New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-08-07
Canada's Election Machinery
Being Prepared for Next
Months Contest.
PRESIDENT TAFT A FACTOR
Conservative Forces Assert That
the Crest of a Coming Tidal
Wave of Anti Reciprocity
Has Been Sighted.


ment is indicated by the fact that hardly
any members were ready TO leave for their
constituencies 10 take up the fight for re-
election. The last groups are now leaving
Ottawa Meanwhile tons of printed matter
has been put into the mails the ranking
privilege having been extended for one
week.
Little election machinery is in running or
der. This is because the contest has been
precipitated a year before It's normal time.
which would have been after four sessions
Of the eleventh Parliament, instead of after
three, a general election being required
every five years
Neither party has a full roster OF conven-
ton named candidates. Nominating con-
venttons however are scheduled, and the
naming of candidates will be proceeded
With rapidly.
Opposition Tactics.
II is the evident purpose of the Oppo-
sition 10 ignore reciprocity as the vital
issue as far as II dares. But the govern
ment and its supporters will insist that IN
the election six weeks from now every bal
lot for a candidate shall be IN the nature
of a political decision of the question
whether or not there shall be reciprocity
with the United States. In so deciding the
people will determine whether Sir Wilfrid
Laurier shall continue 10 he Prime Minister
or whether he shall he replaced by r j..
Borden. the Opposition leader.
Prominent members Of the government
express increased confidence that after the
first week Of pulse feeling. far and near
the new Parliament 10 he opened IN DC
tober by the new Governor General, the
81 will - 40
es to be able 10 make its initial act Inc
ratification Of the reciprocity agreement
TIL. Opposition forces. on the contrary
assert that the crest of q coming tidal
wave Of anti-recprocity sentiment has been
sighted, and that after II has rolled across
the map a resultant Conservative and
French Nationalist majority I'm the new
Parliament will kill the pact by leaving u
in its present condition-ratihed at Wash
ington. but not at ottawa.
To XIII Reciprocity,
To KIN reciprocity the Opposition VII
have 10 come back with twenty-five more
members than II had at the dissolution OF
Parliament That wonld mean majority
OF 1--WE IN the House. One of these. now
ever, would have 10 be elected Speaker ana
the working majority thus would be only
.ufhce Parliament has membership OF
Poi To-day lS3 ere government supporters
and S. are opponents OF the government
the administrations majority being thus g.
The governments principal strength lies
east OF Ontario. IT'S supporters from that
norton of C.nada numbering 49, while the
Opposition has only q. In the part of the
Dominion comprised by Ontario and the
provinces to the west the parties are more
evenly divided, there being O. Opposition
and 81 government members.
Never before has the President Of the
United States been so conspicuous figure
in a Canadian election, although the Do
minons relations with Uncle Sans gov
eminent have been d scussed in some previ-
Gus campaigns
President Taft is almost as great per
tonality as Sir Wilfrid Laurier in the pres
ent campaign. and IL is safe TO say that his
utterances on reciprocity Will be more often
quoted throughout the provinces these com
ing weeks than those OF Sir Wilfrid or
Finance Minister Fielding. Already extern
sive use Of them has been made by botn
sides in Parliament. The Opposition will
cover several acres of billboards with them.
Views of Champ Clark.
The views of Champ Clark and other
American champions OF reciprocity also will
figure largely in the speechmaking, as viii
the opinion Of British statesmen relative
10 the effect the Laurier policy would have
on British tarifr reform and imperial pref
erence.
Despite lmplsh cartoons and facetous
speeches 10 the contrary, the annexation
hogey Is hardly alive. The Opposition
probably will renew its efforts to convince
the parting Of the ways" with that
phrase variously interpreted But If Ca
nadisns believed that reciprocity would
lead TO severance Of the British tie, to
absorption by the United States, the agree
nnent, II is conceded. would get hardly a
favoring vote
The tendency of the Opposition after
forcing an election on reciprocity to depart
from discussion of that issue and get the
people thinking of other things. things
which II holds are discreditabe 10 the gov
eminent, is especially noticeable I'm the
West Much is being made there of the
fact that the prairie provinces will not
be represented fully in Parliament during
the next four years. because the govern
ment brought on the election before COM
pletion of the census now being taken.
The subsequent distribution, based upon
The increased population, would have given
the West twenty additional members. Fail
ure to take over the terminal grain eleva-
tors for government management and fail
6Ye 10 declare that the Hudson Bay Rail-
way, when completed, will not be let 10
private railroad corporation for operation.
arc other factors in the Vests opposition
Naval Policy Unpopular.
In Quebec which is largely French, the
naval policy OF the Laurier regime has
never been popular and the opponents OF
the government are exploiting this senti-
ment by bitterly attacking that policy and
10 that extent distrscting attention from
the reciprocity issue.
Obstruction and the long debate in Par
lament, however. have so focused atten-
ton upon reciprocity that 1t is doubtful
~ public attention can be diverted there
from for any length OF time. Reports in
dcate that fishermen. farmers. cattle rails
ors and lumbermen are taking great inter
est I'm the subject. and that they pretty
well understand II.
The government alleges that the Con-
servativcs are relying on large financial
support from manufacturers In Canada
tariff reformers in England and ant-reci-
procity interests IN the United states APP
parently the government Will not lack
necessary funds.
The Liberals are said 10 be certain of
the support OF the thousands Of the poti-
cslly well organized grain growers of West
.r,, canada OTQaniZ9ffon recently do