Show CANADIAN POLITIC It looks now a i the death of Sir Joux MACDONALD had plunged the Tories into plunge Torief a state of utter demoralization The elevation ion of Mr ABBOT to the premiership is looked upon a an unsatisfactory compromise I com-promise which cannot endure long In 1S40 I he favored annexation to the United favor anexaton States and the Liberals arc not slow in taunting him with it Moreover his connection with the great Pacific railroad scandal as counsel I will be used by the opposition to embarrass him No Canadian leader except the dead Sir Joux MACDONALD could ever hkve lived down an odious connection like this and it kept even him of hi out office several years Of the four men mentioned as the probable prob-able successor to Sir JOBS Mr ABBOTT was the least prominent He 1 more of a I lawyer than 1 statesman although his legislative experience covers nearly an ago Still with the exception of a somewhat unpopular un-popular insolvent act and an equally abortive abor-tive act against bucket shops his Initiation of legislation has been of tbo rarest During Dur-ing the last twenty years Mr ABBOTT has ben identified with most of the commercial commer-cial enterprises organized in Ottawa and served for two years from 1SS7 to 1SS9 as mayor of Montreal However the governor gover-nor general had very little choice unless he wished to tender the office to Sir CHARLES TUPPER a most skillful politician wnom he cordially dislikes A to the others Sir I JOaN THOMFSOX the ablestonoof them all was practically debarred on account of his religion He is a Catholic and as such stirred up the bitter opposition of tho influential in-fluential Orange element in the Dominion which the government could not afford to ignore The fourth candidate Sir HECTOR L XOEVIX was hampered by charges affecting af-fecting his integrity With the personal weight of tho dead premier removed and with a vulnerable premier at the new head of affairs and a public opinion steadily growing in opposition opposi-tion to the dominant party it seems to us the day for a mighty change in Canadian politics and history is near at band |