The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-08-31
LIBERAL SHIFT
Laurier and His Party in Canada
Drifting Toward the High
Duty Idea.
Unless Reciprocity CORES Soon This
Change in Alignment Will
sh..s n Out Entirely.

From a staff Correspondent
tive party in Canada is the Eigh tariff party,
and the liberal the low. tariff, or taflh for
psra IS se ena e. ha n f a
favors closer trade relations with US. oh a
basis of lower. duties than, those now pre-,
yailing. The debates Oh the Grand Trunk
bsra a asenng . sees
Hcation Of this alignment. The conservative
party 10 still III favor Of high tariff, but
liberal nut attitu s THAT parity noW processes
to believe that the. new railway is necessary
In order to rrotect the county from the
be abolished.
One or two prominent liberal speakers
ip the house Of commons have limited
esssaa % is ADOPT e nigh
ax II 4. this ssr,t talk cr Of into s sds
may be intended primarily for political ct. ct.
feet general election Possihls before s., , the
It, is an Important affair, and tho liberals viii
rot be blamed for taking, advantage OF every
argument. But at the same fine the pres
ent position of that party is rather puzzling
Eelined to wonder whether the liberals will
be nble, even If desiring to do so, to main-
tain without modification their old time atti-
tude Of friendship for the United States
Liberal speeches in the house are rather
strangely tinged with conservative views as
to the United States, and in the hubbub of
[ the liberal leaders may have to place them-
selves on the American question. ~ 8 &, %
The Bonding Privilege.
Sir Wilfred Laurier has put great stress on
tho possibility of withdrawal of the bond
ing privilege but the opinion now prevails
sentative speakers in the commons. analyzing
that portion of the premier's formal address,
poke fun at him without mercy, and the
general opinion here is that the United States
has quite as much at stake as Canada In
view was taken in the commons only the
Grand Trnnk Pacific bill by Mr.. Borden,
leader Of the conservatives, and what lie said
was loudly applauded by his colleagues. Even
the liberals when talking priyately 40 not
The forthcoming appeal to the country wiz
tie primarily on the Grand Trunk Pacific bill.
The tariff will. cut little or no figure. How
ever, it is predicted by we'll informed men
that before another election the liberals, If
| suce essful the coming winter, may modify
their low tariff position and meet the people
for greater protection against the /, United
States and the upbuilding of Canadian manu-
features. This is what leads thinking men
to believe that reciprocity, If not accom-
Cannot be accomplished at all.
Laurier's Personal popularity.
In former dispatches rom this city atten-
ton has been called to the personal ptpu--
larity, Of the Canadian premier, Sir Wllfred
towards the eastern end of it, he is Catholic,
and his personal traits are such as to draw
men to him wherever he Is well known.
While eastern Canada has usually been con-
sentative, at the same time 1t stands by the
PREMIER and the strongest prop Of the lib
erals in the ensuing election will be his popu.
larty This being true, the result may not
accurately show how the country really
stands on the issues presented. Sir Wilfred
will be depended on to pull the liberals thru"
American Revision sRsnsote.
| There is another reasons why the liberals
may, before many years, modify tn so low
to talk Of any lowering Of the present duties,
as long as the United States adheres 50
strongly to its policy of high protection, 1t
form in the states is remote; that revision
by the republican party will not mean any
lowering Of duties that will help Canada; that
| revision at the hands of the democrats Is too
far off to think about Canadians believe? that
President Roosevelt will be nominated and
| elected next year, and that his party will,
thru that election, take on an indefinite lease
Of power Why. then, they ask look for any
! radical modification of existing American
duties? AS long as the American duties are
| approximately where they are to-day, Canada
IlAuoC hSOP ny Iva PoAAS! - -
| the liberal party must give its assent there
to. The seeming inconsistency Of a low tariff
party supporting the rather high duties OF
| the present Canadian tariff Is therefore ex-
planned. Aside from this consideration, there
| is the right Of the individual manufactures,
who has made beginning under protection,
thinks he sees in the; future wide de-
velopment of his resources if protection is
maintained and the rates raised, and who at
least has the right to demand that he be pro-
tccted from the ruin which lower duties
would surely bring. The people In Canada
who are most clamorous for higher duties
are the manufacturers and their employees.
These people live in the cities of the Domin-
ion, where the conservatives are strongest.
| The larger portion of the liberal vote is in
the rural districts, where protection has not
yet cor1e to be regarded as necessary to the
country's prosperity And yet the patriotic
appeal for greater and more closely united
Canada which is foreshadowed III the Grand
Trunk Pacific BILL may bring the rural voters
to a position Of acquiescence in g. liberal at
! titude favoring a raising OF the duties The
! liberals it Is hardly expected, will put their
rates as high as the conservatives have theirs;
their position, as already suggested, is more
likely to be middle ground, between the pres;
ent tariff and the ultra-conseryative position.
That sentiment here is growing IN favor OF
higher duties can be discovered on every
| hand.
W. W. Jermane.