Watertown leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1909-1911, 1911-09-29
RECIPROCITY AND
LAUR|ER BEATEN
Liberal Government Meets De-
feat in Canada Election.
SEVEN MINISTERS LOSE OUT
Returns Show Majority Of Fifty for
Opposition In Next Parliament
Result Disappointing to Presi-
dent Taft

Montreal. = The Laurier gov
eminent and reciprocity suffered
an overwhelming defeat in the Cana,
dian elections. BY a veritable polit-
1cal landslide the Liberal majority of
AZ was swept away and the Conserva.
i've party secured one of the heaviest,
ma]orlties, upwards of so, that any;
Canadian party has ever had.
IN the landslide against reciprocity
seven ministers of the Laurier govern
ment went to defeat, including Minis
ters Fielding and Paterson, who nego-
uated the agreement at Washington
Fielding was beaten in his home dis
tr1ct in Nova Scotia, while Paterson
was beaten In Ontario.
The Conservatives have gained not
less than rs seats in Ontario and as
many in Quebec.
The result comes as an unexpected
disaster in the face of the confident
hopes of the government that it would
be sustained on the paramount issue
it had made of reciprocity between
Canada and the United States.
Sir Wilfrid Laurier is elected in
Quebec East, as the seat had not been
contested
The Liberals lost ground in prac-
tlcally every province of the Dominion.
Where they won, their majorities were
small. Where the Conservatives won
their majorities were tremendous. On
tario, the leading province of Canada,
declared almost unanimously against
the administration and reciprocity.
Robert l.. Borden, leader OF the Con-
servative party, will shortly become
the prime minister of Canada He
will be supported in parliament by a
working majority of members far
more than ample for his purposes.
The government defeat means that
the Fielding-Knox reciprocity agree
ment, ratified by the American con-
gross in extra session, will not be
introduced when the Twelfth parlia-
ment assemblies next month. and that
revised basis of trade with the
United States, looking to closer COM
mercIal relations, will not be possible
In the immediate future. The Con-
OF trade expansion within the empire
and a closed door against the United
States.
Although reelected in two con-
stituencies in Quebec, the defeat of
the Liberal party also means the re-
tirement from public life of Sir Will
frld Laurier, who for nearly two de-
cades has directed the destinies of the
dominion. Several times during the
bitter campaign which preceded the
election the venerable premier said
that defeat of his party at the polls
meant the end of his career; that ne
never would consent to lead a minority
in opposition to a Conservative gov
eminent.
Liberal membership of So from
Quebec was cut down to Sc, which.
taken alone, seriously threatened the
supremacy of the party But it was
In Ontario that the Conservatives won
their greatest victories Spurred on
by appeals to patriotism and the cry
that reciprocity was the entering
wedge for annexation, the Conserva-
tives swept nearly everything before
them.
That province, which in the last
parliament was represented by 35
Liberals and 81 Conservatives, will
send delegation to the next com
posed Of 13 Liberals and rs Conserva-
tives. A notable feature Of the de-
feat was the opposition's capture of
two hitherto Liberal seats in Sas-
katchewan
Kalamazoo, Mich President
Taft heard the news of the de-
feat of reciprocity in the Canadian
election while at a banquet here The
intelligence cast gloom over the pres
idential party and caused the presi.
dent intense disappointment
Il am greatly disappointed over the
result of the reciprocity election so far
as the returns have indicated" said
the president