The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1911-09-28
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CANADIAN LIBERAL MINISTRY
AND RECIPROCITY ARE BAD
LY BEATEN At ELECTION.
BORDEN WILL BE PREMIER
Opposition Will Have a Majority Of
More Than so in New Parliament
Seven Members Of Prlvy Council
Are Ousted.

Montreal.-sir Wilfrid Laurier, the
Liberal Government and reciprocity
with the United States suffered most
disastrous defeat at the polls through
out the Dominion of Canada. With
reciprocity the paramount issue of the
campaign the voting turned a Liberal
majority of 42 into a Conservative
majority of more than 30.
Seven cabinet ministers who had
served with Premier Laurier were
among the defeated candidates.
The Liberals lost ground in prac-
tically 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 ard reci-
procity.
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.
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 thut 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 a policy. Of trade
expansion within the empire and a
closed door against the United States.
Although reelected in two constitu-
encies 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 bit
ter campaign which preceded the
election the venerable premier said
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 a Conservative govern
ment.
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 Con.
servatives won their greatest vic.
tories. Spurred on by appeals to
patriotism and the cry that reciproc-
ity was the entering wedge for an
nexation, the Conservatives swept
nearly everything before them. That
province, which in the last parliament
was represented by 35 Liberals and 81
Conservatives, will send a delegation
to the next composed of 13 Liberals
and IS Conservatives. A notable fea-
ture of the defeat was the opposition's
capture of two hitherto Liberal seats
in Saskatchewan.
The returns show an opposition ma
jority of so, as follows: Opposition
members elected, 131; Liberal mem
bers elected, 81. This is practically
complete, accounting for 212 out OF
221 members. .
The result comes as an unexpected
disaster in the face OF the confident
hopes of the government that 1t
would be sustained on the paramount
issue it had made of reciprocity be-
tween Canada and the United States.
Seven members of the Laurier min,
lstry were among the defeated mem
bers reported, with other Liberal min.
listers still in doubt and the current
strong against them. Sir Wilfrid
Laurier is elected in Quebec East. as
the seat had not been contested
Minister of Finance Fielding and
Minister of Customs Paterson, who
made the reciprocity bargain with the
United States, failed to win; Sir Fred.
erick Borden, minister of militia; Mac.
Kenzie King, minister of labor; Sgd
ney Fisher, minister of agriculture;
George P. Graham, minister of rail-
ways, and William Templeman, min
lister of inland revenues. also went
down to defeat. The province of Que
bee rejected one minister, British Co
lumbia one. Nova Scotia two and On. |
tario three.
Quebec province complete, except for
two deferred elections, gives the op-
position 26 seats and the government
81. The division in the last parliament |
was: Opposition, IL; government, 53.
Taft Is Disappointed.
Kalamazoo, Mich.-President Taft
heard the news of the defeat of reci.
procity in the Canadian election while
at banquet here. The intelligence
cast gloom over the presidential party
ind caused the president intense dis
II am greatly disap.
pointed over the result of the reciproc.
ty election so far as the returns have
Indicated" said the president