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Show Ill CANADA. I'rof. (Soldwin Smith Kxplalns the Political Situation in the , Dominion. 0 O '" The Brond Issue of Contintntal Belatlom CO , : Etneath the Surfaos of the t' Prwsent Origii. a' VIEWS OF CONTINENTAL PASTY Q . r-t N They Wish to Cultivate the Nr Closest Relations with all Qi Ports of the Continent. While Sir John McDonald has Been Trying to Arrest the Triumph of Democracy. BRIBERY AND CORRUPTION RAMPANT Th. People la Favor or Reciprocity bat They will Scarcity be Allowed to Kipress their Views. 4 New York, Feb. 7. I'rof. Goldwlnv Smith of Toronto, in a letter to the Times, explains the political situation in Canada. lie says: k . "The immediate issue is the trade " with the United Status, but beneath this lies a broader issue between continental conti-nental and anti-continontal policy. The, ' liberals of Canada, whether they look for the ultimate entrance of Canada, ' into the American union or not, are , now men who regard the inhabitants of l this continent partners, and desire to , ' ; cultivate the closest relations with them,' ' . The conservatives, the auti-conti- '-off nental, desire to keep Canada, in alt ,e.-.f things divided from her continent and f, attached to threat Britain, where the v t " social center of their party lies. Prac- ' ' V tically they seek to make Canada au en- ' , ' gine of tho conservative aristocracy of t - ''j Great Britain, for averting the triumph. r '. of democracy in tho new werld, keep V ." ' ing part of tho American continent under aristocratic institutions or the in- " fluence of the anti-continental party, s T Sir John MacDonald is the chief. His ' f whole policy has been directed against 1 1 r f closer relations with th United States. , The Canadian Pacific railway was v-" " its destined l""tr,intt. thr iT.tf the course of events by which his "National" railway has been converted.' into a half American road seems to prove the hopelessness of the fight against nature. For the commercial question by itself he may be said te care comparatively little. Among tho people whatever maybe)., their political bearing toward the United Uni-ted States, the desire for free trade with their own continent grows apace. If the people are left alone there can bo no doubt that the verdict will be in favor fa-vor of reciprocity and against protection protec-tion government. The country has been governed for twenty-five years largely by great corruption carried on by means of federal subsidies subsi-dies to provinces, which our constitution constitu-tion unfortunately permits, federal grants to local public works; concessions conces-sions to contractors and bribery of all kinds. These engines will all be plied and plied on tho people whose political tone has been sadly lowered by long subjection to their influence. The government majority in the late parliament was over 50 on division of a house of 215 members, so that the liberals lib-erals have a considerable leeway to make up. On the other hand many of th government seats were won at the last election by small majorities which if the people were to vote freely, according ac-cording to this conviction on the com mercial question wonld no doubt be re versed. |