The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-09-21
RECIPROCITY WILL BE SUBMITTED ID CANADIANS TODAY Both Parties Are Circulat- ing Eleventh Hour Re-
 ports To Gain Votes INTEREST IS KEEN
 IN THE OUTCOME Vigilance Committees Formed in Provinces To Guard the Polls.
 Fair Weather Is Promised
 for Election Day

and nearly as deep concern 10 the unit ed states-shall the Laurier regime continue, and shall Canada, by giving the government party of the last 15 years continuance of power. put into effect the reciprocity agreement all ready ratifed by the republic across the border?
 On this night before the leaders on both sides are expressing supreme con nfidence. The government papers this afternoon assert the liberals will win by 50 majority. thus increasing their strength by seven seats
 On the other hand, the opposition papers claim an equal majority for the party of Leader Borden and point with unequivocal cert.rude to the gov crnments defeat and it's realization that defeat Is impending.
 The Montreal Star which has con- ducted an especially aggressive anti reciprocity campaign. prints in large type tonight the statement:
 "Government defeated"
 Newspapers on both sides support their claims by detailed statements tel egraphed by the party organizers in the capitals of each of the 10 prov inces.
 Observers who claim an impartial survey of the situation has been given them, say they expect to see the gov ernment returned with 8 reduced ma jority This forecast ranges from 10 to S5, though few are willing to cor- cede so high figure as the latter,
 There are some who count upon the government being retu, med with an unavoidable majority, which. 1t Is sup posed. anything below 10 might prove to be Insufficient. Tn such an event it Is probable no attempt would be made to secure ratification of the reci- procity agreement before another cleo ton was held.
 Keeps the Key
 It Is generally conceded that tho province of Quebec holds the key to the situation During the 15 years that Sir Wilfrid Laurfer has been ir power this province always has rolled up a ma jorlty sufficient to adverse voting in other provinces. So consist ently has this been the case that 1t has come to be regarded as a cer- tainty and in recent elections the con- servatives have made but infrequent and spasmodic attempts to gain any seats here. f~r-s ffs
 Tn the present election, however A coalition has existed in Quebec between the conservatives and the third party known as the national. as a result of which there is contest for every seat In a< few instances there are three cornered contests, an independent lib- eral running against a straight party candidate and q nationalist-conserva tive
 The nationalist party in Quebec has paid but little attention to reciprocity It has conducted it's campaign upon op- position lines to the governments na val programme and the record of the government in general. It has been led by Henry Bourassa. former lib- ersl member of the parliament, who is not at this time a candidate. The nationalists likewise have had the sup port of number of French and Eng fish newspapers. Upon the question. whether this enthusiasm has been coin ed into votes against the government probably hangs the fate of Laurier's political future. s e
 Extreme nationalists are claiming that their party, together with the straight conservatives, will elect 90 members from Quebec. at tomorrow's $ elections. If they do this it Is gen. erally. conceded that the government will be defeated The election of one half of this number would have tile same result In the last parliament the
 
 erals, however, have not overlook ed Quebec. They have conducted stren- uous campaign throughout the province and have met the nationalist-conserv- alive combination at every point. They say they are awaiting the result with confidence and that the old province will roll up the customary majority for its favorite sen Sir Wilfrid Laurier
 Laurier Confident
 The premier himself ordinarily not much given to boastng, has declared himself thoroughly confident of win ming, while R. l.. Borden. conservative leader, in; "a formal proclamation, is- sued on the eve of the election says the prospects never looked brighter for a return of the conservatives 10 power. ss,
 What makes a forecast difficult of the election is the fact that a great many liberals have openely deserted their party party on the reciprocity issue. They have been apprehensive of the immediate re- suits of reciprocity with the United States should the agreement be ratified. They fear this would be start toward a gen oral letting down of the tariff bars also in Canada. The misunderstanding interes.s have come out almost as q unit against the agreement and have been supported by banking and financial interests in con- siderable measure.
 s s.s Employers Make Appeal
 < Special appeals have been made by oin- ploycrs to their employees to vote against reciprocity. On the other hand the lib- eral press caims there has been just as many assertions from the conservative ranks and newspapers of both parties have printed long lists of names of vot- CTS who have changed their politics on account of reciprocity.
 It is commonly thought that the govern Inent may make It's gains. in the thrae grain growing provinces of the west viz: Manitoba. Saskatchewan and Alberta British Columbia is expected to go ,On- servative; New Brunswick to go largely liberal and Nova Scotia may break even. Ontario, 1t appears fair to assume. will be as strongly conservative as in the last election, while Prince Edward Island seems likely to change from three liberals and one conservative to three conservn- lives and one liberal because of dissatis .,--~. .>-,----~-
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