CANADA AND ITS POLITICS.

Thames Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 10525, 25 April 1907, Page 4

CANADA AND ITS POLITICS.

We are apt to forget .that Canada occupies a full half of the North American. Continent. It is true that, the northern half is unsettled, and-is subject to winters of Arotici severity, but in ciowm of timtei men will gradually spread 'themselves over the unpeopled tract®, milling the tkniber, fishing in riversl and lakes, arid evcm growingl handy crops. But even the rich southern belt is capable of carrying an enormously greaiter populajtion than it has- to-day. It is really very American in its methods, as, indeed, one would expect. Professor Goldwjin Smith, whio discusses Canadian politics in an article in the Contemporalry Revieiw 1," ,saysi that there are 1,200,000 people of Canadian Ibirtfo south, of the border linfe, amid in thlat fact lies the foest guarantee that Canada could have against am attack from the United States. A Canadian Ibby, we are told, thinks no- more of godng 1 to New York or Chicago for «i start 1 in life than; a Scotchl or aj Yorkshire Ibby thinks of going to London, and the Canadian in the lAin«ipician: miaritet-finds himself at a premium. Of, French. Caaadiains thiere a»ei'believed to^be 150,000 in Massachusetts albne. There is a oo.uratier-cn^remjt. of Aimeric&ns into the North-west, where the present popular tioni consists of sudh 1 miscellaneous elements ais Caniadian, British, Ice< landici,- ISntedishl, Russian, Dourk^obors and- Mfemnanites amd Jews. 0^ Canar diian politicsi and politicians, the professor does, not speak very favourably. "Craft," he says, "preivails at Ottiawa and elsewhere." Ais a ciase in point, he. relates hiow 3iaßt. siession, in the Dominion Pjarliatnienifc, 'opposition!) to ao unconstitutioinal measure, dictated in effect foy thie aijrent of a. foreigTi Power, collapsed! wihen it firanispined thlat the Government iwould propose airi incireaise of the sessional salaries of both Houses at a salary for the leiadier of thie Oppositiion and a set of pensions !' Folitioal ioMiruption k described a|s being a£grav4fied J iby the 1 want of poli"----tical cohiesion ; and .the Press is stated by Professor* Smith to he tainted with the same evil. "Nowhere, not even in Ontario, wMch is its widest field," he declfoteis, 'ihias th©-Press a constitiuetney. .sufficiently strong] to sustain its .independenoe and enaibie am honest journal with impunity to "withstand :the passion of the hour." Professor Goldlwin, Shiitlhi may be given to gxa,g^eiriatibn!, but he knows Ctanadialn politiaa -vvell, and tMere is some reason! to (believe that "«trtoft" is not limited to .the - southern sidle of the bbrdelr lioa. .' ' ;