The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1896-09-19
DANGEROUS FOR CANADA
ANNEX ALTON PARTY SAID TO BE 4
POWERFUL FORCE.
French Canadians Prime Movers in
the work to Abolish En-
gIisb Rule.

convention OF canadian dilneNdllOillst -
is to be held in Toronto. Under ordi-
nary circumstances this announcement
would attract but little attention, even
in the dominion, for under the conser-
Vative governments the work of the So
called continental union associations
has been pretty thoroughly suppressed,
even correspondence being tempered
with by Canadian officials.
This year the liberals are in author
ity.
Wnfred Laurier the first French
Canadian to attain the premiership,
is at heart the stanchest Of annexation
lists, and so for the first time in the
history of Canada the promoters of
continental union will hold gather
ing practically sanctioned by the gov
eminent.
With each recurring national election
in the United states this question of
annexation seems to come to the sur
face on the other side of the line. Here,
except among the 100000 French Ca
nadians in New England, there is no
intense popular feeling on the question,
and yet it is stated openly in Canadian
liberal circles that the "sinews of war"
come from the states In fact. even
those who openl assert that Canadian
annexation to the United States has
one of it's firmest and most aVowed
friends in the person of Andrew Car
negie. What he has contributed to the
cause. if anything, is not known to the
public on this side of the ST. Law
renee
Nor is he the only American inter
ested in this movement For the past
two years emissaries of the continental
unions have been employed travelling
through the United States interviewing
the most influential men of all parties
and building up a secret annexation
organization which is to work in con-
junction with the Canadian society.
This entire work has attracted prac-
tcally no attention in he United States
nor will it during any stage of mis-
campaign, for the domestic Issues are
too vastly important to permit of j;
GOIdwin Smiths Work.
But the work of the Canadian annex
ationist is what 1 particularly desire
to write about in this brief sketch.
And no sketch would be complete with
out at least a mention of the man VINO
is back of all the propaganda, who is
the prime mover in the project and
shoulders above any of his compeers in
the movement. l refer to Goodwin
Smith who from his magnifcently an
tique Grange in Toronto, surrounded
by thousands of historical volumes, Gl
reefs the work that in the opinion of
the dominion radicals is to end in the
annexation of Canada to the United
States.
Professor Goodwin Smith, once
member Of OXfords faculty. later a
lecturer at Cornell, takes life easily
now His income from his literary
work is said to be nearly $40 900 year
Add to this the income of Mrs. Smith
who was the widow of a wealthy lum-
herman when she married the profess
sor, and they get along comfortably
on something over $4,000 a year.
There are but few English liberal pa
pers in Canada, hence Professor Smith
has rather hard time Of it. FOR no
matter what paper he picks up ne is
almost certain to find a paragraph
about that arch traitor" Goodwin
Smith
But Professor Smith is an anneNa-
Zionist from principle. He believes tnat
annexation is the inevitable outcome Of
natural laws and is as sure as. taxes
and death.
So at this convention iu Toronto
Professor Smith viii be much in eNi-
dence. although personally he would
probably prefer not to be in the public
eye on this occasion, for he loves tC
work quietly studying necessarily
and his leadership is manifested most
n the use that is made of the mass OF
annexation literature he has written
Work of the Convention.
The national association at the To
lonto meeting will probably settle up
ON a distinct name for the movement
At present the annexatiOnists cal
themselves "Tbe Continental Unioi
Association" i'm the Province of On
tario, and the fine club house an,
printing establishment attest to tn
strength Of the movement there. Out
side of Ontario every town and ham
let in the dominion has its English
speaking independence Clubs" and IL
French Canadian st. Jean Baptis.e
societies The latter are the bone ant
sinew of the annexation movement G
tiey are the source of the liberia
strength in Canada.
They made possible the overthrow O
the Upper ministry and the choice q
their silver-tongued idol, Laurier, a
premier. There are today fully 500 90
French Canadians in New England
and in the papers published by ther
annexation is always the burnin
question of the hour. And yet, Will
they arouse but little enthusiasm j
the movement on this side of the boz
der. they manage to keep alive IN
flame on Canadian soil, for they have
large circulation throughout the dc
miniOn.