New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-09-09
BET ON lie WEUX coo"
Such Is Sir WiIfrid Laurler's Tip
as to September Fl Elections.
PREMIER SURE OF HIMSELF
"Ancient Rome" of Quebec by
It's Votes Will Decide Fate
of Reciprocity.

rr,-o,, Special Correscondent OF The tribune J
ottsva Sent 5 - The campaign III
Coreds has now less than three weeks 10
~ Sir Wilfrid Laurier. in spite OF ms
soventv wears. is showing vigor ana
Leenress that the opposing leader MT
BORDEN. and many other younger men
might envy. Speaking in French at the
rbreo Rivers meeting. Sir Wilfrid ADVISED
lis hearers. II they were doing any pet
ting 10 place their money on the old
cock'-'le vieux coq''-a phrase which maze
a hit with his hearers ana mas oee" ie
heated far and wide.
II is an undoubted fact that RECIPROCITY
has taken a strong hold in the maritiii'e
provinces. where times have not been t"o
hest for years The inhabitants OF Ne"
brunswick. Nova Scotia and Prince hu-
wards Island have always maintained close
business and social relations with boston
and New England, which they look upon
AS their natural market and II is Gun
fdeuuv believed that nothing snort OF d
roltical miracle will prevent the Loel al
rartv from making gains there. Mr.. tlelu-
ing. the Minister OF Finance, Is Nova
Sootian and one Of the most ready ana
forcefll speakers in the Dominion. iiis
statement at Halifax the other night tii"'
the proudest moment Of his life was wheh
he signed his name on behalf Of Canau"
r. the reciprocity agreement evoked inc
greatest enthusiasm.
All ewes are upon Quebec. for IT Is con-
coded that the ancient province VIII ue
eide The issue The alliance Of the French
.-.na5ian Nationalist and the ConserN-
lives in the common cause Of opposition
~ the raUrler government is fresh IL
lustrarion Of the truth Of the old saw
that "politics make strange bedfenoWs'
There Is nothing in common between the
,st,orajsts and tie Conservatives, eX-
.s0+ IN the present instance their common
1ss,~e n down Sir Wilfrid. The Quebec
farrnar-the .habitant is a practical per
,on and counts bis pennies carefully ana
boards them tenaciously. lie wants u
hear reciprocity discussed. In this desire
ne IS qratifed by Sir Wilfrtd, but tne
Nationalists under the leadership OF MI
Bourassa tell him Of the dangers OF NIL
itarisn. try 10 work him UP 10 q feellhs
~ resentment against 'le vieux COO oe-
cause Of Sir Wnfrids hated Imperialism
assure him that he should disregard
mere pocketful Of potatoes and rather
concern himself with the teachings OF 'he
NationaHsts Upon the success OF THIS aP-
neal depends the fate Of the CONSERVATIVE
rartv I'm the coming election. The little
handful Of Nationalist IN the Quebec leg
isIature seems 10 he the only visible meas
IRE NJ the strength Of that party
Sunday Political Debates.
lean Baptiste-the generic term for the
'habitant"-turns out in great NUMBERS 10
the assemble CONTRADICTIONS, as the
Sunday political debates are called IN
Quebec. He likes the fun, hut It IS doubt
ful n the appeals Of the Nationalist on
those occasions viii turn him from his
lifelong party allegiance \ new political
PARTY. especially one that is working hand
and glove with the conservatives, is quite
- reu thing 10 him Moreover. for years
10 has beeu accustomed 70 receiving visits
from potato hay, sheep and pulpWood
l.vers from the states and now he is IN
ouestiona6ly considering tho United states
market as never before
Visiting Englshmen are much in evil
derce Just now and they are invariably I'M
pressed by the alliance Of the Conserya-
tves with the Nationalist They seem
puzzled by the appeals of the Nationalist
10 reject Laurler for his Imperialism and
The appeals Of the Conservatives 10 reject
him because Of his anu-imperialism. one
~ the best informed Englishmen to
visit Canada in years. q journalist Of
high standing in England, who has fire.
oueut,y visited Canada and who has writ
Nd about the Tlr~r7iuioU in
conversation with me tho other day COM
meuted upon Mr. Bourassa and his new
found political partners in much the fol-
lowing fashion: "Bourassa is all right
while he confines himself 20 Offering gem
eralties and destructive criticism, but
constructive policy he las none, or il So
ike the scales on an eel II IS invisible TO
the naked eye His imperial defence talk
Is rubbish. It's the old yarn, mat the best
Canadian contribution 10 imperial defence
Is 70 build the Georgian Bay Canal. How
IN thunder is Canada going to defend her
own ports when the guns at Esqumalt are
living rusty and dismounted, The fortifica-
lions crumbling 70 pieces and forts Of q
kind a. Quebec but no guns? Tho Ma
t'onalists want squarely 10 enjoy the ad-
vantages of autonomy. and 10 maintain as
long a. it can last. the bond which unites
Canada TO Great Britain, which Is, in
plain English. that the Nationalist want
tne citizens Of the united empire TO 30 OF.
Yayirg 20 a tune Of s. head annually
TO 60 or 20 cents paid by the Canadian citl-
zen for the purposes OF imperial defence
until Canada has got big enough to cut the
painter il may be shrewd but | don
think is good business and I'm quite
sure it's mean. Surely the Conservative
party is laying up trouble FOR itself IN
waking such an alliance.