Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-07-31
Politics Cut a Great Figure
in Canada.
THE PRESENT TROUBLE
Over the Canadian Boundary Was
= Not Brought on by Laurier, Who
is a Friend of the United StateS--
The Canadian Demands.

New York, July 31.-A special to the
Herald from Washington says: The at
titude of the Canadian government on
the Alaska boundary question has con-
vinced officials here that back of it lies
the vital issue of Canadian politics as to
how intimate relations should be main
tained with the United States. Incl
dentally, the relations between Canada
and Great Britain are involved, as there
have been many acute differences be-
tween London and Ottawa during the
last two years negotiations over the
Bering sea and the Alaskan boundary.
These have developed extreme sensitive
ness on the part Of Canada as to the au-
thority exercised over her by the home
government. The question of Canada s
proper position with regard to the United
States has been an absorbing question
for the last ten years in the dominion
and was the main factor in bringing Sir
Wilfrid Laurier, the present premier,
into power. Laurer was the first to
make prominent the issue of enlarging
the relations with the United States.
Prior to that a policy Of isolation had
been pursued by Sir John Macdonald,
leader Of the conservatives, who sought
to make Canada a rival of this country
and approached every dispute with the
United States in spirit of enmity. This
brought on troubles over the Atlantic
fisheries, the lake fisheries, Bering sea
and other matters.
Laurier. who had become the leader of
the liberals, attacked the government
leaders for their constant warning with
the United States, instead of cultivating
friendly relations. Canada was agitated
from end to end over the question of
commercial union, as Laurer called it.,
and the policy of friendship became i'm
mensely popular. In self-defense the
conservative leaders sent delegation to
Washington, who conferred with Secre-
tary Blaine as to reciprocity. They re-
ceived distinct rebuff from Mr.. Blaine,
but it is not so generally known that the
reason for his action was because he
knew Laurier was the coming force in
Canadian affairs and was likely to sue
ceed to the premiership and adopt a
policy of genuine friendship toward this
country
AS soon as Laurier came into power he
took steps to redeem his pledge to the
people, to seek to promote cordial rela-
tons with this country. This explains
the origin of the Anglo American COM
mission with it's many long-standing con-
troversies to settle. The British author
tiles are said to have observed this rise
of Laurer with some apprehension, as
the defeated tories stood for the old Zip
loyalty to England, while Laurier stood
for Canada's progress along natural lines
of development, particularly with this
country. It has ever been suggested
that the knighting of Sir Wilfrid was to
ovnrcome this spirit of independence
However this may be. Laurier set about
negotiating with this government, and
it is hardly too much to say that his i'm
mediate personal future, as well as the
future of his party, is bound up in the
execution of his plans of wping out the
old scores with the United States and es-
tablishing better relations. He is sim
cerely anxious to settle the Alaskan
boundary question. as failure on this
means a failure of his entire programme
The logical result of such failure will
be the retirement of Laurier and party
from power and the turning of the reins
of power to Sir Charles Tupper Sir Will
frid Lanrier was not quick to accept Sir
Charles recent proposition for retalia-
tory war against the United States, for
once such war begins, Sir Charles and
the tories, not Sir Wilfrid and the liber-
ais, are the ones to conduct it, Never
theless it is likely that he will find way
sooner or later of healing the breach
over the Alaska question and clearing
the way for the settlement of these yexinp