion. Such proposition coming from Mr.
Laurier clearly indicates that his own people
are pressing him to take advanced ground In
favor of political reunion. and that he made
desperate effort to please them and not offend
Sir Oliver. commercial union OF all English
speaking communities against the world
would at once force all other nations to COM
bine for self-protection against the English
speaking union. II would be a most unwise
and proftless policy for the United States II
not suicidal to its commercial aud Industrial
interests. 1t cannot be entertained by the
American people for a single moment. It's
suggestion as q relief from the difficulties |
which now surround Canada by q statesman
OF Mr. Laurier's experience. sincerity and
sSE IhSTs SSs hST qiSS rnmsax Is to
ing defeat for both OF these leaders will |
promote continental union. Lord Aberdeen is |
States. He will have much greater power to |
repress the political reunion ssntim enJ than il |
SALISBURY. He no, doubt will join hands With With
sir oliver and endeavor to delay continental |
strain movement in favor OF political reunion
than any Governor General since Lord Duff !
ierln. Lady Aberdeen will also have great In |
tion OF Canadians for the Queens person; the |
desire not to embarrass Mr.. Gladstone while |
Home Rule is pending; the personal regard |
for one who has served his country wisely and /
we'll as Premier OF Ontario for nearly Quarter /
OF century, and the personal In nhuence of Lord |
and Lady Aberdeen are the most powerful /
elements in Canada opposed 70 continental |
union. The corrupt and eorrupting leaders OF 1
the Tory party now In power at Ottawa are
loyal for plunder only. and howl scream, and |
yell loyalty simply to divert public Attentiou
while they secrets their swag They have the |
financial support OF that ultra anti American
monopoly, the Canadian Pacific hallway Com
pany. but have no moral influence whatever
with the better class In Canada. and their
power as compared with the influences ma med
above to prevent political reunion is Insignia |
cant. continuance OF Tory supremacy aud
corruption viii hasten continental union.
Had the leaders Of the Liberal party In Can
ada abandoned reNenmA rslOrm In 1873 and