Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1911-09-27
RECIPROCITY WAS NOT
WANTED IN CANADA
Pact Defeated by an Over
whelming Majority.
Liverals Are Voted From Power and
Conservatives Come In-Annexation
DOGGY Did 1t.

the CaQduldu 0l6CGAOu vi 4uuISudys
BY a veritable political landslide
the liberal majority of 43 was swept
away, and the conservative party
secured one of the heaviest majorities.
upward of fifty, that any Canadian
party ever has had. Seven cabinet
ministers. who had served with
Premier Laurier, were among the
defeated candidates.
The liberals lost ground practically
in every province of the Dominion.
Where they won, their majorities
were small
Where the conservatives won their
maiorities were tremendous. Ontario
the leading province of Canada de-
clared almost unanimously against
the admin stration and reciprocity.
BORDEN NEW PREMIER.
Robert L. Borden, leader of the
conservative party, shortly will be-
come the Prime minister of Canada.
He will be supported in parliament
by 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
introduced when the twelfth parlia-
ment assemblies next month, and that
revised basis of trade with the
United States. looking to closer com
mercial relations, will not be possible
in the immediate future. The con-
servatives are committed to policy
of trade expansion within the empire
and a closed door against the United
States.
SIR WILFRID TO RETIRE.
Although re elected in two con-
stituencies in Quebec the defeat Of
the liberal party also means the re-
tirement from public life Of Sir
Wilfrid LaurieI, who for nearly two
decades has directed the deetinies of
the Dominion. Several times during
the bitter campaign which preceded
thursdays election. the venerable
premier said that 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 government.
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 conservatives won
their greatest victories. Spurred on
by appeals to patriotism, and the cry
that reciprocity was the entering
wedge for annexation, the conserva.
tives swept nearly everything before
them. The province, which in the
last parliament was represented by
80 liberals and 81 conservatives will
send a delegation to the next composed
of Is liberals and rs conservatives.
A notable feature of the defeat was
the opposition capture Of two
hitherto lineral seats in Saskatchewan.
''There is no doubt that we have
been decisively defeated. declared Sir
Wilfrid Laurier early in the evening
at Quebec, to a group of friends who
had gathered with him to hear the
return. II gladly lay down the
premiership burden which I have
carried for fifteen years. We believed
that in making the reciprocity
arrangement we had done something
which would be greatly to the benefit
of the people of Canada. The electors
have declared otherwise, and l bow to
their decision. | regret that we have
been unable to carry reciprocity,
which l still believe would have
promoted the material advancement of
Canada, and would have promoted the
growing friendship between the
United States and Great Britain.
However, the country mas spoken.
We must bow to the inevitable, and |
cheerfully do so. =
LANSLIDE A SURPRISE.
The landslide was not expected by
either side. The liberals were conf
dent that they would De returned by
the people with an increased majority,
for they believed that reciprocity
would be most acceptable to the
Canadian electors. While the con-
servatives claimed that they would
have majority they did not expect
it would be SO large, or that the
general verdict of the country would
be given so decisivelY against the
government.