CANADA'S POLITICAL UPHEAVAL.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1271, 28 October 1911, Page 12

CANADA'S POLITICAL UPHEAVAL.

THE LAURIER LANDSLIDE, CONSERVATIVE PARTY OVERJOYED. (New Tork 'Tost" Dispatch.) Montreal, September 22. Canada to-day was confronted by a startling situation, through tho Literal defeat at tho polls yesterday on tho issuo of reciprocity with tho United States and tho fact that the Lauricr Government will bo succeeded by a Conservative Ministry formed by Kobert L. Borden, tho Opposition leader. That tho changes registered by tho vote of the electorate will bo radical is shown by tho overwhelming majority v. - hereby tho voters rejected the agreement which Premier Laurier had made with the United States for tho mutual removal of duties on food and other natural products; by the defeat of eight Cabinet Ministers out of the thirteen who stood for re-election, and by tho political landslide which will retiro into private life Sir Wilfrid Laurier, acknowledged to bo one of the meet conspicuous figures in.tho British Empire. Borden comes into powor with a majority of 49, which will probably bo increased to 50 or more.

Out of nine Canadian provinces, only Quebec, Laurier's native place, came anywhere near remaining faithful to him, and Quebec did not do any too well. Ontario, the greatest of tho provinces, dealt Laurier a hard blow, going almost solidly against him, and the Fame may bo said of Manitoba and British Columbia. Saskatchewan and A Iberia, two great wheat-raising provinces, gave a mild support to the cause of reciprocity, but their returns were not what tho Liberals had expected. Summary of the Result.

Every province, savo Alberta, bliows a Conservative gain. Ontario leads with seventy-two Conservatives returned, to only thirteen Liberals. Quebec shows a Liberal majority but a big Conservative gain, thero being elected thirty-seven Liberals and twenty-fivo Conservatives, and one Nationalist, with two constituencies yet to vote. In New Brunswick there are eight Liberals and five Conservatives; in Nova Scotia ten Liberals and eight Conservatives. In Princo Edward Island there is a Conservative gain, each sido getting two seals.

In Manitoba there is a clean sweep, ten Conservatives being returned. In Saskatchewan eight Liberals were elected and (wo Conservatives. In Alberta the. Liberals elected six to one Conservative. British Columbia selected six Conservatives, with one. contest postponed. In the Yukon Territory there is ono seat for which the election will taks place later. | [The result of this election is ani nounced in to-day's cable messages.] ! The details follow :— ConsorProvince. Liberals, vatives. Quebec „ 37 20 Ontario 13 72 Prince Edward Island ... 2 2 Nova Scotia 10 I) New Brunswick 8 5 Manitoba 9 10 Saskatchewan 8 2 Alberta 0 1 British Columbia 0 7 Totals 81 133 OpjKisition majority, 49. Tho strength of tho Liberal and Conservative parties in tho last Parliament was as follows.— ConserProvinoe. Liberals, vatives. Ontario 35 51 Quebec 53 12 Nova Scotia _ 12 G New Brunswick 11 2 Prince- Edward Island ... 3 1 Manitoba 2 8 Saskatchewan 9 8 : Alberta f;.;*.;...:..;.; ; ...:l i a British Columbia 2 5 Yukon Territory 1 — Totals 132 89 This gave tho Laurier Government a normal majority of 43 out of a total membership of 211. The Defeated Ministers, Tho Cabinet Ministers who wero defeated were William Paterson, Minister of Customs; W .L. Mackenzie King, Minister of L.ilisur; William S. Fielding, Minister of Finance; Sir Frederick Borden, Minister of Militia; William Templeman, Minister «f Inland Revenue; G. P. Graham, Minister of Railways; Sidney A. Fisher, Minister of Agriculture. Minister Bureau was also defeated. Dr. Beland, the new Postmaster-General, was defeated in Mentmagny, but elected in Beauce. Messrs. Loruieux, Pugsley, Murphy, and Oliver were also saved.

