The Thibodaux sentinel. (Thibodaux, La.) 1905-1912, 1911-09-30
RECIPROCITY WAS DEFEATED
A VERITABLE LANDSLIDE FOR
CONSERVATIVES.
Borden viii Be Prime Minister OF
Canada -FieIding-knox Trade
Agreement Set Aside.

Montreal.-The Laurier government
and reciprocity suffered an over
whelming defeat in the Canadian cleo
lions Thursday.
BY a veritable political landslide
the liberal majority of forty-three was
swept away and the conservative par
ty secured one of the heaviest ma
jorities-upward of fifty-that any
Canadian party has ever had. Seven
cabinet ministers who have served
with Premier Laurier were among the
defeated candidates.
The liberals lost ground in prac-
tically every province in the domin-
ion. Where they won their majorities
were small. Where the conservatives
won their majorities were tremend-
GUS. Ontario, the leading province of
Canada, declared almost unanimously
against the administration and reci-
| procity.
Robert l.. Borden, leader of the con-
sentative party, will shortly become
prime minister of Canada. He will be
supported in parliament by working
majority far more than ample for his
purpose.
The government defeat means that
the Fielding-Knox reciprocity agree
ment, ratified by the American con-
gress in extra session, will not be in
troduced when the twelfth parliament
assemblies next month, and that re-
vise0 basis of trade with the United
States, looking to a closer relation,
will not be possible in the immediate
future.
The conservatives are committed to
a policy of trade expansion within
the empire and a closed door against
the United States.
Although reelected in two constitu-
encies in Quebec, the defeat of the
liberal party also means the retire
ment from public life of Sir Wilfred
Laurier, who for nearly two decades
has directed the destinies of the do
minion. Several times during the bit
ter campaign which preceded Thurs
days election the venerable premier
said that defeat of his party at the
polls meant the end of his career.
A liberal membership of fifty-three
from Quebec was cut down to thirty
six, which, taken alone, seriously
threatened the supremacy of the par
ty, but it was in Ontario that the con-
servatives won their greatest vic
tories. Spurred on by patriotism and
the cry that reciprocity was the en-
tering wedge for annexation, the con-
seryatives swept nearly everything be-
fore them. That province, which in
the last parliament was represented
by thirty-five liberals and fifty-one
will send delegation
to the next parliament composed of |
thirteen liberals and seventy-five con-
servatives. A notable feature OF the |
defeat was the opposition's capture of |
two hitherto liberal seats in Saskat-
cheWan.
There is no doubt that we have
been decisively defeated" declared |
Sir Wi1frid Laurier. II gladly lay |
down the premiership, burden which
have carried for fifteen years. We
believed that in making the reciproc-
ity arrangement we had done some
thing which would be greatly to the
benefit of the people of Canada. The
electors have decided otherwise and |
bow to their decision. / regret that
we have been unable to carry reci-
procity, which l still believe would
have promoted the material advance
ment of Canada and would have pro-
noted the growing friendship between
the United States and Canada"