The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-06-30

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from the Canadian and British press in
tue effort TO find out just what were
the issues that appear to have been so
overwhelmingly decided in the general
elections in Canada last week.
There is no question that the Liberals
won tremendous Victory. The triumph
appears TO have been a revolution created
by "things in general, on the "change
for the sake of a change" idea, though
number OF questions OF Importance
acted to favor the Liberal cause and TO
| give that cause the benefit of emphasis
| to long existing unrest with the ex-
| tended administration by the Conserya-
tive party. The situation appears to sug'
gest that the victory OF the liberals is
more explicitly stated If it is called
crushing defeaI for the Conservatives.
The Conservatives have been in power
for is years. That OF itself is a reason
for defeat. They are made responsible for
everything that has gone wrong and
good many things have been going wrong
In Canada in recent years. The Canadian
Pacific railroad Is back OF the Conserva-
tive party and as the aggressions OF
that tremendous monopoly have increased
popular discomfort against the govern
ment has increased. Under the Canadian
tariff system and becaus OF industrial
and agricultural conditions, reasons for
which are compl ieated, the people OF
Canada have not had prosperity and en-
| igrstion to the United States has increased
at an alarming rate.
These may be regarded as negative
causes for the crushing defeat OF SIR
CHARLES TUPPRR, his associates and
| Conservative Parliament. OF active in
huence TO the success OF the Liberal
campaign may be hrst considered the
fact that the Premier-elect WILFRED
LAURIER is a native french Canadian
and Roman Catholic-and only once
before since the confederation OF the Ca
madam provinces have the citizens OF
| that race and religion had an csportuni-
| ty to vote for 'one of their own" for the
highest office. Roman Catholic Quebec ac-
cordingly We'd with Protestant Ontario in
polling up majority for the Liberal can
didates.
What has been kept at white heat as an
issue In Canadian politics for more than
year past, the Manitoba school question,
had mighty influence on the election
both directly ard indirectly. The stand
taken by the Government OF Manitoba to
conduct her schools after her own fashion
| and TO resist all efforts to coercion in the
interests OF Government support for sep
arate sectarian schools won a large meas
ere OF support in other parts OF the con-
federation. The Conservative government
made an issue of coercion and the masses
| of q people do not like coercion even
though II may be exercised on the pcpu-
| lar side of question. But the Conser-
vative government went farther than that
and made an alliance with the heads OF
| the Roman Catholic Church to support
ii In the election. The result OF this
was disastrous.
LAuRIER, himself q Roman Catholic,
appealed to Roman Catholic constitu-
ency in conflict with the positive COM
mands TO that same constituency from
the heads OF the church. And the
Roman Catholics of Quebec took sides
with the Liberal candidate and against the
heads OF their church. LAuRIER was on
record az declaring; "For my part have
as much aversion for the man who ap-
peals to Catholic prejudices in the Pro-
vince OF Quebec as for the man who
appeals TO Protestant prejudices in the
Province of Ontario" and large num-
bers OF Roman Catholics stood for the
principle OF keeping separate their
politics and their religion. As one OF
our contemporaries puts 1t: "The defeat
OF the three French Canadian ministers
who were clamoring to force separate
schools In Manitoba, at the behest OF the
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Roman Catholic bishops and OF the min
lister OF justice, Mr. DIcKEY, who intro
duced the Remedial bill, is a most re-
markable sign OF the times, as they were
rejected by purely French Canadian con-
stitueneies, to whom they appealed for
support on the ground of defending
French Canadian and Roman Catholic
rights at the dictation OF Roman Catho-
lie bishops"