The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1911-09-29
VOTERS OVERWHELMINGLY
TURN Down RECIPROCITY AGREEMENT

| Montreal, Sept. 23-The Laurier
government and reciprocity suffered
an overwhelming defeat in the Cana
dian elections Thursday.
BY a political landslide the Lib
eral majority of forty-three was
swept away and the Conservative
party secured one OF the heaviest
majorities, upwards Of fifty. that any
Canadian party has ever had. Seven
cabinet ministers, who have served
with President Laurier, were among
the defeated candidates.
Borden Gets Working Majority.
Robert L. Borden, leader of the
Conservative party, will shortly be
come the prime minister of Canada.
He will be supported in parliament by
a working majority of members far
more than ample for his purposes.
| One hundred and forty-four con-
servatives and sc liberals were
elected, giving conservative ma
jority of So. The great province of
Ontario elected 70 conservatives and
13 liberals.
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 a re-
| vised basis of trade with the United
States, looking to closer commercial
relations, will not be possible in the
immediate future. The ConseryN :
trade expansion within the empire
and closed door against the United
| States.
Laurier to Retire.
Although reelected in two con-
stituencies in Quebec, the defat of the
Liberal party also means the retire
ment from public life of Sir Wilfrid
Laurier, who since 1896 has directed
the destinies of the Dominion. Sew
eral times during the bitter campaign
which preceded the election Thurs
day the venerable premier said that
the defeat of his party at the polls
meant the end of his career; that he
never would consent to lead minor
ity in opposition to a Conservative
government.
| Ontario the Last Straw.
A Liberal membership of fifty
three from Quebec was cut down to
thirty-six. which taken alone SER
iously threatened the supremacy OF
the party. But it was in Ontario that
the Conservatives won their greatest
victories. Spurred on by the cry that
reciprocity was the entering wedge
for annexation, the Conservatives
swept nearly everything before them.
| That province. which in the last
parliament was represented by thir-
ty-three Liberals and fifty-one Con-
servatives, will send a delegation to
the next composed of thirteen Lib
erals and seventy-five Conservatives.
A notable feature of the defeat was
the opposition capture of two Lib
eral seats in Saskatchewan.
|
The landslide was not expected by
either side.
The Libertls were confident they
would be returned with an increased
majority, for they believed that reel
procity would be most acceptable to
the Canadian electors. While the
Conservatives claimed they would
have a majority, they did not expect
1t would be so large, or that the gen.
eral verdict of the country would be
given so decisively against the gov
eminent.
] They fear that reciprocity would
prove popular with the farmers of
Ontario and the farmers and the fish
ermen of the maritime provinces and
while confident they would win the
cities, they we're dubious as to the re-
suit in rural constituencies. How
ever, in Ontario, especially, the agri-
cultural vote went almost solidly
against reciprocity, and in the mari
time provinces 1t did not prove to be
the popular issue expected.
| Popular Majority Overwhelming.
Although the majority of seats
won by the Conservatives is more
than half hundred. the popular ma
jority against the government and
reciprocity is even more overwhelm-
ing. Where Liberal seats were re-
tanned or won from the opposition it
was generally by very small mar
gin. The Conservatives everywhere
were returned by majorities larger
than have ever before been given In
a Canadian election.
The results indicate that the Can
adian electors were moved by senti-
ment more than by material consid-
Grafton.
Even the prairie West. which was
4 supposed to desire reciprocity above
all other things and where American
settlers have gone In large numbers,
did not go unanimously for the gov
-. l.