The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-10-27
WOMAN HOLDS
PARTY'S FATE
Lady Laurier Wishes Her Husband
to Retire-Party Managers
Say Nay.
She Fears for His Health but May
Not Insist Until Election
Is over.
New York Sun Special Service.

New York Sun Special Service.
Ottawa, Ont, Oct. 27.-"Cherchezr Ia
femme" say the French when a crime
is committed, and with most of the
affairs of life one might says the same
and be getting on the right clue. In
Canada to-day a woman holds in her
hand the power to keep in public life
or to take out of it Sir Wflfrid Laurier,
the beloved premier. That woman is
his wife. The newspapers here say
that the premier is in good health but
they are better Informed and print
roseate accounts Of his condition out
of respect for him. for he is admired
by all classes irrespective of politics.
But the truth Of the matter is that
the premier Is a very sick man. When
he was in Paris last year he consulted
with celebrated physician who had
performed an operation on his coll
league, Israel Tarte, the year before.
The doctor diagnosed the case as 9
serious affection Of the stomach and
liver and prescribed strict diet and
rest from eXacting work. He was
very i'll when he returned to Ottawa
early this year and those who stood
nearest to him were anxious. Their
anxiety has not been entirely dis
PEELED by the progress he has made
during the session just past, for his
ministers know that for him to remain
in harness much longer will be to
~
their way clear to let him retire until
the party has again gone to the coun-
try and been returned to power. Yet
all their schemes may go astray II
Lady so wills it.
"A Fine Type of Woman.
Lady Laurier is a fine type of wo-
man, human woman. She is not
schooled in books nor was she reared
in the lap of luxury. She began life
III ~ ..t,I,o tod
Sir Wilfrid, then a poor. almost brief
less lawyer In the little village Of
Arthurbaskaville, she had no vision of
ruling as the first lady in the land.
She Is still swayed by the same i'm
pulses that swayed her in the old days.
She is bigger in heart than in head.
All that her husband has achieved has
not turned her head, all that is be-
slowed upon her has not caused her
to fall to properly estimate what to a
woman Is the best thing in the world
love of husband and of home. She is
tired of the tinsel and show of life at
the capital and Is grieved at her hus-
bands failing health. She wants to
take him back to the old home and to
have the color brought back to his
wan cheeks thru contemplation of the
scenes that made up happiness for
them long years ago. She wants to
have him all to herself where the
Cdl cS VI OlllCc CdIlIlOI DIGdh Ill dIlu
steal him from her. All the wifely in
stincts of the woman are to the fore
and the capital sees the struggle be-
tween the wife and the party with
something akin to awe.
How will it end?. There is little
doubt that Lady Laurier will sink her
own wishes in the furthering of what
she may think is the career of her hus-
band, but one shudders to think of the
struggle she will be compelled to
make daily when she sees that every
day takes so much out of Sir Wilfrid.
But it will only be till the election is
over. She will lend him to the party
and to the country till then. Then
they two will go back together to the
little village home awaiting them.
1t is now taken for granted that an
election will be held either before
Christmas or at once after the New
Year. With the return of the liberals
to power, a new premier will be
chosen and the present one will retire
with the good wishes of all Canada.
But how many will think of the
fight that Lady Laurier has been
making all these years.?