New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-02-03
THE DOMINION PARLIAMENT.

Business begins to-day az Ottawa. The LIB
eraI Government long ago cut out its WORK Tor
itself Now comes the more arduouS task or
fulfilling promises. The programme. 1t Will be
remembered, was made up at Ottawa In 1913
when the Liberals were in opposition. IL i,
easy for an opposition party to criticise me one
in power and tell the great things 1t would do
# only the electors would give 1t chance so
tho Liberals talked boldly. They would sweep
away the hated protective tariff and give Can
ada Free Trade They would take pleDiscitum
on the question Of the liquor traffic and on the
abolition OF the Dominion electoral franchise
They would put relations with the United
ctotes on n more satisfactory basis. And they
would do various other things which the Con-
seryatiyes had wickedly left undone. And then
tho electors decided to give them a chance 10
fulfill their words It began at last years SEES
sion and cannot be said TO have been much I'M
nroved Only the tariff was dealt with and
that in a way pretty directly repudiatinG Lib
=, nj hedges Free Trade was not adopted, but
irstead n mere garbed form of the old Con
Sentative protection with the addition Of the
scbcme-most odiOus Of all TO your true Free
Trader-of discriminating duties. AS for all else
it was postponed to the next session, which
or ems to-day. though during the recess the Gov
crnmcnt managed by unreasoning obstinacy to
make IFS relations with the United States worse
than ever before.
The other issues must now be taken up. The
prohlbition question Will probably prove trou-
blcsome The Government will not hesitate to
take the plebiscitum. The form Of taking 1t is
what discussion is about. The Prohibitlonists
demand that there shall be a simple vote Of
Yes or NO" on the simple question Shall
the liouor trade be prohbted?' The opponents
Of prohibition. on the other hand. demand that
On each ballot there shall be a reminder TO the
voter that prohibition may neccSsitate the i'm
posiron Of direct taxation, as yet unknown in
the Dominion There will doubtless be a bitter
debate over this poiut and whichever way the
Government decides there will be dssatlsfac-
,ion If prohibition Is voted. seems by no
means improbable, another vcxing problem will
be imposed upon the Government, TO raise suif-
Gent revenue without burdensome taxation
The choice will lie between direct taxation and
increased protection. the one most odous to the
PEOPLE. and the other selfstutlfyng to the
Government The proposal to repeal the Do
minion franchise is simpler. but will certainly
provoke fierce controversy. The present law
establishes eight classes Of voters ut Dominion
elections. and Is sufficiently inclusive TO satisfy
all except the comparatively few advocates OF
universal suffrage. The objection to 1t Is that
II puts the electoral machinery in the hands Of
the Dominion Government. The proposal is 10
rereal It and let each province regulate Its own
electoral affairs, the States Of this Union do
theirs.
The question Of ''retrenchment and reform"
will, OF course be brought up. though more by
the opposition than by the Government. To the
latter II is a subject. The Liberals in oppo-
sition were never weary Of denouncing the ex-
travagant expenditures OF the Conservatives,
and especially the way In which they voted sub
, sides TO railroads and other enterprises. But
| since they took Office the Liberals have been
even more extravagant than the Conservatives
We're and hive voted ,ubsldies and increased
the national debt In the most reckless fashion.