The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1911-09-20

ottawa, Ont, Sept 2O.-The hottest
political campaign Canada has wit
messed since the days of Sir John Mac
donald and the National Policy was
brought to whirlwind finish today
with rallies and speechmaking In vir-
tually every city. town and hamlet
from the Atlantic to the Pacific.
Tomorrow the electors throughout
the country will express their political
preferences and on their verdict de-
pends the fate of the Liberal Govern
ment, which, under the leadership of
Sir Wilfrid Laurier, has been in Office
for fifteen years. and also the fate of
the proposed reciprocity pact with the
United States, for which Sir Wilfrid
stands sponsor.
If Sir Wilfrid returns to power. the
reciprocity bill will be passed soon af
ter the reassembling of parliament next
month, and at an agreed date both
Canada and the United States will put
the necessary tariff changes into effect.
Decide Fate Tomorrow.
If the Opposition wins "a majority,
Robert l.. Borden, its leader. will be-
come premier. reciprocity will be drop
ped and Canada will remain a high
tariff country desirous of continuing
the present tariff relations with the
United States.
The polls will open at . o'clock to-
morrow morning and close at o'clock
i'm the afternoon. Unless the voting at
large is unusually close it is expected
that the outcome will be known by 10
L. NJ. atlantic time).
The campaign is the last i'm which
Premier Laurier will participate, ac
cordng to his declaration made at the
beginning of the struggle. II he wins
the contest he will hold office contin-
uously for a longer period than Sir
John Macdonald.
The campaign has been hotly con-
tested in all the Provinces, and al
though conditions i'm certain sections
of the Dominion are regarded as high
ly favorable to the Liberal party the
result cannot be accurately forecasted.
Upon the whole, disinterested observ-
crs seem inclined to the opinion that
the Government will carry the country
by a reduced majority.
Both Sides Confident.
The claims of the two sides on the
eve of the election are about as fol-
lows The Opposition declare they will
gain seats from the Government in the
Maritime ProviHces-Nova Scotia, New
Brunswick and Prince Edward Island
lin Quebec, ontario. Manitoba and
British Columbia. while Saskatchewan
and Alberta will remain with the Gov
ernment as at present. The Liberals,
on the contrary. maintain that they
will increase their present large ma
jority i'm the French Canadian sections
of Quebec and the Maritime Provinces
and will make gains in ontario and
throughout the West.
Practically the reciprocity agreement
with the United States has been the
sole issue of the campaign. The Lfh.
eral press and Liberal speakers have
argued its material advantages. while
the Opposition has denied its material
advantages and denounced the com
pact as inimical to the commercial un-
ity and national independence of Can
ada, as movement towards Conti-
nentalism, and as a far step towards
separation from the mother country.
Opposed to Annexation.
The Conservative campaigners have
confined themselves largely to the sem
tmental side Of the reciprocity ques-
ton. The British flag. the mainte-
nance of British connection unweak-
oned and protests against closer rela-
tions with the United States have