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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Signal, 1908-10-24, Page 1NEW SUBSCRIBERS Can get The Signal from to 1st January, 1910. for $1.00 Send along your name and address with cash to The Sinal SPECIAL EDITION SIXTY-FIRST YIIAR-1i'a kits tonal. f --NEW SUBSCRIBERS should send io their names and addresses at once. FROM NOWITO 1st JANUARY, two, FOR $1.00 ANYWHERE IN CAN- ADA OR THE BRITISH ISLES. Address, J Liar The Signal] GODERICH, ONTARIO. CANADA : OCTOBER '' 1, 1908 YANATTER k ROBERTSON, Pusuanans LET GODERICH GIVE ROBERT HOLM ES A SQUARE DEAL ON MONDAY THE STAR'S ROORBACHS. At the election of 1101 The Oode•rieh Star published a roorlach to the effect that Mr: Hulme, had appointed his brother-in-law as com- mander of the Government survey boat. securing the disinissel of the further officer to make way for his relative. The statement Willi absol- utely untrue, as it was afterwards shown, but The Star did not scruple to make sues unfair use o1 IL It is at the same tricks again, In a different way. lis issue this_week would do credit to the inventor f the ro reach, and The Signal is issuing this special edition in order that so far as possible the truth may overtake The .Star's :alae statements before el- ection day. We do not attempt to correct all The Star's lapses from the truth; but the samples given will be sufficient to show that nothing that paper says is to be believed without e orruborative evidence. THE ELECTORS ARE WARNED - AGAteiST TAKINt3 tW AMPAIGet YARNS STARrEW JUST BEFORE POLLING I)AY, NO MATTER BY warmm PARTY THEY MAY BE' CIRCULATED. THE ROORBACH SHOUD BE STAMPED OUT. THF NOMINATION MEETING. • The Star's account of the nomina- tion meeting (written by A. M. Todd) is a tissue of misrepresentation and falsehood. it is impossible, nor is it neouwsat'y, to go over the whole report \and point out the inaccuracies and in come cases absolute misstatements with which it abounds. For instance, the itetement that "Mr. Holmes got real , and likened Mr. Lewis to a horse th t," is an absolute figment of Mr. Todd' imagination. Nothing of the kind too ;place. But the clirusx of maliciot, false- hood is reached in this report of the Crown attorney 1p Incident. Mr. Todd says: "He (Mr. Holmes) tate, at Con- stance and Ihinganno that Lewis was an applicant some '-.. ago for the county Crown atter ship and that he bad a letter •1 Lewis' where he (Lewis) bad said ttv been a Liberal all his life." ^ Mr. Holmes did not rayhe • any letter. He said he had authority or stating that Mr. Lewis bad wri such a letter, and he named Mr. Cam- eron ae hie authority. Mr. Lewis mule s grandstand denial, and Mr. Holmes, as be had no documentary proof with him, had to accept the denial, and immediately retracted the statement so far as he wee concerned, The Star's report of the incident is-- gropes{Hely iaee•eur•ate in ether respects -but is tan thin to arrack P� anything get at Mr. Holmes 1 H es The things of real importance that ere discussed at the meeting are i\\\r\s mentioned by The Star, the r• - p or 's attention being taken up al- most tirely with bits of dribhle- drabbleare of no public interest. Those wh were not there and who want to kno what was said on pub- lic affairs will nd a fair report in the regular issue of ' . e Signal this week, A FALSE INSINUATION. Statement of Mr. Lewis at Nomination Meeting Utterly Refuted. At the nomination meeting at Dun- gannon on Monday E. N. Lewis insin- uated that Robert Holmes had got Thomas Burrows, of Goderich, to write the letter signed "T. B:"which appeared recently in The Grange Sent- nel and that Mr. Holmes was re- epsonsible for the article in The Sentinel urging the defeat of Mr. Lewis. Mr. Holmes in bis speech following Mr. Lewis branded the insinuation as utterly false. He knew nothing about th.