Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-10-22
STRANGE CONDITIONS
which Correspondent Of the n. Y. Sun
Says Ne Finds In Canada.


York Sun correspondent in Canada, is of
interest to say the least:
When | ventured to predict soon after
the elections in June last that the change
of parties would not see much modifica-
ton in methods at Ottawa l spoke from
personal knowledge Of circumstances.
The extent to which political corruption
has become fundamental principle of
government in Canada renders it morally
impossible for any political party to at
tempt to suppress 1t and remain in pow
lous of his colleagues may have all the
desire TO administer the affairs of the
country honestly and economically. but
the fact remains that they cannot, and
what is more, they know it.
They can only keep afiOat, then, py
dipping into John Bulls pockets, hence
all the footing on the loyalty trumpet we
have been hearing SO much OF late; put
1t was not worthy of Mr.. Laurier, either
as man or a Canadian, to take part III
what after all. is not very Intelligent
performance. But he Is something else
besides being man and Canadian ne
is a politician in power, and that makes
all the difference. Money. is to be Dor
from the Canadian Pacific in British Co
lunbia to the gold mines owned Dy COM
binations of Canadian Paciiic RaiiWay
men and men in politics. me Canadlan
public are thus going to be further bled
for subsidies to furnish cheap transport
for the gold mine owners machinery ana
raise the selling value OF their mines IN
the London market, where great efforts
are being made to supersede Kaflrs by
British Columbians That is the boodling
on a grand scale contemplated by the
men who pull the strings of government
Meantime the peddling of Doodle in
small jobs has been renewed at Ottawa
by Mr. Laurier's lieutenant and right
hand man in the public works depart
ment, Mr.. Israel Tarte. The Toronto
Sun of Sept. 30. the regenerated organ of
the reorganized Patrons of Industry of
n,to rn n a
article headed "A Bad Start" Though
member of a government that poses as
model of political purity. Mr.. Tarte
thinks it consistent to submit tenders for
public works in certain constituencies to-
the defeated Liberal candidates. in order
that they may compensate themselves
for the money lost in contesting constlt-
uencies by making arrangements with
the contractor whose tender Mr.. Tarte is
prepared to accept on receiving due no.
tice from the defeated Liberal candidate.
Shades of Alexander Mckenzie. How
the bones of the honest Lanarkshire
stone mason who rose to be premier of
Canada must be rafting in the grave: of
the man who described himself. when
minister of public works, the place that
Mr.. Tarte now fills, as sitting on the
public chest night and day, gun in hand.
guarding II against the assaults of friend
of the situation a continuation of such
policy is likely to bring about it is worth
while to quote the concluding lines Of the
dTllclt III QucStiOH III lllt IoloHtO foail.
1t says:
A few more cases of the kind with
French Canadian Liberals caught in the
act would have the effect of exciting
scious that she is getting the worst of
confederation, and that the partnership,
chiefly because it is an unnatural one. is
terribly costly to her; and while she toll
Grated much from Sir John Macdonald,
is not willing that French Canadians
should do the looting. Apart from this
ure to find Liberals. elected in June to
give us honeSter government, figuring in
September in jobs as bad some of those
that disgraced their predecessors.
1t would seem from this article that
whether the sun rays that penetrate into
the dark places of Canadian government
at Ottawa come from the south or north
side of the boundary line. they find the
same corruption and dishonesty varying
little in degree and but little in form from
what prevailed previous to June last.
Those who expose these dongs are. to
such journals as the one to which | have
perhaps given too much Importance.
traitors to the boodlers.
Besides the troubles. of which what l
have previously described is sympto-
matte. the friction between the races is
notably intensifying. Many things. small
comparatively in themselves. go to ag-
gravate the relations between the two
peoples. never too cordial at the best of
times, not from want of good will on the
part of the French Canadians so much
as the intolerant pretensions of superior
ity on the part of certain class among
the English-speaking Canadians. es-
pecialy imported Anglo-Scotch jingoes
of no particular Importance in their own
country. One or two instances will serve
as examples. Mr.. Monk, Englsh-speak-
ing NJ Z. for a French Canadian con-
Stituency, proposed a few days ago in the
House of Commons that the French edi-
ton of the statistical blue book be sup
pressed in future las the Canadian
French understood English well enough
to read statistics in that language The
other case is that of an article in the
Hamilton Spectator. a Tupperite organ in
Ontario. in which it was said that there
was no need to be alarmed about the en-
igration to Brazil, SO long as 1t was only
French Canadians who were going. 1t Is
little grains of sand like these that will
render the working of the machinery of
confederation in Canada more difficult as
time goes on. If the colonial connection
with England were severed. the English
of Canada would have to come down off
the high horse and treat their French fell
low citizens with decency.
The jingoes are again clamoring for the
expenditure of money on the frontier for
tifcations and for the repair Of the for
tiiications of Lewis and Quebec. The for
mer must need considerable repair by
this time. l happened to go over them
soon after they were handed over to the
British government by the contractor
and there was hardly a brick in the in
side lining of the classmates into which
l was not able to thrust the thin blade
of a penknife up to the handle. AS to
the fortifications of Quebec ITSELF they
are obsolete and out of date. and new
works. such as would be required to meet
modern attack, would have to be con-
structed at a long distance from the old
ones and at enormous cost The object,
of course. is not the defence of Quebec
but the Doodle to be got out of the con-
tracts.
Parliament has been prorogued after Il
session unnecessarily stretched out beyond
thirty days. SO that instead of receiving
only $500 each and their travelling allow
with allowances. costing the Sore-drven
taxpayer about a quarter of a million of
dollars for work that at the most should
not have cost more than $4,000 and then
would not have been worth half the
money. The net result of the short SEES
sion has been a notable dimnution of
Mr.. Laurier's prestige. He has shown
himself too weak to resist the attacks
made from all sides on the public treas
ury, and has alienated a large number OF
his supporters, who honestly worked for
him in the hopes of economical govern
ment and not for plumber. The facility
with which the government allowed the
session to be talked out over the thirty
day limit. when there was not Il single
legislative measure before it, has en-
couraged the promoters of all kinds of
schemes to get ready for next session
when a regular onslaught will be made on
. the treasury.
Before the session closed Mr. Foster
took occasion to expose the drift of the
policy begun by the new government and
showed that already 1t had added to the
sAN mo- PIX hale