New-York tribune., 1909-05-09

Then ne advised the Governor TO. dissolve Par
Lament and order "A new election without having
the session convened but the Governor declined TO
do this on the ground that he would not be jus
tilted in imposing on the colony the cost OF "a new
election without testing every possibility Of OBJ
tanning the passage OF the annual appropriation
bills. Bond thereupon resigned. and the Governor
called upon Morris to form ministry This the
latter did. and. after months delay, met the
Legislature. He had been unable 10 obtain an
adherent from Bonds ranks. as Bond had pre-
viously been unable 20 obtain one from his but
Morris shrewder than Bond. proposed one or his
own men as Speaker though this would have
placed him IN minority on the hoor- Bond re-
fused to allow this speaker to be elected and
thereby committed a tactical bunder. so the Gov
ernor seeing further effort be fruitless dis
solved the House and allowed Morris to 20 to the
country with the reins Of power In his hands
For the last month the country has been in
turmoil over this political struggle and at this
writing he would be a daring man who would
predict how the election viii result. though super
fcially the advantages in Morriss favor. since
in November he split the country with Bond when
the latter had the government.
An election is fought with intensity unknown
elsewhere. We have more politics to the square
inch than any other country and for weeks before
polling we live in a political deirium. when things
are said ana done that are almost beyond belief
Some years ago one candidate, afterward our
knIghted Premier kidnapped by opponents
his arm being broken in the struggle and was
marooned on islet 10 prevent his being noml-
mated but he had luckily left his papers with MS
agent and that rather strenuous scheme de-
feated. Another. also knighted since. found al
the bridges cut down on road he must traverse
TO reach his district. and had to wade through
rivers waist deep to get there A third VINO
reached knghthood. suffered the loss of the tails
of his coat On opponent cutting them off and sIee-
fully exhibiting them all through the country
Once a by-electioI. proclaimed after the only
available steamer which could reach the district
left
sition candidate had to go to Halifax by snip
then 20 Sydney by rail and across 10 the island py
boat roundabout journey of l,oD miles Al an
other critical by-election party objected to
hopt.notes as legal tender nomination fees, and
tho other party had hire tug and send one
of their cleverest lawyers with enough gold TO re-
Mace the notes This incident ended badly Tor II
ICED ~ the public that the banks were un-
saFe - the notes were no good" and few months
later the bank crash came, which Is Diach le''ei
day I'm our colonial history.
The recent election was unique. in that Slr fu-
r,ard Morris who led the opposition, is Cath
~, .ba frs, Of his faith assume the chiefshlp
q, e.t,, years The colony has enjoyed representa-
five administration. limited autonomy since 1898
and responsible government or cohpe'e HoiHo
r,,a in internal affairs. since 1856 IN lhose uaSs
a majority of the population were Cathohcs ana
the premiers of that faith but sraduaI'1
the balance changed through Catholic emigratioh'
and not since 1860 has anybody save an Ahsiicah
hold the post except Bond. who Is Melhcuis''
Catholics Anglicans and Methodists each represent
one-tbIrd OF the population. So that Sir EDWARD
Morris is now in the same position here as 9lr VIII
frid Laurier IN Canada
xvap has said that the two principal factors IN
our noItics are King William and the Pope ana
TWENTY-FIVE years ago the country was conVused
bv an Orange Catholic riot in which several per-
sons were killed. The next election resulted li d
,o,.arrr,ent of twenty-five Protestants and an Op-
nosfon OF fourteen Catholics but the better sense
of The people soon reasserted itself. and before
many wears the electorate divided again on
nurA marty lines Perhaps the most serious feature
NJ the situation to-day is the lack OF political ma
teriaI 10 succeed the present leaders. If Messrs'
Pond and Morris both OF whom have had quar-
ter-centurys experience of public fe sixteen years
Of which they have spent in the government were
10 be eliminated tomorrow, the filing or their
places by men whom the country would take seri-
ousy would nor be task. and the standard
Of parliamentary candidates is not rising on the
wholee