The record-union., 1896-06-29
THE CANADIAN ELECTION.

It is not accurate to say that the sue
cess of the Liberal party in the recent
election in Canada was due to the Mani
toba school fund issue, though that mat
ter was a very prominent factor in the
election. The surprise in the election is
that the Liberal leader Laurier, who
will become Premier, Is Catholic, while
the Bishops and priests of the Catholic
Church made an open and bitter fight
against the party Laurier led solely
upon the Manitoba issue, and from the
very altar Of the churches besought the
faithful to sustain the Conservatives,
because it meant coercion of Manitoba
The Liberals opposed coercive meas
ures and advocated reinquiry and inves-
tigation by a new commission, and this
the ManitobanS have taken to mean
eventual triumph for them, and they
are probably correct In that assumption.
Certainly the success of the Liberals,
led by churchman, is a bitter defeat
for the church party, but there were
other issues in the campaign than the
school fund question. The Liberals op-
posed the fiscal policy of the Conserva-
tives and advocated less exclusive pol
icy concerning the relations of the Do
minion with other countries The Liber-
ais propose reduction of the Dominion
debt and such scaling down Of Govern
mental expenses as viii introduce
economies that will be felt benefcially
by all taxpayers. This position gave
great strength to the party and largely
contributed to its victory.
The Conservatives will now become
the party Of opposition in the Iegisla-
tive houses of the Dominion, and it
remains to be seen whether they will
be able to outgenera1 the victors, when
it comes to pushing legislation concern
ing Manitoba. Coercion is killed; of that
there is no doubt, but while the Liberals
will have a comfortable majority to
back their measures, there will remain
the possibility Of the opposition being
able to hold off definite action for
considerable time, in the hope of some
thing happening to change the current
of public sentiment. Another thing
that gives strength to the Laurier party
is its long opposition to low politics in
the Dominion and tricky work under the
present Administration by the classes
which in this country We would call
bosses, boodlers and corruptionists. 1t
Is true that there has been no corruption
In Canadian affairs such as we have had
in this country, nor any such boodling
The Ministry is not chargeable with any
dishonesty; but it didpermit itself to be
used, and by Objectionable political
workers, and it did employ them to do
low political work.
The Canadians are very sensitive re-
sarding interference with their Govern
mental affairs by wirepullers, bosses
and political schemers, and therefore
readily fell in with the party that pro-
posed to clear all such out of Govern
mental circles, and give the people a
clean and genteel Administration.
These things combined with the Mani
toba school question gave Laurier vic
tory and impose upon him the hardest
task ever undertaken by Dominion
Premier, namely, the settlement Of the
school fund question upon conciliatory
and compromise lines. and the sweeping
out of the Governmental halls 50 that
square business, economy and genteel
MANAGEMENT shall take the place Of po-
litical trickery, extravagance and boss
manipulation