•;Jetter or the article and had uoth- iug to do with either of them. • Friday morning The Signal saw Mr. Burrowthis horse on Elgin avenue and asked .int if he wished to make any stetem t regarding the matter. Mr. Burrows utborized The Signal to state that the was no truth in --Mr. Lewis' ineinuati n; Mr. Holmes had not suggested the otter, had not men- tioned anything of • e kind, had never 'ip hi1To�im oTpuy cChtbtng. A WORN-OUT Mr. Lewis says in his add electors of Goderich in this Star: "One of the chief arguments against me at the nomination that I advocated the interests of God rich too etronglv." No such argumeut, or anything like it, was meal at the nomination meet ing. As a natter of fact, Mr. Volutes at Dungannon pointed out where Mr. Lewis bad failed to do 'his duty to- wards his own t own by refusing to go on a depntatio i to Ottawa to present the town's rase for harbor improve- ments. Mayor fallen, Robt. McLean, Wm. Proudfu.d. W. L. Horton, with Mr. Lewis, were to be the deputation. Nr. Lewis was at tromp- in Goderich with his pass in his pocket but would not go. The Goderich pxeople then asked Mr. Iiuhnes to go, which he did, with what success is on record. Mr. Lewis sat by when Mr. Holmes made this ..tatrue•nt asst made 110 et. tempt to refute it. Mr. Lewis harps upon the break... water project, but the people are get- ting rather tired of this. Whether he or one of the lake captains originated the idea is open to question, but The Signal has no desire to detract from fly credit that is due to him for hring- i the matter to public attention• Ni. does The Signal deny that he wan eon enough to identify himself with the building of the C. P. R. line to (ioderiCh and the extension of the telephone to Dungannon. These pro festa would have been earried out just -the same if E. IV. Lewis had never ex - tar and he caa "refer to The 9iia nal" all he likes. it w i M. O. Cameron who when Mayor f Goderich got from the late Hon. J. Tarte the flat promise of the buildingthe break- water. Mr. Cameron also claim credit for the telephone extension. The promise given many yea ago to extend the C. P. R. to Goderie was carried out as e direct consequen of the Liberal Government's O. T. P. p ject. When the Grand Trunk de- cided to invade the West the C. P. R. commenced building branches in On- tario. But what have these things to do with E. N. Lewis as the representative of West Huron at Ottawa? Must we make him M. P. for life to satisfy his demands? Does it not show a pitiful poverty of thought and purpose when he harps so persistently ou these well worn strings? Ile was Mayor of in Goderich for two years and member at "Ottawa for four years. Better men thet,n he have received less reward for r hch greater service. No atter how much or how little Mr. Lew' has done along these lines. it will not ve him from condemna- tion for lack of manliness and antennae* has -shame in his at.a tempts to hold wn his seat in Par- liament. lie heal given a gross ex- ample of self-seeking at the sacrifice of those qualities of c rider and cour- age which should distin fish a public man. He Mae used th arta of a political trimmer to keep sons de- claring bit views when be th ht he might lose votes by so doing. He has not trusted the people, and he as no rightto ask the people W tr t him again as their delegate to the national council. NO PROM -E GIVEN. Minister of Public Wor Denies Lewis' Statement. E. N. Lewis repeats the statement that he has it promise from a Gov- ernment to complete the brea water. The following letter frim the on. Mr. Pugsley, Minister of Pu'lic Warks; to Mr. Robert Holmes oho how much reliance is to he plated Mr. Lewis' statement- : trrawA, September 29th, 19)8. Dear Mr. Holmes My Deputy has shown me your let- , ter of the 24th inst., in which you Ask as to the attitude of my Department with regard to the extension of the - (iederieh breakwater. in reply 1 beg to say that the very strong represen- tations which you have made in favor of this and other improvements at Goderich have bad my earnest consid- eration, and 1 trust that it will be pos- e ible in the near future to meet your views in regard to the contemplated improvements. 