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Show CANADA, ITS PR1!R, -ITS ROSCAIf FUTURE The Liberal Victcry and Its Hffct in Mdkiiir .' j More Secure the Ascendency of Laurier's Party. j : Sir Wilfrid Laurier. pri-mh-r f ' : i . i I ; i . -p- i1 j part of Sunday and M'-uday of ihi-. we v. in . J J.ake. en nuic t tin- Pari;;,- r.n,:. b- -, ;; , ; . charmed with the visit, and e.:v--; d ! 1::- -vi ' i that his stav here r u!d i ,m- bc.-u 1 r. 1!; said: , ' j . "In the drive about I"" :.' i n.-t i,-. d .- -,i-r-. j beautiful, buildings, and beautiful --meled n v-::::--. ' !' I Would like fit he here in ii,.- -i;,n!;.-r lim- " !,- ' ' f the leaves are otii ami tin- nowi".-. an- iir IiI.jd !! - ; The new post off ice btiildin.u "H .!ai:i vn-i ; is , k ? of the handsomest struetui'es have .-en." . j The prime minister wa s imf-ctcd in govern ' j J ment affairs ar.d expre-aed some surpri-e ? : -. i ih. : ; government did not pay the p-!master in .-: !"vi ' t the size 'of Salt Lake City mere than th" piv-ent salary. . : "I believe yiu were pnsi maer onee." -aid It ( j t Colonel 1'ienton. "Why did you m,i stay in tht government service .'" I "Oh. 1 am out of politics now." came the re- - ply. "I have held the po-ition of I'nited St-n- S marshal and postmaster, bur am now buck to m.v I old love, railroading." ; "Postmaster in politics cyme the surprisfd ; rejoinder from the Canadian, in his peculiar ' French accent. "In my country when a man takes j a postma-stership he. by that act. goes out of poll- ; i tics and is placed, as they say. 'on the shelf.'"' j I The general elections which took place through- . ! J out the Dominion of Canada on the 3rd ult.. and which resulted in the Laurier administration beinu , j j sustained by a largely increased majority, was ir. , : the nature of a surprise to many observers of po- ; litical conditions. ThaT the Laurier or Liberal ''I government would be sustained was expected, cer- i tainly, but the majorities were, to say the least, stir- prising. The latest returns gave the Liberal? ; the Conservatives but 72, a majority of nearly 70. ; J With the exception of Ontario, Prince Edward . I Island and British Columbia, every province went j Liberal, in Xova Scotia the whole eighteeen ceun f ties returned Liberal members, the most astonish- - ? ing political occurrence for years, says the Boston ! Republic. 1 The " principal factor in the election was tha construction of the Grand Trunk Pacific railroad. ; J The Laurier government entered into a contxad with the Grand Trunk Railroad corporation to ; build a transcontinental railway from Moncton. X, i R.. west. The estimated cost of this road is $150. ; f 000,000. The government guarantees 90 per cent I of the bonds and the company the other 10 pe? cent. For security the government holds a mort- gape on the road and charges the company a noroi- i nal interest. The opposition or Conservative par- ; ! ty, under the leadership of Mr. R. L. Borden, ar- gned that the railway would never prove a paying one, that it passsed through an extenpire unex- , plored country, and the cost of construction would exceed the estimate, and that the contract was not : I a sound business proposition that the govern- ment had better pay the other 10 per cent of cost and own the road. Briefly the above was the ism 1 on which the elections were run. , j. Both political parties went into the tight wll j equipped with forceful arguments and led by men i I of brilliant attainments and ability. The trans- ' i continental project, no doubt, furnished the gov- ' j ernment with "sinews of war," while the Conserva- ... tives had the backing of the Canadian Pacific rail- way, which will be a competing road with tha jj Grand Trunk Pacific. Both parties lined up for the fray evenly balanced, except for the fact that the party in power always poasseases a distinct advantage. - Election campaign methods in Canada are about . . i the same as those of this county. There is no stated date on which a general election is to be ; f- held. The tenure of office for any party in power ; may last for five years, but often the elections are , called in three or four years from the date of the preceding election, the government fixing the time ; which will prove advantageous to the party in power, pow-er, or when political exegencies demand an appeal ap-peal to the people. When the offcial announcement announce-ment of an election is made, the machinery of