The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-07-29
WAR ISSUE N CANADA,IOO
MORE SERIOUS THAN In THE
UNITED STATES, FOR 1T IN
Wolves RACE CRY
FRENCH AND ENGLISH CLASH
Besides the Question of Sending
Troops to south Africa, That
of Prohibition Is Going to
Cut d Figure.

! MONTREAL, July 8.-The DOMINION OF
Canada, like the United States Of Amer
! lea, is on the eve of a general election,
and although the former, which was to
come off this fall, has been postponed till
| the spring, 1t is remarkable that some OF
| the principal factors involved are the
same in both countries. and in both con-
| tests the war on combines will play q
great part
| The two parties are Liberals, now IN
power, and Conservatives; the former are
under the leadership of Sir Wilfrid Lau-
rier, French Canadian Catholic Of great
attachments, but with little Of the polite
| ian about him, and the latter headed by
| Sir Charles Upper, an old English speak
| ing war horse of over seventy, who follows
| the late Sir John Macdonald's tactics. The
| first named has as his principal lieuten-
ant J. J. Tarte, minister Of public works,
| and a French Canadian, and the latter
will have Hugh John Macdonald, the son
of the late Sir John. Both parties have
taken up the war cry, cry which is
much more serious here than in the Unit
ed States, for it combines with 1t race
cry which Is apt to cause bad feelings
between the English and French speak
ing people of which the Canadian nation
IS composed.
AS a rule the two nationalites get
along we'll together, but the race cry
makes itself heard at every election, more
or less. though 1t has probably never had
SO serious a tone as it will have this COM
ing contest. How serious 1t might be-
come was shown on the occasion of the
relief of Ladysmith, when rioting went
on merrily indeed. Mr.. Tarte, who is, no
doubt, the power behind the throne Of the
present administration, has been the prin-
cipal man to use 1t as a political Weap-
on, and his example has been followed by
lesser men during the last session Of the
Dominion parliament, which has just fin
ished sitting. The burden Of his speeches
have been in favor of the Beers and
against the policy of sending our troops
to South Africa During his present so
journ in France as Canadian high COM
missioner he has hobnobbed with DR..
Leyds, the Transvaal agent, and in
speeches. at different times he has made
statements which, to say the least, were
unpatriotic. French-Canadian politicians
of lesser power have followed his lead,
but with more Vehemence, and the South
African war and the injustice of sacrific-
ing valuable French-Canadian lives in a
struggle against people with whom the
French Canadians have no quarrel, will
be the principal cry on the part OF the
Liberals, and almost as strong on the
part of the Conservatives. who from the
first advocated the sending of Canadian
ccntingents, and have as one of the
strongest points in their platform the
unity of the British empire and the ex-
tension thereof Then, again. the Con-
sentative party has plank which means
the breaking of the power of combines,
more particularly the Stanard Oil COM
pany. They claim that a bad example
has been set by allowing this corporation
the freedom 1t has enjoyed In Canada I'M
der the present government, and that if
nothing is done to stop it's power other
similar combines will simply overrun Can
ada and kill local industries of q similar
character.
One of the greatest factors in the com
ing elections, however, next to the race
| cry, will be the prohibition vote. The
liberal party made a great bid for the
vote last election and had a national
| plebtscite taken on the question Of pro-
| hibition. Nothing was done, however,
after the vote, in the way of restrictive
! legislation, for the French Canadian
! Catholic premier found himself between
| the devil and the deep sea, and would
! either have TO forego the support of the
| Prohibitionists or the support of the
| voters Of his own nationality, who are
! against prohibition. So the matter was
| allowed to slide along quietly, and the
| ProhbitionIsts have been kept hoping,
| till at last hope and patience alike are
| gone. and even such an important Eng
! lish liberal paper as the Montreal Wit
| ness, which, by the way. is persistent in
| rs temperance work. says that what is
refused by the liberals may be secured
from the tories" In the four-column
article the paper says:
1.-The careful reader and student of his
tory knows history Is very apt at times
to repeat itself. When the question of
catholic emancipation was being agi-
tated in England the liberal leaders of
the day refused to feel the throb of the
nations heart on that question. What
happened? The great stalwart Tory, the
Duke of Wellington, gave to England
catholic emancipation.
again there arose a cry in England
to throw open the portals of commerce.
The nation demanded the freedom of
trade. The great liberal leader of that
day did not feel the throb of the ma
tons heart on the question of trade.
What happened? Sir Robert Peel the
great leader of Toryism. gave England
free trade. History is repeating itself in
the very same manner in our own do
minion- Five times over in successive
plebiseites, dominion and provincial, the
people have declared for suppression Of
the liquor traffic. The Liberal leaders of