The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-09-30
ELECTION TO SHOW
POSTWAR FEELING
Four Distinct Groups Appeal
to Voters in Lively Ontario
Campaign.
PROHIBITION A FACTOR
Farmers, Returned Soldiers
and Industrial Workers Also
Taking q Hand.
PROHIBITION A FACTOR

Special Correspondence to the Cana
dian Section of THE Sum.
TORONTO, Sept. 2o.-Ontarto has Just
entered an election campaign which may
engage wide attention for its revelation
Of postwar political conditions. Voting
for members of the Legislature will
take place on Oct 90, and Instead of the
old two party system there Will be nj
least two groups, with broken and Ill
defined lines In each.
The Conservative party will nat
urally mainly support the Government
Of Sir William Hearst but within the
past few days several Conservative
members OF the old House have been 70
ported as opposed to the Government.
Lieut-Col. A. c. Pratt, In Norfolk,
in q sensational speech. said that
twenty-seven former Conservative M.
p. Ps. were opposed to Sir William
Hearst, but so far this has lacked sub
stantlal confederation. He named Sir
Adam Beck, chairman Of the Hydro
electric Commission as one Of these,
and It is stated that Sir Adam may run
as an independent
1t Is believed that such opposition to
Hearst as exists In his own party is
due to his prohibition measure, in force
since 1916; In fact, Lleut-Col II. A c.
Machn, NJ. p. p, is president of the
Personal Liberty League, the organiza-
| ton formed to secure a modification OF
| the existing prohibition law. The Lib
erals are led by H. Hartley Dewart.
whose former opposition to advance tenn
perance legislation has alienated an ele-
ment Of prohibition Liberals.
Cost of Living q Factor.
A Liberal convention for Ontario, at
which he was chosen leader, last July.
put forth a progressive platform. and
Mr.. Dewart is aggressively stamping the
province and emphasizing the planks
Of the party's policy. One of these is
| strong temperance legislation. and Mr..
Dewart Is backing this up in his
| speeches. He also denounces the Cab
| met for extravaganza and for failure
to reduce the cost OF living and to pre-
vent profteering; and he says that the
people are everywhere turning against
the Government
Premier Hearst in his manifesto out
lined a long list of policies and reforms,
and announced the admission to the
Cabinet OF Brig.-Gen. A e. Ross OF
Kingston. as soldiers representative.
but as yet without portfolio. He prom
ises to take in a Minister of Labor. and
| names as plsnks such things as PEN
sion fund for mothers. the minimum
wage, good roads to every part Of On
| tario, and "the faithful enforcement OF
the peoples verdict on the liquor ques-
| ton" The vote on the referendum to
confirm, amend or repeal the Ontario
| temperance act will, take place also
on Oct 90, and a hot campaign is now
| under way.
New Elements In Election.
The new factors In the election con-
| test are the United Farmers of On
tario. the Labor men. and, in a few
cases. returned soldier candidates. The
| U. F. o. have candidates in nearly
all the rural rulings. and have a good
prospect of a strong block of members.
| They are holding meetings everywhere.
| but they lack leadership in the form of
| men of parliamentary experience. Nor
| have they a very distinctive platfrom
outside of opposition to both old parties
It is a class appeal, and probably a re-
| suit of the class consciousness that IL
more than ever apparent all over the
| world at present.
Labor talks of having twenty one can
didates in the field. and in several rid
| ings II has united with the u. F. O.
| This "unholy alliance" as II has been
called. nay have the merit of bring
ing a leaven of conservatism to the
councils of labor; for II Is not TO be
thought of that the farmers will lend
themselves to Bolshevik propaganda
The returned soldiers have not made
much Roadway as a body in the pro-
vlncial contest, but several returned mer
will be candidates in the interest of one
or the other group.
II What will be the outcome OF the
contest no one can say. 1t is clear thai
there will be groups and perhaps no. one
party will have a majority over all
Something will depend on public senti
ment on the temperance issue. for
prohibition wave might return the Gov
eminent out OF gratitude for sweepint
away the bar-which now appears t.
have no friends anywhere. But Il 1:
a hard time for Governments. with 81
much unrest abroad. and the result Il
a matter for guessing and not for proph
esying.