New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-12-10
TIE MANITOBA ELECTION.

Tho result of last weeks provincial eecuon
IN Manitoba is Of something more than provln-
cial interest The Liberal party, OF which the
Prime Minister, Mr. Greenway, Is leader, was
defeated. 1t had been in power and Mr.. Green
wav had been in office for many years, during
which the province had enjoyed an admirable
administration and unsurpassed prosperity. The
populatIon had increased threefold in eighteen
Years. and products industries and wealth had
correspondingly increased. There was therefore
O. general expectation that the Liberals would
again win and that Mr.. Greenway would be
retained In office for another term On purely
local and provincial grounds such result would
nrobablv have been achieved; but provincial
elections In Canada, as State elections here, are
sometimes fought upon other than local grounds.
Such was the case in Manitoba. The Dominion
government and the Liberal party throughout
the whole Dominion actively supported Mr.
Greenway, while the Conservatives, from Nova
Scotia to Vancouver, threw their influence
against him. The result is victory for the lat
ter and a defeat for the former of national sig
nificance.
Memories of the school conflict in Manitoba
naturally arise and it is asked whether that
controversy did not affect the electoral verdict
The school conflict arose in 1890, reached its
| crisis In 1895 and was settled and ended in 1896
to the general satisfaction OF all concerned. Mr..
Greenway, 1t is true, was the leader OF the ma
tional school party, as opposed TO the separate
school policy Of the Roman Catholic Church, and
It may be that some feeling against him still
exists among the members OF that Church Yet
some of its most influential members have ap-
! Wy f1o ct, 10 -
the schools has been presented TO the voters Of
Manitoba he has been handsomely sustained.
And the increase in population through immigra-
| ton has been chiefly Protestant, and therefore
inclined to support his national school policy.
Moreover, as we have said, Mr.. Greenway was
supported by the Dominion government and the
head of that government Is Roman Catholic
It is thus not to be believed that the school ques
ton played any important part In the election
| On the contrary, 1t should be safe to assume
that the result Of the election indicates that the
school question is now finally settled and laid
upon the shelf
The alternative hypothesis is that the defeat
of the Liberals in Manitoba indicates general
revulsion against that party and foreshadows a
| return Of the Conservatives 10 power In the next
| general election which is now thought to be
near at hand, though only three and half years
Of the quinquennium have expired. 1t will not
do, Of course to reckon too confidently upon any
such indication. The last provincial election in
Nova Scotia, 1t will be remembered, showed a
tremendous overturning in favor Of the Liberals
But the general impression seems TO be-and II
is pretty general confession among the Lib
erals too-that the power OF the Liberals is
waning and that the Conservatives have the bet
ter outlook for success. Nor are the causes
thereof hard TO discover. The Liberal party
made It's fight and won It's victory largely on
the strength OF its promise to abolish Protection
and establish Free Trade. But II has utterly
failed TO fulfil that promise, establishing on the
contrary, discriminating duties, the most odious
of all things to the true Free Trader. Its actor
ON the prohibition question, too, has probably
lost 1t some support, for 1t has practically