Dewey County advocate. [volume] (Timber Lake, S.D.) 1910-1913, 1911-09-29

Opposition majority, so.
The Liberals lost ground practically
in every province of the Dominion.
Where they won, their majorities were
small. Where the Conservatives won,
their majorities were tremendous.
Ontario, the leading province OF Can
ada, declared almost unanimously
against the administration and reci-
procity.
Robert L. Borden, leader of the Con-
sentative party, shortly will become
the prime minister of Canada. He
will be supported in parliament by a
working majority of members far
more than ample for his purposes.
Pact Not to Be Introduced.
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-
vised basis of trade with the United
States, looking to closer commercial
relations, will not be possible in the
immediate future. The Conservatives
are committed to policy of trade
expansion within the empire and a
closed door against the United States.
Although reelected in two constit-
uencies in Quebec, the defeat of the
Liberal party also means the retire
ment from public life of Sir Wilfrid
Laurier, who for nearly two decades
has directed the destinies of the Do
minion. Several times during the
bitter campaign the venerable pre-
mier said that defeat of his party at
the polls meant the end of his career;
that he never would consent to lead
a minority in opposition to Con-
sentative government.
A Liberal membership of SO from
Quebec was cut down to SO, which,
taken alone, seriously threatened the
supremacy of the party. But it was
in Ontario that the Conservatives won
their greatest victo>-.s.
Spurred or ~y Hpp.--IS to patriotism
and the cry mat reciprocity was the
entering wedge for annexation, the
Conservatives swept nearly every
thing before them. Ontario, which in
the last parliament was represented
by 80 Liberals and 81 Conservatives,
will send delegation to the next
composed to 10 Liberals and rs Con-
servatives. A notable feature of the
defeat was the opposition's capture
Of HI Nd
katchewan.
Landslide Is Unexpected.
The land slide was not expected by
either side. The Liberals were con.
fident that they would be returned by
the people with an increased ma
jority, for they believed that reel.
procity would be most acceptable to
the Canadian electors While the
Conservatives claimed that they would
have majority, they did not expect
that it would be so large or that the
general verdict of the country would
be given SO decisively against the
government.
They feared that reciprocity would
prove popular with the farmers of
Ontario and the farmers and fisher.
men of the maritime provinces, and.
while confident that they would win
the cities, they were dubious as to the
result in rural constituencies. How.
ever, in Ontario especially, the agri-
cultural vote went almost solidlv
against reciprocity, and in the mari.
time provinces it did not prove to be
the popular issue expected.
The farmers and fishermen of the
East do not appear to have placed the
high value upon the American mar.
ket which was anticipated. While
Sir Wilfrid Laurier, the prime min
lister, was safe in two counties. the