The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-11-08
STEP ON THE WAY
TO RECIPROCITY
Significance to United States Of
Success of Canadian
Liberals. >a;!s
Special to The journal.

Special to The Journal
Ottawa, Nov. s.-The result Of the |
Canadian elections has been a surprise |
to everyone, liberals and conservatives
alike: None really believed that the
Laurier administration would be defeat:
ed, but we'll Informed and unbiased men
who had made a careful study Of the
political situation thruout the country,
believed that the government would lose
ten to fifteen seats. Indeed, the very
day before election, in an interview
with the Ottawa Journal, Mr.. Bel
court, speaker of the house Of COM
mons, and the chief liberal candidate
for Ottawa city, claimed maj ority Of
majority in the last parliament was
IS, this meant loss Of ten seats. Up
to the time of writing, the liberals have
majority of 81 or IS, with several
constituencies still in doubt, and three
or four in which the election will not
be held for some time yet. Two Of
these, at least, are certain to 90 liberal;
and in all probability the others will do
altogether probable that the govern
ment will have majority of 10. Even
the present majority is larger than has
been held by any previous Canadian
government.
Government VS.. Privately Owned Rail-
roads.
There can be no doubt as to the
meaning of this verdict. There was
only one important issue before the
people-that Of the transcontinental
railroad. The government asked pub
lie approval of the contract 1t had en-
company for the construction Of a road
from Moncton on the Atlantic to Port
Simpson on the Pacific, the first half
from Moncton to Winnipeg to be built
by the government and leased to the
Grand Trunk Pacific, and the latter half
to be built and operated by the COM
pany, with the aid of a governmen
subsidy. The opposition, on the other
3 16 government ownership Of the entire
The issue was perfectly .clear-and
the verdict equally so. The overwhelm-
ing Majority of Canadians have placed
themselves on record as opposed to gov
eminent ownership Of the new transcon'
culiarly significant in Winnipeg. The
conservatives made a particularly
strong effort to capture Winnipeg in
the elections.
There were three candidates-liberal
conservative and labor. The latter, Mr.
Puttee, represented winnipeg IN the
! last parliament and supported the ad
{ ministration. A few days before the
election he announced himself as in ia
vor Of government ownership. His per
sonal popularity, and the fact that hi
support was nominally liberal, made il
appear that he would cut largely into tn
following Of the straight government
candidate and make the return Of Mr.
Sanford Evans, the conservative can
didate, doubly certain. The election
however, resulted in the return Of tn
government candidate by large ma
& iority over both the conservative an,
4 the labor man.
\ The result of the election clearly in
\ dicates also that Canadasis content t.
4 let well enough alone SO far as the tar
i iff is concerned. The existing revenu
4 policy Of the government has resulte
a in increased prosperity for the country
Good Thing for Reciprocity.
Indirectly, too, it is move towar
4 reciprocity with the United States. Th