The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-08-28
Campaign Meetings Draw ing Large Audiences in
 Spite of Hareyst
PREMIERS LINE UP
 FOR COMING FIGHT
Leaders of Opposition Assert Laurier Has Betrayed Canada and That President Taft Has Annexa-
 ton of Canada in View

ottawa, ontario, August -T.-Reports coming in from all parts of Canada show the intensity of the election struggle which is under full headway and they reflect also the position and progress of the various elements on the main issue iecprocity-b Canada and the United States.
 Although the campaign comes while harvesting is at it's height, conventions and political meetings are drawing au- dienced unparalleeled in size. It is con ceded a greater number of votes than ever in Canada will he boiled.
 Reciprocity has continued. the dominant issue since Premier Laurier and the op- position leader. Borden, made their initial addresses Since then MT. Borden has remained in Ontario speaking daily while Premier I.aurier. after one Ontario meet ing has swung over to the French-Ca- madam province of quebec where he has been addressing from one to two meet ings each day including Sunday
 Meantime the, premlers of various prov inces and other leaders have beeen rang ing themselves on the firing line. Pre- mier Whitney of ontario. Premier Me- Bride of British Columbia and Premier Hagen of New Brunswick have taken the stump. in opposition to the ratification Of reciprocity and in opposition to the return of the Laurier candidates.
 Clifford Sifton, formerly a member of the Laurier ministry, is holding meet ings in Ontario at which he denounces the reciprocity agreement and the govern ment for having made it.
 The grounds taken for and against reciprocity are shown in the reports com ing from all sections The fight against reciprocity is made on both economic and sentimental grounds. Opposition leaders declare agriculture In the United States is so much better developed than it is in Canada that the Canadian farmer will be swamped by the arrival of food prod uetsz From, 4he lsnised States.
 Conservative papers have been printing offers from alleged American fruit, diary and provision farms to sell cheese. fruit, vegetables and other provisions to Ca nadian dealers al less than the prevailing Canadian yates as soon as the reciprocity agreement is confirmed. The liberals have denounced these stories not gen. uine but as arranged for to stampede the Canadian farmer against reciprocity.
 The sentimental ground raised against the return of the government is based on the report that President Taft in a speech had said Cana0a had come to ''the part ing Of the ways as Justification for hay ing passed the reciprocity agreement through Congress. The opposition still insists President Taft has the annexa- tion of Canada in view. Leader Borden gave instance of this Tn his speech at Toronto, saying:
 "I don't doubt the loyalty of the Canadian people. but if Canada delib- eratey interlocks her intersets with those of the United States she will be led step by step into conditions which all her loyalty could not change. The time to withdraw is now before the threshold is reached
 Quebec is regarded as the pivotal prov ince in the election. Here Henri Bouras sa, opposition nationalist leader. is viz J orously deuouncing Premier Laurier as too imperialistic Bourassa declares Iaurier bet7nyed Canadian independence to Great Britain by enacting law for the creation of navy which will event ually lead to the conscription of the young men of Canada Premier Laurier at a meeting in Saint Eustache recently departed from his usual dignity and calm by declaring that Mr. Bourassa was a ''willful liar, :,
 The prime minister has shown splendid form in the campaign. and In spite of his 70 years, he speaks with more vigor than ever before.
 The claims of the two sides up to this date are about as follows;
 The opposition claim they will gain seats from the government in the mari time provinces-Nov Scotia, New Bruns- 0yic nd pr dua r1 Tgl in bee. Ontario, Manitoba and British Co., lumba, while the western provinces of Saskatchewan and Alberta will remain with the government as at present. The liberals, on the contrary, claim they will increase their present large majority in the fFrench-Canadan sections of Quebec and in the maritime provinces. and will make gains In Ontario and throughout the western provinces.
 A feature. of the situation is an almost total absence of betting The opposition is not willing to wager that they will overthrow the. government and the lib erals decline to put money on the size of their majority expected
 Issue In Canada
 Fredericton, N B., August 27.-Several of the leading orators and campaigners in the bitter struggle now In progress between tie Canadian liberal and con servative forces will invade the maritime provinces this week and further enlven the contest
 Tomorrow Sir Wilfrid Laurer will ad- dress great mass meeting in St. Johns where his minister of public works, Hon. William Pugsley, is opposed for re- election to the house of commons by Henry A. Powell. He also will speak at Dignaby, Clifford Sifton, formerly min 1ster of the Interior, but now allied with the conservatives on the reciprocity ques- tion, will speak at Woodstock tomorrow. and will follow Sir Wilfrld in St. John Tuesday. The premier is scheduled to ad- dress various meetings during the week .sG...s4...4
 The campaign In New Brunswick is be- ing hotly contested, several conflicting clements entering into the situation. In the last parliament the New Brunswick conservatives held only two seats in 13, although the provincial government is overwhelmingly of that persuasion. The effect of the annexation argument ad- vanced by the conservative press and speakers in those countries. largely pop ulated by descendants of those who left | New York and New England at the time Of the revolution. Is problematicai The 1nnuspce of powerful patriotic order in English-speakinE districts is expected 0 be exerted in favor Of the conservative party. and in the Gt. John valley the opposition is using the railroad issue as