The Conservatives arc overjoyed to-day at the result; tbo Liberals are correspondingly depressed. The magnitude of the landslide appears to have stunned the Liberals, who havo held office for fifteen consecutive ycaTs, and who firmly believed that they were destined to remain in power for many years to come. One of the notable results of the election was the snecess of only a single Nationalist, lie won in a Quebec district, where the Conservatives named no candidate. This failure of tho Nationalists lo securo the considerable number of scats predicted as the result of tho fiery campaign of their leader, Henri Bourassa, eliminates a factor feared as likely to handicap seriously tho Conservatives in tho use of their majority in tho next House. The overthrow of tho Lauder Liberal Government comes after fifteen years of uninterrupted sway in the Dominion of Canada. During this time their majorities havo fluctuated, but they havo always been strong, wjth a working majority of ;U or upwards. Views of the Dominion Press. Under the heading, "Tho Ending of Lauricr," tho Montreal "Gazette" saya to-day:— "As tho result of yesterday's voting upon tho issue, which ho recommended and pressed upon tho country, Sir Wilfrid Laurier has just one tiling to do. He must go to tho Governor-General, offer his resignation as Prime Minister, and advise that Mr. Borden bo sent for to form a Cabinet. The Liberal Government is more than defeated. It is destroyed. There has not been such a condem- ! nation of a Governmental party sinco Lili'S. To it all sections contributed. Tho criminals who tried to set the East against tho West and the country against the city were cast out in the West as well as in the East by the country constituencies as well as by those of tho city, by tho workers as well as by thoso who employ workers." The "Mail and Empire" of Toronto (Conservative) says: "Tho Knox-Fioldiug pact has received its quietus. That' menace to Canada's independence, that troublo.r of our polities for tho last eight months, has been dealt with by the sovereign people in a fashion that makes a man feel prouder than over to be the fellow citizen of tho great majority who yesterday t'oro into tatters the covenant of treason our Ministers concluded with the President of the United Slates. Not only is the evil spirit of Continentalism exorcised, but the Government it possessed is cast out. This is the end of the most infamous false dealing that the Ministry ef a British Dominion was over "uifty of. To false dealing was added despotism, such as the most autocratic Government >» the world would hardly have attempted." The Toronto "Globe" (Liberal) says:— "The Government of Sir Wilfrid Lauricr goes out of power on a great issue. Believing, as it did, that the offer of tho United States to exchango natural products with Canada on a duty-free basis would prove advantageous In both countries, the Government risked its life in the issue of reciprocity, and lost it. "The people of Ontario do not like their neighbours to tho south. That is emphatically the decision of yostorday'M election. Liberals in tens of .thousands must have joined the Conservatives in cily and country to show I heir objections to having any 'truck of trade with tho Yankees.' Tho other provinces, taken togtthcr, have a majority for Lauricr and larger markets, but, by an overwhelming vote, Ontario has declared that sho will have nothing lo do with reciprocity. The campaign orators of tho Conservative party builded bettor than tlw.y knew when during the last two weeks of tho oainpaifm they appealed to tho people

of this province lo savo Canada from tin Americans. They created a wavo of feeling that was not obscrvablo on tho eur--face, but that nevertheless (swept tho voters from Iheir political moorings in<* vast numbers. AMERICAN RECIPROCITY ACT.

TO STAND ON THE STATUEBOOK.

Washington, September 22. "Liberals defeated" wn.s the laconic nv' port to tlio Slate Department from Con-sul-General Bradley at Montreal, recording tlio ollkiiil domfco of the reciprocity movement. No further official declara(ion is L'xpoclod at the Depiulment, on the ground that the Canadian Government naturally supposes that this Government is familiar with the tonus of Ihe agreement, especially tlio condition tlisit the proposed new and reduced duties shall nol he effoctivo until after Canadian ratification.. The buirlo exception was tho wood pulp and ]>apcr schedule, wliich by special provision went into operation immediately upon tho approval of tho Act, and is now beyond recall (he law of tho land, unless Con-, cress should see fit to repeal tho entire Kwiproeity Act. Tho opinion expressed at tho State Department was that no effort would be made to repeal tho ItecipTocity Act, and, although tlio dutie.s therein provided will not become effective, tho Act itself will l>o permitted to renin in on tho statute >>coln>, constituting an over-open door to Canada and a constant reminder of the recognition by the United States of tho merits of tlio principle of reciprocity; with its northern ntdghbour.