The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1908-10-26
Heavy Rain in Western Cana
da Will Result in a Light
Vote
GOVERNMENT WILL LOSE
some OF ITS MhJoR|T
Figh: Has Been Bitter One, the Lib.
erals Relying en- Its Railroad Poll.
cy and Conservatives Charging Graft
and FavOritism.

winnipeg. oct. 26.-A heavy rain
fell all day Sunday AMI is still fall
Ing, accompanied by a cold north
wind, making tao conditions tho very
worst In western Canada for the poll-
Ing OF votes today for members Of the
house OF commons at Ottawa. Tho
roads In some districts are impass-
able, depriviny many farmers Of the
opportunity to exercise the franchise.
The contest has been waged with un-
usual bitterness during the past four
weeks. The li.elal government has
been attacked for granting timber
limits and grazing leases in the west
to favor,tes or to those having a pull,
but the government Is relying ON be-
Ing sustained on tts railway policy.
the completion of Grand Trunk
Pacific railway rom eastern Canada
to the P''cific coast and the building
of the railway to Hudson bay. There
are thfrty-six seats vest Of the great
lakes in Manitoba. Alberta and Brit
ish Columbia. The will probably be
a divide ! representation between the
two parties but Saskatchewan's ten
seats will likely GO solldly for the
government TEare are five deferred
elections. .hree III Brush Columbia,
one in Saskatchewan and one in Yu-
ken. James Root. who :s running In
Redder, Alberta, is cousin of the
United States secretary of state.
Most authorities. however, agree
that the liberals will be shorn of some
OF their strength should they again
be returned to power. The liberals
had majority If sixty siv members
in the last parliament. Their lead
ers say they will be satisfied with
half that numD.r in the new one
conservative leaders and conserva-
Conservative leaders and conserva-
estimate on the size of The majority
which they expect their party to
achieve. The Toronto World, an in
dependent neNeIaDer, w tn conserva-
tive leanings, r:raic:s that the next
parliament will ne conservative with
a majority of six votes.
There have r.en few notable fea-
lures in the car paign. Sir Wilfrid
Laureier made his appeal to the elec-
tors to lie enat'.1 to complete the
work begun uEtel his administration
most notably the building of the ma
tional trans-co;;;iten entail railway. He
appealed for renewal Of confidence
on the ground that his government
has given to Cansd;, twelve years Of
unexampied prosperity, has turned
the tide Of immigration 70 this coun-
try, has promoted the unity of races,
ir the dominion ard given Canada q
new status not only in the empire
but among the na,.ons Of the world.
The liberals have stuck closely to the
issue thus outllrcd by their leader.
Hon. L. Borden. the leader of the
opposition forces. ard his party, have
made their fight almost wholly on a
question Of electoral purity and ad-
ministration reform. They have pre-
sented to the electors large number
of scandals, ranging from the spoila-
ton of the government c. main for the
enrichment of friends of the govern
ment. down to The accel ,ance of petty
bribes from contractors ON public
works by governr, ent officials.
Premier Laurie: has ignored the
scandals, declaring them too trivial
to merit his attention. He has con-
fined himself to Il discussion Of Can
ada's gr r,wth aud deve lopment, and
its future.
The effect of tic scandal campaign
upon the minds of the voters furnish
es the principal e!emenr of doubt In
anticipating the result of todays vot-
ing.