1 may say, however, that no decision has yet been arrived at in reference to the extension of the breakwater, and no assurances have been given upon the suhject. Yours very truly, ��•ILLIAII PUOOaLRY. Robert Holmes, Esq., Clinton. Wonder if Mr. Whitney's plug- uglies will come across any "choice tomatoes" (Colchester brand) up in Northern Ontario. There is no gerrymander under Laurier. The people of Ashfleld and Wawanoeh are voting along with their neighbor. of Colborne township. Why did not Mr. Lewis give his views on the autonomy hill at the nomination meeting? Because it would spoil his two-faced campaign on the ;fidelities. if Mr. Lewis is to take credit for "originating" the hrlakwater project, Is it not worth something to have a Government that will take up and carry nut a gaol Idea, no matter Where It Comes from ? Mi.'Lewis should know that '•states- men" do not conduct election cam- paigns on the bole-and.Cornar plan. ==== ===a=======ti7 i� 1 VOTE FOR � HOL-MES AND THE 1 PARTY of PROGRESS i p nmDPROSPERITY D o _ Daoe=4 0 I THE TRUTH ABOUT TIMBER LANDS. The Opposition has had much to say .about alleged tither "deals." heir statements are distorted and true. Here are the facts in brief : t an etre of timber land bas been given away by the present Govern- ment. n every case it has been sold by pub' i competition to the highest bidder. a Conservative Govern- ment GAV . AWAY over x3,000 square miles. Altogether the Con- servatives di • . .. of 20,322 square miles. Here is how the account stands : T{ M HER S(LV AND Conservatives - 29, equare• miles $121.000 00 Li here's --0,4511raj wire miles 528,815 00 Had Conservatives secure(' the same price Literals got, the result would be 4404 00 TORIES FEARED THE TROT Member of the Opposition insinu- ated that Mr. Turriff. M.P., formerly Commissioner of DomtniQn Lends, acted improperly in receiving tenders for timber limits. Mr. Turriff on the floor of the House constantly invited them to bring is charge against him, but without success. When the timber matters were before the Public Accounts Committee, Mr. Turrttf was in daily attendance, inviting the Con- servatives to call hint to prove the allegation made by Mr. Foster that be, Mr. Turriff, retired t: a secret and t secluded room, where he opened the tenders in private. They knew well that their whole case would vanish into thin air in the presence of the trutb, so they refrained from calling the one man who might be expected to anow all about the affair. THEY DARED NOT PUT IIIM UPON THF STAND, and so far as the Conservatives are concerne(6the public would never have receiver the benefit of Mr. TurrifTsevidence. MR, TURRIFF INSISTED UPON GIV- E EVIDENCE,-WHiCH WAS AS F LOWS H never opened any tender until the ti bad expired for receiving them. He did not retire to a dark room to open tenders. Ile never o eened them alone, but always in the essence of another official. Tenders when received were placed in the safe, and no one had access to them and they were only opened at the proper moment.. He never favored any tenders but treated all alike in accordance with the existing regulation.. He never had any suggest iuri mule to him by any person while in ;office Borden to drop him. But Mr. Borden do an improper art. r. Turriff characterized as ••A, DELIBERATE LIE" the statements made with regard to himself by Mr. Foster, who, by the way, absented bimeelf from the committee when Mr. Turriff was on the stand. Mr. Bur- rows, M. P•, Mr. A. W. Fraser and others in reg were made in timber "deals" to whom insinuations nnection with alleged le,'e not railed to the witness stand by he Opposition, a1 - though they wen oil band. TORIES STOP INVEMTiGATION. The attitude of the Opposition with regard to the inveetigat n into tim- ber matters before rtte bUc"Ae counts Committee was in onsistent and'contetnptible. 'FAiLiN TO SE- CURE ANY EVIDENCE in lying the official honesty of a former om- mirsioner of Crown Lands, and real- izing that he had no case, Mr. Ames, the leading Conservative critic on timber matters, took advantage of the absence of Mr. McDonald, M.P., from the committee room, AND MOVED THAT THE INVESTIGATION TER- MINATE. Mr. Ames had been very persistent and suspicious throughout, and his vigorous plea that the (proceedings be brought to:_ concluaion would have. had the effect of blocking further in- vestigation into timber matters. investigation revealed NOTHING FROM WHiCH IPOLITICAL OAPI- iT UE MADE, and the Op- position lost all interest la the Pu lu'o' endings. In the administration of timber affairs, everything was found to be regular. and every official concerned emerged from the ordeal with credit. How much did E. N. Lewis pay the photographer ? The Star publishes a photo of E. N. Lewis standing by R. L. Borten, the Opposition leader. Mr. Lewis man- aged to be in Mr. Borden's company when the photograber was around ; but did he stANI