The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1911-08-30
BATTLE ROYAL
ON IN CANADA
Over the Vital Question of
Reciprocity.
MANY SECTIONS ARE STIRRED
But All Indications Point TO
the National Pact Be.
ing Adopted.
a REVIVAL OF CONFIDENCE

Toronto, Ont, Aug. 26.-With
the election which will decide the
fate of the reciprocity agreement
still more than three weeks off, the
fight in this great industrial and ag-
ricultural province of Canada has
reached a point where practically
everything else has been neglected
in the heat of the political battle.
r. L. Borden, leader of the opposi-
ton, has completed his Ontario
tour, having delivered more than
thirty speeches in constituencies
considered doubtful, and will de-
vote the rest of his time to Quebec
and the maritime provinces. where
his own seat in Halifax is thought
to be in danger.
Premier Laurier will return to
Ontario next week to speak in sew
eral rural constituencies. 1t is the
farmers vote, both sides believe.
that is likely to decide the fate of
reciprocity. Every voter in farm
ing community is considered. where
as in the city nobody seems to care
whether or not the voter en-
ercises his franchise. This is
explained by the fact that ev-
cry city in Canada, except King
ston and ottawa (the seat Of Gov
eminent and the home of thousands
of civil employes) gives an over
whelming Tory majority.
An unusual feature of the cam
paign is Clifford Sifton, former Min
lister of the Interior in the Laurier
Government, has come out against
reciprocity. Mr.. Sifton is a life
long Liberal, and was the Liberal
member for Brandon in the House
of Commons just dissolved, but has
taken the stump against the issue
favored by his party.
Revival of Confidence.
Montreal, Aug. 26.-Now that
Sir Wilfrid Laurier has addressed
half a dozen meetings in his native
province of Quebec, which has given
him his working majority in Parlia-
ment since 1896, there is a distinct
revival of confidence in the Liberal
ranks over the outcome of reciproc-
ity. Everywhere the crowds which
greeted the Premier have been large.
the applause has been generous, and
on each occasion Sir Wilfrid has
demonstrated anew that he is still
the idol of the French-Canadians
That the danger to Laurier's pres
tige was great is admitted by his
followers. In 1908 Henri Bouras-
sa, another victorious French Cana
dian type, while not distinctly
friendly to Sir Wilfrid, was not OPP
emily antagonistic. In the present
campaign Bourassa has attacked
Laurier and the LIBERAL party Wig
orously.
Bourassa will not take reciproci-
ty seriously. He holds that if Can
ada waited she would have obtain
ed from the Democratic Congress
practically all that the pact gives.
without making any return. He
asserts that reciprocity is a cloud
of the Government. seeking to
hide the corruption and graft which,
as he says. have made him ashamed
of the party to which he belongs.
but, above all. it is intended to di-
vert the minds OF the people from
the naval question.
Sir Wilfrid's reply to Bourassa is
that he is in unholv alliance with
the Conservative party, with the
sole object of bringing about Lau-
rier's downfall. II he can convince
the French-Canadian people of
Quebec province that the fight is
against Laurier in person, he will
go back to Ottawa. But if he fails
in this, reciprocity probably will
fall with him.
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