El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-09-19

OF this character is interrupted by gen
eral heckling on the part Of those pre-
sumed to De auditors, the effect is al
most riOtOus
Joint Debates in French.
The joint debate is especially popular
in Quebec, where the greater portion
of the campaign speaking is done in
the French language. such a joint
meeting is called an Assem- blee contra
dictOire," and it is said to be ethical
and proper for an opposition candidate
to show up unannOunced at a meeting
advertised by another candidate and to
demand on the spot an 'assemblee con-
tradictOire."
Once in awhile this demand is re-
fused, and in that event, the discourse
sy OF the refusing party is made much
or by the opposition A week or two
ago Mr. BOurassa, the Nationalist lead
er, went to HULL a city in Quebec, just
across the river from Ottawa, the Do
mlnlon capital TO speak in behalf OF
the Conservative candidate Louis
COusineau. +. b. Devlin. the Liberal
candidate, occupied a seat on the plat
form and at the very beginning de-
manded an assemble COntradictOire-"
This was refused. WhereupOu me Lib
erals In the audience tried TO put the
meeting out Of business by yelling out
for a debate and crying "viVe Laurier.''
Finally the mayor Of Hull a Conserva-
tive sympathiZer, sent for the police and
succeeded in restoring a .semblane Of
" permitted to proceed for more than
two minutes without interruption.
Embarrassing Questions.
As a result OF hecklingt many OF the
campaign meetings are diverted from
discussions OF the national issues in
vOlved, into free debates concerning
local conditions. Liberal sDea kers are
interrupted by embarrassing questions
concerning charges Of corruption that
have been laid at the doors OF more
than one liberal minister and in eX-
planning this away the speaker is com
PEELED to leave reciprocity alone When
a Liberal speaker makes a declaration
that the Canadian navy has been es-
tablished, somebody IN the andi-
ence is almost sure to call attention
to the fact that One-haIf OF thar navy.
the ship NiObe. is piled up on the rocks
Things like this are continually hap
pening.
For instance. one Liberal speaker
said; Now, gentlemen, let us come to
the reciprocity pact What IS the pact2
A vOice-"It is a damned big Doodle
that's what Il is Laurier wants to sell
his country.
The Liberal speaker Cproceeding)-
The Americans offer us a market Of
90, 600. 900 and we in turn offer them a
market Of 5000. 0OO"
A voice-''Yes, they have It on us
every time, and don't forget IT. Leave
IL to the 4ank 10 set the best of a
bargain
Under such circumstances 1t IS ex-
ceedingly difficult TO maintain calm
and dignified discussion of any issue,
however Weighty.
Local Issues in West
In the western provinces the cam
paign IS enlivened by the discussion OF
a peculiar local issue. The Canadian
census was taken this year. but the
result has not vet been announced 1t
IS certain that the four western prov
fuces Of Manitoba. Saskatchewan Al
berta and British Columbia nave made
great gains IN the past decade. and are,
therefore. entitled TO a larger represen-
tatiOn in parliament If the dissolution
had not been forced by the inability
OF the government TO secure a vote on
the reciprocity pact. the general cleo
ton would have been postponed until
after the census returns were tabulated
and a redistribution Of seats had been
made. In the west. the Liberals attack
the Tories for having forced the cleo
ton, and thereby having deprived the
western provinces OF adequate repre-
sentatiOn in the new parliament The
Conservatives, on the other hand. plead
for western support for Mr. Borden
because Sir Wilfrid dissolved parlia-
ment and preclpitated the election be-
fore the eappOrtiOnment under the
new census could be made AS both
sides are endeavOring to make capital
out Of this same issue. it Is Impossible
to say who viii profit by it
Conservatives Advantage.
On the whole. the Conservatives have
a natural advantage in the campaign
'Ower and are free to assert and TO