both i parties is oiled and put into working condition- f Party conventions are held, nomination 'of candi- dates are made and the contest 13 under way. mere is the usual newspaper work and the distribution . : of political literary matter. Each cabinet minis- ter takes charge of the campaign in his particular ,-. province. Stump speakers and ''spellbinders" spread over the country and indoor and outdoor .; ; " meetings are held in every locality. Behind all this outward show, there is a force at work which geta in its shady, yet effective work. Votes are bought! and paid for as ordinary merchandise. Intoxicants are freely used before and on election day, and in many localities the result simply depends on which party has the most cash and liquor. During the present election in Canada it is notorious that enormous sums have been spent in producing- re- . suits for both parties. The government was bound to Avin. and the opposition was equally determined j to get into power. Outside of the elements men- t tioued which go to secure majorities in election. i, there are others which obtain in some localities, but prove disastrous in .others. Sir Wilfrid Laurier j being a Frenchman, the possibility of the domina- h . tion of the Canadian French population over th? I. 'English has been worked by the Conservative cam- paign speakers in the lower provinces and in lo- f. calities outside of Quebec, while in the Province of I Quebec Sir Wilfrid's nationality, or rather the fact v that he is of French extraction, is exploited to capture the French vote. ' Orangism has been and , is used but to a very limited extent. Sir Wilfred J being a Catholic, it is. a a red rag to a bull to the ' rabid Orangemen, but to their credit be it said : that there are very many Orangemen who are ar- 1 dent admirers of Sir Wilfred Lnurier. The que3- (Continued on Page 4.) ;J j .". "" "' h I i CANADA, ITS PREMIER, ITS ROSEATE ENTIRE (Continued from Tare One.) tion of religion in Canadian politics is scarcely I thought of. The fact that the premier is a Catholic, Catho-lic, is rarely mentioned and more rarely used for election purposes. Sir John Thompson, a recent ConscrA'ative premier of Canada, Avas a staunch Xova Scotia Catholie and one of the most esteemed men in both public and private capacity in Canada. The qualities which led to Sir Wilfred Laurier's success can easily be summarized. He is not of a bold and aggressive type, his chief characteristics are unsullied integrity, great ability, commanding eloquence and extremely amiable disposition. He possesses a kind heart, chivalrous instincts, unfailing unfail-ing politeness and loveable nature. He has al-Avays al-Avays been a keen student of political science and an ornate and forceful Avriter. He was born on Xoa'. 20, 1841, at. St. Lin, in the county of L'As-somption, L'As-somption, Quebec. His ancesters came from An-jou, An-jou, France in 1560. His grandfather and father I Avere land surveyors in Quebec. He studied law, and at "0 years of age Avas elected a member of the Quebec legislature for the constituency of At- 1 habasca and Drummond, and remained in thaU capacity ca-pacity for three years. In the next federal elections elec-tions he contested the same county for the house of commons and Avas elected. In 1S77 Mr. Laurie entered the Dominion cabinet as minister of inland in-land rcA-enue, and in that year, owing to the resignation resig-nation of Hon. Edward Blake, Mr. Laurier Avas unanimously selected as leader of the Liberal party, par-ty, which he has since held Avith great honor and ability. Such is a striking token of the breadth and liberality of the Canadian people who are more than tAA-o-thirds British and largely Protestant. Sir Wilfred Laurier has a A-ery striking personality and distinguished" appearance. He is tall and erect, with a youthful, intellectual countenance. He speaks both English and French Avith a grace and polish which' charms the hearer. His oratory i ornate and beautiful and he holds the closest attention atten-tion of .his audiences. The elections Avhich Avere held on Xo. 3, give Sir Wilfred Laurier a majority ma-jority of about 70, Avhich is an increase of HO. The result is a big surprise to both parties the most rabid liberal papers forecasting only 50 majority. . There arc a large number of Catholic members in the Canadian house of commons and there the question of religion is neA-er raised nor is it an issue is-sue in deliberations. |