The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1911-09-30
PREMIER LAUR|ER
LOSES IN CANADA
Conservatives Win in Tremendous
Landslide-Reciprocity Issue
Defeated.
Sympathy Goes Out to Laurier for
his Honest and Gallant
Campaign.
Province of Ontario the Principal
Factor in the Governments
Defeat.

The election in Canada on Thursday |
of last week proved to be an equally |
startling surprise to the least sangulne
members of the defeated Liberal party |
and to the most hopeful leaders OF
the victorious Conservatives. 1t prov
ed to be landslide of undreamed OF
proportions for Premier Laurier's op-
ponents. The result is that the Lib
eral working majority of 43 in the last
Parliament has not only been COM
pletely wiped out, but the Conserva-
tives in the next Parliament will have
an even larger majority than the Lib
erals had in the last,
For fifteen years Premier Laurier
and his government held power and
had it not been for the reciprocity
issue there is no doubt but that the
same party would continue in power
for some time to come. Laurier,
though past seventy years OF age, Ell
tered the campaign with all the vigor
of a man who in the full bloom of his
manhood forgets self in his countrys
cause. He made a brilliant campaign.
1t is conceded on both sides that his
clean and gallant fight is one Of the
most notable that has ever been wag.
ed in Canada. Sympathy for the
gray-haired veteran of many political
battles is felt throughout the Domin-
ion The defeat in all probability
means his early retirement from poll.
tics. He has been reelected and de.
clares that he will not desert his
party now but will accept the position
of minority leader in the next house.
A glance at the election returns
shows that it was in the Province
of Ontario in particlar that the opposi.
ton to the government was most no.
ticeable. This is significant, since it
will be remembered that during the
campaign it was from this province
| that the objections to, Laurier on ac-
| count Of his religion were most fire.
quently heard. 1t is the stronghold Of
Canadian Orangeism and the defeat
which it administered to Laurier's
leadership goes to indicate that reci-
procity was not defeated entirely on
the basis of it's demerits, but that
there were other considerations which
entered into the question.
From the Province of Prince Ed
wards Island, 2 Liberals and Con-
servatives were returned; from Nova
Scotia, 10 Liberals and 8 Conserve
tives; from New Brunswick, Liberals
and 5 Conservatives; from Quebec, 3S
Liberals and 25 Conservatives; from
Manitoba, Liberals and Conserva-
and Conservatives; from Alberta,
Liberals and Conservatives; from
British Columbia, Liberal and 6
Conservatives. Taking total of the
returns in these provinces the Liber-
ais have II members against 81 men,
bers for the Conservative party.
(, Therefore, in all the provinces of Can
ada with the exception of Ontario the
government is returned with a MAORI
ty of 10. Ontario, however, returned
only IL Liberals as against 73 Con-
servatives,, reversing the result to a
Conservative majority of 81.
An argument which was worked to
death by the Conservative leaders and
which, beyond question, had a very
telling effect, was the annexation bug
aboo. Some papers have gone so far
as to assert that Champ Clark's half
serious, half-humorous declaration in
! congress some time ago regarding the
! annexation of Canada was one of the
chief reasons for the defeat of Reci-
procity in Canada. Others again as
sert that the Interpretation the Can.
adams put on President Taft's atti-
! tude toward the question and his anxi-
j ETY. to have it passed. was a leading
factor in it's final defeat At any rate
the question is laid on the table for
the present.
/ Protection for Working Girls.