The Saint Paul globe., 1900-06-10
CANADA 5 NEXT ELECTION
GOVERNMENT EXPECTED TO DIS
SOLVE PARLIAMENT TO GET A
NEW LEASE OF LIFE
RELY ON PRESENT PROSPERITY
Preferential Tariff and the Action
of the Dominion in Sending
Troops to Africa the
Lending Issues.

intention of the federal government to
take advantage of the prevailing pros
perity and dissolve parliament shortly,
in the hope of securing from a contented
electorate a renewal of the mandate
given June %, 1896. The Canadian con-
stitutlon, framed on the British model.
fixes a maximum term of five years for
the duration of parliament; but the
governor general in council-that is to
say. the ninistry-can select any date
within the constitutional limit for an ap-
peal to the people.
This arrangement has the advantage |
Of providing for a reference to the cleo
tors of the country of any important
question which Unexpectedly arises; it |
has the disadvantage of giving the DOM
inant party an unfair start in the race
for power, by enabling it, as it were, to
choose the ground and the conditions
which most favor its chances. Canadian
politicians are fully alive to this and
some make no pretense of being infiu-
enced in the selection Of a date for cleo
tions by any other consideration than
that of the partys interest. eve shall
bring on the elections when we are
ready" said Mr.. Tarte in one of his
characteristic husting speeches last No
vember eve should be great FOOLS"
he added, 'if we did otherwise.
The administration. then, is now, pre-
sumably, ready, and the close Of the
present session will no doubt be the COM
mencement of a vigorous campaign
The contest will be, for many reasons,
unusually interesting. 1t Will be inter
est.ng to learn whether the French Ca
of with its SiXtV-
five members in a house of some 20O' VIII
continue to Sir Wilfred Laurier the al
most unanimous support which 1t gave
him in 1896. 1t Is, of course, great
thing to have one 'des notres one OF
our own people-at the head OF the DO
minion but enthusiasm has Waned some
what. and the seeds of discomfort have
been busly sown by the "Bleu" leaders,
who point to the inadequate representa-
ton Of the province in tho federal cab
inet and also endeavor surreptitlouSly
TO have the government condemned for
sending troops to the Transyaal, meas
ure unpopular with the French Cana
dams as class, who, whatever the poll
ticians and the press may say, are
against participation Dy Canaua III tno
wars Of the empire.
GOVERNMENT IN A DILEMMA.
Indeed the government is in dilemma
on this loyalty question. Last autumn tnc
English Conservative politicians and
press clamored loudly for the sending Of
a Canadian contingent to assist the Brit
ish forces in the TransYaal. Sir Charles
Tupper addressed a telegram from Hal
flax to Sir Wilfrid Laurier at Ottawa,
offering to cooperate with the govern
ment III responding to Mr.. Chamberlain
appeal. Sir Charles, when Sendlng the
! telegram took care to supply copies to
= thrn e.
| dunn that Sir Wilfrid first heard Of the
opposition leaders plausible offer, for, by
! some extraordinary and unaccountable
! DELAY in transmission between HahfaN
and Ottawa, the original message diu not
reach the prime minister until i've Gays
| after it had been sent. In any ease
! very effective clamor was raised ana
full advantage was taken OF tne neslta- l,tL
| ton of the government This hesitation
proceeded from the fear that the send
! ing of the contingent might mean the
loss of votes in the province OF quebec.
! At last, however, the loyal section OF the
cabinet prevailed, ard not cnly one, but
! two contingentS, one mounted, OF tnou-
| sand men each, were sent, irrespective
of Lord Strathcona's regiment of horse
| Then the complaint of the opposition
was that the government had only paid
the expenses of arming and equipplng thS
contfngents, and delivering them in South
| Africa, whereas truly loyal and patriot
| ic administration would have assumed
the cost of war as well. The loyalty OF
the Liberal party is always under 3us-
picion. Conservatives may sign anneKd-
| tion manifestos, as Sir John Abbott did,
and vet rise to the leadership of their
loval party They may mob one repre-
sentative of the queen and grossly IN
sult another but, as they are always
LOYAL, they are forgiven. With the Lib
| erals, however, it would seem as II the
most practical evidence of attachment TO
British connection was not to be accept
cd The Laurier government has reduced
the tariff on goods exported from the
mother country, first by twelve and O
half. then by twenty-five, and lastly, by
thirty-three and one-third per cent. This
however, is not loyalty to England IT
Conservative eyes. It Is a willful, foolish
and deliberate sacrifice Of Canada's In
terests Instead of making an arrange
ment with the mother country for mu
tuaI preferential trade, we have g1ver
something for nothing, and thrown ope1
, our markets TO the rapacious British
manufacturer.
These loyalty and preferential tariff
questions promise to be the leading Is
sues during the coming campaign. Th'
Bleus will try to rally the Catholic vot
bv seeking to discredit Sir Wiifrtd Lau
5 ~'-N0--
itoba school question which was so prom
inent in 1886, but which both parties hav
since gladly dropped. The Blcus admi
that the question is dead, and declar
that no effort will be made to revive II
, but they argue that Sir Wilfrid shoul
be turned out, nevertheless, because n
failed to secure for the Catholic minorit
of Manitoba a full restitution of 1t
rights That is a very convenient plaT
\ as it will, it is hoped. enable the Con
servatives to win Catholic votes wlthou
, | alternating their Orange friends, who WI
/, be satisfied with the assurance that tn
question will be allowed to rest.
PREFERENTIAL TARIFF.
a The preferential tariff question ha
taken the place Of the old controversy
Protection versus Free Trade. It mus
he confessed that the Liberal govern
ment has sadly failed to give effect
4 the fiscal policy which 1t so warmly &C
! vocated while in opposition. Then tn
vocabularies of Liberal orators did nc
t contain epfthets strong enough to mar
v their utter adherence of the protectiv
principle; but the goal Of office once a
< tanned the Conservative tariff with a II
: tie reforming was found to be goo
:. enough for all purposes, and SO has bee
s retained.
g But, striking as is the discrepancy b'
tween the Liberal party's attitudes c
the tariff question when in opposite
t and when in power, its administration
the finances exhibits a discrepancy ST
more striking. 1t has increased the al
nuaI expenditure by some ten millioI
and Increased the public debt as we
q For TINS 1t will be sternly called to a
count hv tho raformarS who SuDnOrt(