The sun., 1919-10-28
POLITICAL SHOCK
STIRS DOMINION
Ontario Election Indicates
That War Has Brought About
New Orientation.
PARTY LINES VANISH
Farmers in Saddle and They
May Control New Gov
ernment.
PARTY LINES VANISH

Political thought IN An nolo- -Sdron coun-
| tries is now feeling the JtilI effects OF
the ufter-stoeII follotoiaD the terrific htr-
Ttcdnc BY tohich II has been scoiwged
for more than four tempestuous years.
The recent remarkable election IN On
tdrio. tohere the too ancient parties toere
all but submerged BY a neto United
Farmers Pdrty, shoios hotc this univcr-
sal political agitation Is affecting the
great country to the north; aud the
Canadian Section Of THE SUN heroioith
presents an outline OF the Immediate
causes aud probable Jdr-redchtn1 effects
Of the changes that have come about,
specially prepared By competent observ-
ers in Ottdtod, Toronto and Montreal
Special Correspondence to the Cdnadian
Section Of THE SUN.
OTTAWA, Oct. 27.-Canada is expert
encing a political upheaval without par
allel in her history. Coming swiftly,
almost without warning, it has already
almost obliterated the historic Conser-
vative party in its citadel of Ontario ;
has swept a provincial Government from
power which was thought to be invin-
chile; decimated the ranks of the once
powerful party of Laurier In every Prov
ince but one and, entering even the
Federal arena, has flung a challenge to
the old political parties either to produce
something more tangible for the nation
than professions and resolutions, or to
make way for new radical orientation
which aims at political revolution.
Up to a couple of years ago the BIZ
party system reigned undisturbed in
Canada. Inherited from Britain, from
the Mother OF Parliaments." it was re-
garded as one safe and sane path of
political progress, and third parties were
regarded with suspicion. From time to
time, in the years after Confederation,
attempts were made to create new polit-
ical organizations, but without success.
The Equal Rights" party, born out of
the bitter sectarian struggle over the
famous Jesuits Estates bill the Patrons
of Industry, an agrarian movement, and.
more recently, the Nationalists, founded
by Henri Bourassa, vanished almost as
suddenly as they arose. Conservatism.
as founded by Macdonald and Cartier,
and Liberlism, al established by Brown
end Mackenzie and interpreted by Lau-
rier, were never seriously challenged.
Born of the War.
The war, which set civilized society
everywhere in a state of argitation,
brought a change. In western Canada.
where the grain growers, powerful
numerically and economically, had given
almost solid support to the Liberals,
there was revolt from the war leader
ship of Sir Wilfrid Laurier. Antagonis-
tic TO the Conservatives and all that they
stood for, the western farmers put coun-
try before party and supported the
Coalition Government formed by Sir
Robert Borden. Mr.. T. A. Crerar,
strong man of sane, progressive views
represented them in the Ministry, and
Cor two years, until the war was won,
the west, intensely radical. effaced it
self TO the extent OF supporting gov
ernment which, in it's domestic policies.
was often anything but advanced.
The result was a profound change in
tko political outlook of the grain growers.
Divorced and estranged from their old
Liberal allies, unable to reconcile their
political convictions with reactionary
tendencies and influences in the Unionist
Government. there was no course open
TO them but the formation of new party
in politics. Mr.. Crerar whose war SER
ices in the Ministry were characterized
by the greatest patriotism and ability,
withdrew from the Cabinet ana took a
seat Oh lHt CIOSS iluutptllutHND
OF the House of Commons; a dozen
westerners followed his example. and the
new party thus secured its first repre-
sentation in Parliament. 1t was a party
small in numbers and counting for little
on division list. .'but it soon was TO be
made evident that il spoke for powerful
influences in the country.
A few months before. the Canadian
Council OF Agriculture. representing the
farmers OF all Canada, but more partlcu-
larly those OF the west, met in annual
session. The economic and political sit
uation was thoroughly canvassed. and
the politico-economic creed OF a new
party then and there given to the coun-
try This creed or platform, after re-
citing the financial, commercial and
political problems confronting the coun-
try. declared: