The sun., 1897-02-22
CANADIAN AFFAIRS.
ycws or Interest from Across tho Northern
Bordey.

hews OF Interest from Across tn0 NOrtnern
Bordey.
MONTREAL, Feb 20.-The streets Of this city
are becoming good places to be out OF after dark.
They are roamed by footpads who attack people
in the most audacous manner, and robberies
and burglaries arc OF nightly occurrence The
police force is not only inadequate, but appar
emily inefficient well, and has not the same
incentive to patrol the streets in search of the
footpad this latter has to prowl on the chance
Of finding wellflled purse; besides the Feb
ruary nights are decidedly chilling. This sud-
den outburst OF highway robbery is not uneI-
pected by those who know what the condition of
the unemployed working classes is. While
money is being collected by means Of much puff
ferry and advertising to send to feed tho
victims Of British misrule in India, there are
hundreds Of honest Montreal families without
bread. Ono paper advocated wide and large
subscriptions to tho Indian famine fund because
II would make Canada known to the world and
show her loyalty to the empire with much more
of the same nauseating kind of stuff. Private
letters from England, which have seen show
that people over there are beginning to appre-
ciate the patent soap style Of advertising Cana.
da, and cannot understand why, II IL is all that
4 IS painted, its people have to emigrato to the
United States, South Africa, Brazil, and else
%herc n HSre' f o, S9Irse It s Is all comprehensive
plimentary one TO the other, and as knights In
crease so will footpads which gives rise to
serious reflections as to what the state Of things
will DO when the coming Jubilee jun keting Is
over, with all its extravaganza and flock Of now
The criticisms which some OF the Montreal
and Toronto papers indulge in over a short
reference TO Canadian arrnaments are decidedly
disingenuons. They try to make out that Cam
o. sight the aet hSHeRs thss
English Government has been for some time
and is still engaged in collecting large quantities
n N fact thAf
not bo denied. II Canada STOOD ' by H1S herself lt
she would have no occasion either to arm or
United States were concerned. and the Monroe
doctrine would be her guarantee against
ponteS % oat she wonid SrS Raye 'hsn Saa once no
hseS 10 S5m o , map or eu cartridge
It were to aid in repelling the attack by Euro
pcan on an American State. AS 1t is, Canada Is
made ia oy a foreign G9yernment % mn base OF mill
United States toward Canada, which II perse-
ycred in must lead to demand for an explana-
make OF another In similar circumstance. TAX
ing Canadian apologies for rcarming their mi
they were ready TO act as the accompiice Of the
footpad who found himself suddenly confronted
matter should be put in this pointed way as il
will enable the American people to Judge OF
capable The animus OF tho imperialist press Is
Sir Van Horne some little time ago scofred at
the idca OF the Canadian Pacific being an Eng
lish military line. II it is not, why is the Eng
Iish Government taking so much interest in the
line during the past few weeks and tho means
for insuring its being kept free from Interrupt
transport Of troopsi What is the meaning, too,
OF the arrangements for what may call mill
tary rolling stock for the transport OF troops and
war material OF special construction The pres
cnt moment seems opportunc for calling the at
tention of the American Government TO the way
In which the bonding system is made the cover
tor running through American territory in tho
state or Maine the armaments and troops to the
British forts and garrisons on tho Pacific coast
for use either against tho United States or her
friends and allies haye seen train load after
terial going west to the Pacific that had come up
Prom Halifax through the State OF Maine and 1t
has been frequently remarked In my hearing,
even by Canadians, how IL was that the Ameri.
can Government allowed that kind OF goods to
DO run through American territory,