The evening times., 1898-11-23
STATESMEN FROM THE
DOMINION OF CANADA
MEMBERS OF THE JOINT BOARD
Personnel of the Commission Dis
cnsxiHG Questions mt Issue with
the American Government.

gagged in an effort to settle the questions
al issUe between this country and the
Domiaiou, stands Sir Wiifrid Laurier,
prime minister of that almost Independent
colony. From the obscure little town OF
Ather6askerrille. III the province of Que
bee. ne has become one of the most pic
tuTesqGe and brilliantly successful states
iT-ca IL the British Empire. In him Is
United the grace and elegance OF his
French ancestors. with the starch states
n.1nsh!p Oi his English contemporary. In
has rat,ve tongue has eloquence is sweep
ing AMI Irresistible, while his English is
scarcely equalcd in purity Of diction in
any Eng!ish-speakins Parliament in the
word. Added to this is the charm of ac-
cent rcc,Iiior To the French.
Ee is the idol OF the French Canadian
and the aarniration of MS EngIisa-speak-
ing courtrymen. In fact, few men in any
country have ever been he'd IN the same
warm esteem, or have been placed upon
the same pinnacle BY his co-reiigionists-
the Catho! c-aud by his Protestant
brethren as Sir Wilfrid I.aurier
AS an illustration of his power. il may
be remembered that little more than two
years ago. as leader OF he Liberal par
ty. ne practically fought his own church
in Canada, which was pitted against the
Protestants OF Manitoba. and swept his
own French province of Quebec against
the dictates OF a united clergy. The
Church Of Rome in Canada on that day,
i'll 1896. received heavy blow. and five
of The bishops. who thundered their
anathemas against Laurier, are now ur-
der the sod.
Through that bitter political campaign
Laurier WAS true to his word-'no unkind
word no word of censure shall ever pass
my lips against the church which 1 love,
and whose prayers ] learned at my moth
ers knee" Such was the touching refer
ence he made in the Canadian House Of
Commons when he spoke of the "threlts
held over his head by a high and mighty
church. Lauriers eloquence rang the
death-kneI OF the Manitoba school ques-
ton and his craftsmanship buried il for
ever, for. again fulfilling his promise,
when he came into power a. fer the strug-
gle. he appointed commission 10 settle
the differences between his Catholic
brethren and his Protestant countTymen.
The conservative party had thought
that Laurier would not dare 10 defy mis-
church in that question, but history has
written the downfall and the present ut
ter helplessness Of that party in Canada.
Liberalism trumphed and lives 10 wor-
ship its hero. The unity of the British
empire IN Canada iS cXamplitied i'm Iau-
and the Catholic faith.
Before Laurier entered the Dominion
arena he was a member of the Quebec
assembly and his entrance into that leg
isiature was dramatic in the extreme. AL
most unknown, he made his first speech
and the next morning the city of Quebec
asked itself: "Quel est Get etFanger?'
Stepping from his provincial surround
ings into the amphtheater of the Domin-
Ion L., 1,
was at once marked as the coming man
During the Queens jubilee, in 1897. Iau-
rier's carriage led the magnificent pro-
cession Of the colonial empire and his
name was on the lips of all England
Cheer upon cheer from millions OF Brit
/ ish throats greeted his face. not only for
the charm of his picturesque personality
: but for his silvery tongue, his statesman
ship and his splendid courage
Sir Richard Cartwright Dominion MIN
ister of trade and commerce. the second
member of the Canadian Commission is
one of the fathers of the Confederation of
Canada. For nearly thirty years he has
been foremost in the public eye. As par
Humanitarian he has No equal IN Canada
No man knows the rule OF debate a. he
and no man approaches him in mis- Brit
ish style of oratOry or his trencaant pow
er in debate. In this even Laurier has to
casions Laurier's aowery oratoly ascends
like a brilliant meteor Sir Richards 5
language is always perfect, and rot ane
word can be added to nor taken from
the reports of his speeches His sladge-
hammer blows which at times are direct
ed toward his adversaries are ovarHha IN
ing and crushing. " hen he has the floor
il is almost madness to interrupt. for his
lightning repartee briugs catastrop!,. TO
his opponent
Sir Richard represents more truthCuIIy
than any other man in Canada the typl-
cal English statesman, and though I.au.
rier is admired and supported by his Eng
ish-speaking brethren it is Sir Richard
Cartwright that they consider more as
their leader Together the Laurer- Cart
wright combination seems TO unite an al
most Irresistible political power.
Sir Richards grandfather was a United
Empire Loyalist, who left the American
colonies after they had declared their in
dependence and went to Canada Sir
Richard himself was born in Canada and
was educated and was graduated from
Dublin University.
Consistency in public affairs has beer
Sir Richards guiding star even though
he left the Conservative party in early
days and became Liberal. This was at
a time when public scandals shook the
Conservative government of the day It
was consistency of public honor tnat led
him to abandon the party In which he
had been a shining light.
There is nothing visionary about Sir
Richard; everything is sound, solid and
logical In affairs he is a cautious man
and in debate a tower of strength With
al he has the happy faculty of never los
Ing his temper on the floor of Parliament
and IN twenty-five years he has never had
to retract an unparliamentary term but
he can sail close to dangerous reefs deal
ing thrust after thrust into his opponents
until they have been known to pale and
hdget with anger in their seats
Sir Richard Cartwright is considered to
have the greatest grasp of figures of any
man in the Dominion of Canada and he
can put them before his hearers in a way
which makes them both interesting and
instructive. He is also the premier's
right hand man inasmuch as Sir Richard
Cartwright leads the House of Commons
IN Sir Nilfrid Lauriers absence and dur
ing Sir Wiffrid's visit on the occasion of
the Queens Jubilee in England Sir Rich
ard acted as premier In that capacity
he won high praise from friend and foe.
Sir Louis Davies, the third of the Ca
madam commission, is minister of marine
and fisheries for the Dominion of Cana
da. Born in Prince Edward Island his
career Tor many years has been the his
tory OF the island. There he received his
education and his political training He
has been in turn the solicitor general
leader of the opposition, attorney general
and prime minister of the island and
when the Laurier administration was
formed he was called upon to take a
seat in the cabinet of the Dominion.
His judicial mind has been a great
strength To the present Liberal govern
ment, and his power of debate places him
In the front rank in Canada. The fisheries
question has a