BY his leader in Parl- iament? "This is not had going in t ese hard times -$8,000 Liberal bet a money for West Huron, $8.5,(X for Fort William and Port Ar ur, and as high as $.50,0(X1 to one gle tiding." What does The Stai mean by this kind of drivel ? If,i't means anything, it is a lie. But rhaps it is only a case of wind o he stomach. The Mon eel Star, The Toronto News, The/Halifax Herald -all prom- inent Opposition newspapers - have denounced Foster and advised Mr.a instead says that Mr. Foster is good 1 enough for him. Is it safe to place 1 the country's interests in the hands of ja utas Willi is too weak to follow the' goeleadvice of his own supporters ? The Star says that a boodler halt. appeared in the riding. If this is so. how comes it that The Star knows so mach about him ? The Liberals have not seen him. As a matter of fact, we do not believe there is a stranger working in the riding on either side. The Star is just romancing. No proper request for investigation of public expenditures orof thedis- posal of lands has been refused by the Laurier Government. ' The Opposi- tion members spent months of time and thousands of dollars (the people s money, not their own) in investiga- tions before committees of Parlia- ment, without discovering anything damaging to the Government. Mr. Lewis said at Dungannon that Robert McL•ao is "one of the best sod .most respected citizens in the county of Huron" (as reported in The Star). But where was Mr. Lewis' sympathy for Robert McLean when he was working up his scheme to take the Coneervative nomination away from the veteran who had fought bit party's battles While Mr. Lewis was enjoying the courfort. of an office un- der a Grit government ? "Laurier Cannot Be Beaten." (Toronto Saturday Night.) He (Sir Wilfrid) remains a public figure splendid and alone in the imagination of the people. He cannot be beaten in a young and impressionable country by such forces as now oppose him. 1 A Fe, Lasi' Words. �+ebelievethecampaign of scandal sae failed, as it deserved t,. fail. The people know a thing or two. They ran discriuunato between -the --tris ad- ministrative mistakes on the part of officials of an overworked Govern- ment and the utter incompetence- of a Ministry such as was exhibited prior to 1890. There is absolutely nothing in evidence touching the honor and in- tegrity of a Minister -of the Crown. In all the riffraff of petty scandal there is hardly even a hint of wilful wrongdoing on the part of any official. The charges (if they may be dignified by that name) concern aimoet entirely two Departments, the Deportment of the . Interior and the Department of Marine and Fisheries. No one says that under the Hon. Frank Oliver the Department of the interior is not in safe, honest hands Under his admin- istration the regulations regarding the sale of timber limits have been am- ended to safeguard more surely the interests of the people, and the Oppos- ition do not even suggest any further improvement in these \ egulations. In the Marine Department Hon. Mr. Bro- deur took steps some time ago to cor- rect osrect the minor irregularities that were taking place and to put .the Depart- ment on a better footing than when he took hold of it two years ago. The Government is quite capable of instituting reform and improvement where they are necessary, and it is doing it. —_ What, then, ie at tee bottom of all this Opposition scandal talk ? Simply the desire of the Opposition to cora sal cher ban wesitiei "ands lack- of con- structive ability. Despairing of suc- cess by any other means in the face of the Government's magniflcent record, -scandal cam- paign in the hope that in the ava- lanche of mud -throwing some of it would stick to their opponents- and that some short-sighted Liberals might fail to see through the trick. The Opposition campaign is itself a scandal and a disgrace. It offers not a single useful idea, or principle, or measure, for the consideration of the country. It is not fair either to the people or to the Government. Such a turmoil is raised about petty things that if a real scandal should be dis- closed the people would h• In danger of passing it by as simply another bit of Opposition tittle-tattle. Further- more, until it is proved to the con- trary we have the right to believe, and the people of other