New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-06-30
TINE ERENCH-ClNiDIiNS.

Later returns from the Dominion prove ne
,.ord . douht what WAS before more than sus
urctrd. that the Liberal victory was frehch
Catholic victory Mr.. Lauriers majority !"
the. whole of Canada is -. In the Province oi
Quebec alone the Conservative frencn 'ath"i"
pr.vincn of Oucbcc. il is g. Those figures tell
th. vhoIo storv II was in Ontario that Mr.
Iourior rnod, his great effort. by cnlisting Slf
Oliver Mowat on his side But ontario falled
10 give him the majority he wanted. 1T "as
in Quebec that the Conservative 'oNerhlheh'
made its strongest bid for support But quebec
rcpudiatcd Conserv ltisin and all us Worhs'
,rhi. result is i'm direct defiance Of what were
rcckoned the chief factors in the campaign
one was the tariff The French are Protectloh
lists. and therefore were expected TO support
the Conservative ticket A second was 'he
Manitoba school question. The frehcn are
Catholics and therefore were expected TO vote
for the establishment of Catholic schools Ill
Manitoba. especially since their bishops ana
priests commanded them so to do. third was
the Imperial railroad. steamship and telegraph
enterprises. Quebec would of all the provinces
profit most from these, and therefore was eX'
pcctcd to stand by the party which was pro
noting them.
All these expectations however came utterly
to grief AT the polls. Nor is the reason difficult
to discern The simplc-mindcd. clear sighted
Frenchmcn saw what the politicians would ram
have had them overlook. that there was one
other issue far paramount TO any or all OF these
That issue was none other than the right TO
self government II was their innate love OF
freedom their sturdy determination To main
tain their Independence that made them vote
rs thcv did They would no doubt have liked
to see their coreligioniSls successful In their
demand for separate schools in Manitoba. But
they wisely saw that that was a matter which
Manitoba must settle for herself. For If Que
bee. should now cocrcc Manitoba, n precedent
would be- established under which one of these
days Manitoba might In turn cocrce Quebec.
I'm voting to let the Protestant majority rule
Manitoba they were voting To let the Catholic
minority continue to rule Quebec 1t WAS the
principle of Provincial Rights. or of States
RIGHTS. ~ The -. Jamcs's Gazcttc. IN curl
ous blending Of "Reminiscences aud unwilling
pronhecv. has called IT, But above and before
that IT was the great. fundamental, constitu-
tional principle Of Home Rule, which forms I'll"
real strength Of the Dominion AMI of every such
confederation.
II was u Fr,nch-Canadan victory. Nor is
hr a French majority The Dominion Govern
mcnt VIII be-. II not French Government, AT
lcast one that Is acceptable 10 the French. Its
policy must lc the policy OF the French. And
that fact makes one leading item Of the Liberal
programme ring hollow. Free Trade. or
revenue tariff WAS the war cry in the cam
palgn. and Mr. lauricr repeats II In his first
speech after the election. But how can II be-
pui into effect with III" Government dependent
upon n majority Of French Protcctonsts from
Qurbcct In former years the French Liberals
used 10 absent themselves from Parliament
whenever Il vote was taken on III" tariff. They
did not want to vote against their party. and
they would not vote against Protection. There
is no reason To- imagine they are less loyal 10
principle now. They will hot vote for Free
Trade and without their votes the Lauricr
Government will he unable 10 adopt Free
Trade measure. That Is another Of the cmbar
easements that are prepared in advance for the
new administration.