The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-09-21
Our Neishbors Are Voting Today and
the Fate or Reciprocity Is to
be One Thing
Decided.
GOVERNMENT WILL WIN
Province Of Quebec seems TO Hold the
Key to the Situation and viii
Decide the
Issue.

MONTREAL. Sept 2l.-This is
election day, when great question
mark lies across the Canadian map
from Atlantic to Pacific, fnas the
Dominion more interested in itself,
and the whole world more interested
In 1t than ever before Today will
answer questions virally affecting
the country and of nearly as deep
concern to the United States-shall
the Laurier regime continue, and
shall Canada, by giving the govern
ment party of the last fifteen years
continuance of power. put into effect
the reciprocity agreement already
ratified by the republic across the
border?
The leaders OF both sides are ex-
pressing extreme confidence The
government papers assert that the lib
erals will win by so majority, thus in
creasiDg their strength for the twelfth
parliament's house OF commons oy
seven seats. On the other hand. the
opposition papers claim an equal ma
3ority TOR the party OF Leader Borden,
and point with uneQuivocal certitude
to the governments defeat and Its
realization that defeat is impending.
Observers who claim the opportun-
ity for impartial survey of the situa-
ton. say they expect the government
to be returned with reduced major
ity. This forecast ranges from 10 to
35, though few are willing to con-
cede SO high figure as the latter.
Quebec Holds Balance Of Power.
There are some who count upon the
government being returned with an
unWorkabie majority. which, 1t is sup
posed, anything below ten might
prove to be. In such an event it is
probable that no attempt would oe
made to secure ratification Of the
reciprocity agreement before another
election was held.
1t is generally conceded that the
Province of Quebec holds the key te
the situation. During the f1fteer
years that Sir Wilfrid Laurier ha:
been in power this province always
ha~ rolled up a majority sufficient tt
onset the ADVERSE voting in Other
provinces.
In the present election. however, ;
coalition has existed in Quebec be
tween the conservatives and the thirt
party, known as the nationalists, as |
result of which there is contest TO
every seat In few instances ther'
are three-cornered contests, an In
dependent liberal running against ;
straight party candidate and nation
alist-conservative
This status In the other province
would indicate that the fate OF tn
government once more may be said t
rest With the French Canadian voter
IN the Province of Quebec. A nun
Der OF liberal organs admit the prot
ABILITY of slight opposition gains /
Quebec. The conservative party
contention is that 1t will come neal
er than before to equally dividin
that province.
At the outset of the contest whic
except in the Province OF Quebec
mas been conducted almost strictly o
the reciprocity issue, tho liberal orgaI
1zation attempted to confine discu'
sions to the economic side of tn
question, IN this the, at first SCENE
70 have the acquiescence of the Leaf
er OF the opposition. Mr.. Borden
Annexation" Hurt Liberals.
Before the campaign became man
days old, however. the opposition, le
by the ultra-loyalist press. switche
to the political side OF the question
and since then much of the economt
rearing has been lost sight Of Th
is particularly true as regards til
eastern provinces, where annexatio
70 the United St,tcs as opposed
continued connectij1 with the Bri
'sh Fin, re, was ni,tie the chief iss i