The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-05-27

Britain. In consideration Of the tariff prefer
ence given by Canada to the mother coun-
try; the establishment Of cold storage on
ships leaving Canadian ports for Great
Britain. and the consequent fastening
Of the attention OF Canadian farmers on
the British market: the arrangement for
an all-British Pacific cable. assented to
by the British Parliament after favorable
action by the Canadian Parliament. al
though, a little earlier. 1t had been rejected
in the British Commons: successive reduce
tions in the duties levied upon British goods.
until now the impost is no larger than 1t
was In 1878; and. finally. the participation OF
Canadian soldiers in Britain's war In South
Africa? For every one Of these acts, oil
tending in the same direction. the credit Is
claimed for the Liberal party. which is now
IN power. and. for this reason. the Herald
believes that Sir WILFRID LAURIEB and his
colleagues will retain the confidence OF a
considerable majority Of the people Of the
Dominion.
The Toronto Mad and Empire. speaking
for the Conservatives. asserts that they,
and not the Liberals. should be credited
with the Inauguration OF the cold-storage
system, which, moreover, they would have
secured on more favorable terms: that the
all British Pacific cable Is a Conservative
rather than a Liberal project; and that the
despatch Of a Canadian contingent to South
A er,,n upaa f,r,al nnpn thu Ifhprul AIinisfrT
by the Conservative Opposition. AS for the
tariff preference given TO British goods in
Canadian ports, the Mail and Empire que
that il was granted at the wrong time. and
without a proper equivalent: that 1t ought
TO have been withheld until a correspond
ing concession should have been secured
for Canadian raw products in tho mar
kets Of the United Kingdom.
Both the Maj and Empire. however, and
the Daily Star declare that the principal issue
on which the coming campaign will turn Is
not the Dominion's relation TO Great Britain
but one vitality affecting the existence OF
free government. 10 wit: an honest ballot
box. Having In view the recent exposure
Of corrupt acts on the part Of agents Of the
liberal party In the by-elections at West
Huron and Brockville. the Star AYERS that
popular self-government In Canada has
been made a by-word and a scorn. 1t pre-
diets that the people Of the Dominion will
not tolerate the system OF ballot steal
ing and ballot forging which Is charged
against the Governments friends. and
which Is about TO be made the subject OF
judicial inquiry. With Sir W1LFRlD LAu-
RIER's consent. the charges are 10 be in
v~estigatcd. not. indeed, by the Parlamen-
tary Committee on Privileges and Elections.
but by a Royal Commission Of Judges
selected by the Government. According to
the star, the probable effect Of the selection
OF such a tribunal will be to prevent the
completion OF the inquisition before the
general election. The Star. however. be-
lieves that Canadian voters do not need the
aid Of a Royal Commission to arrive at the
conclusion that the offences charged in the
West Huron and Brockville cases were
actually committed. They will hold, the
star thinks, that the Circumstantial story
told by one PRITCuETr in an affidavit about
deputy returning officers being bribed to
steal, forge and spoil ballots is corroborated
by the uncontradicted fact that ballots nave
been stolen, forged and spoiled on ar ex-
tensive scale.
The Journal OF Ottawa, which. "a we have
said, is relatively impartial, agrees with the
Montreal Daily Star In thinking that cleo
toral corruption will be the pivot Of the
coming general election. Il says that, II
Parliamentary inquiries into the West Huron
aud Brockville frauds should be refused by
the Government. the inference would be
legitimate that nothing alleged in those
cases Is much worse than the truth. and that
the Liberal party fears to face the facts.
The journal adds that. while. in a num-
Der Of respects, the Conservative party
made a discreditable exhibition of itself
during its last tenure of Office. yet 1t Is
doubtful whether at any time in the history
OF the Conservative party, there was such
a consensus OF testimony derogatory to the
character Of the party as there is at present
against the good name of the Liberals"