countries have the right to believe, that the men in high office in this country are men of honor, upright and patriotic. Such men they are, and the campaign of petty detraction and epiteful mis- representation deserves the severest condemnation of the people. The Signal showed t t i{taawg ing the contracts for the mph • catnp at Goderich laud June the ver morn t did not show any political favoritism, but gave the contracts to the lowe4.t tenderers, whether Literal or Con- servative. Instead of giving credit to the Government for this, The Star, while it cannot deny the fact, en- deavors to detract from the merit of the Government's action by some cbarecteristic miserable quibbling. if the ,people ,desire .the Government - any Government- to do right, they must be ready to acknowledge its good actions. The Star, however, is so perversely partisan that it is lost to all sense of the public good. Here is one instance showing how the Laurier Government dues its business : Gundry Bros. put in a tender for the forage supply for the camp, but although they are active Liberals the Government passed them by and awarded the contract to Fred. Davie, a pronounced Tory, simply because Mr. Davis' tender was a tittle lower. And Gundry Bros. are not complain- ing „; they believe that a Government that does filminess on business prin. tides is the right sortttWovernment- Whitney promisee to punish every. - election crook to the full extent of the law. He will have the assistance of Liberals in carrying out his promise- if he is not just bluffing. Mr. Lewis at Dungannon admitted that Mr. Holmes had "worked loyally" for the breakwater project, and that if it heti not been for the work of Mr. Holmes and other Lib- erals we should not have got it. That's the kind of man Mr. Holmes is. The Ontario Government is sending men to Northern Ontario with the avowed intention of preventing legally qualified voters from casting their hallote. But the Toronto crowd will find that it cannot bulldoze the people of Northern Ontario. 1�1� ` NIS ANSWER &A&S flu Cloolek omit Of tae - c....... - Min., NM. ... well .IN to 1.a IW.I,VN wets,' yM 1 ,M eseesae too boos lisle r.a shot Aar el e. eMt h..* *of been ...lied ed .14a. art Mewiala lO.— ss pee takinghi feu N seM t.. bora flew av, e4 now r.a,• ea tae lie. 081 �••� a loot boss ail. ew —40,4lr, own W ass as ss Mood., wet. t twist t Mos y aostse..+.r.ai .dos A/1L�t1� / Iew ski res see le, 1 tr11 le see tow M , i s u wet us asses fir J halal ape ese ape Leaving ant of consideration its splendid program of development, its successful financial management,, and at+ fibs bis++liarrt ar+mlftUirdtive recur whi' h.has raised Canada, is position which it now occupies, the Government might appeal for a re- newal of conff.benc,• solely on its legis- lation of last session inaugurating civil seryic. reform. The significance of this step in the uplifting of politi- rat condition' in this country can hardly-bwoverpettmatwd: 'o replace Laurier with Borden would mean re- trogression. We would have at Ot- tawa what- we have had at Toronto.- a vicious application of the spoils sys- tem. offices multiplied for the benefit of party workers, and capable of. flciulr dismissed to make way for hungry political favorites. Is it not safer to keep in power Laur- ier, auraier, Fielding, Cartwright, Aylesworth, Graham, Oliver and the other Liberal Ministers than to place the:couotry in the hands of Borden, Foster, Roblin, flagged., Bennett, Fowler, Pope and the rest of them? Mr. Borden means well, but be does not control his fol- lowers. With such men as surround him, either he would be knifed as was Ni.- Mackenzie Sowell in 1890, or he would have to submit to the dictation of Foster and the rest of the crowd. Itis not a prospect that either Con- servatives or Liberals can view with satisfaction. What else would we get from the Conservatives ? The repeal of the British preference, which has drawn the Empire together and given Can- ada a place of honor and affection in the hearts of Britons everywhere such as it never bad before ; which has re ulted in a vast increase of trade with the Mother Country, and has materially lessened the burdens of the Canadian taxpayer. In iteP place we would have the policy of restriction which brought Canada to stagnation and almost to despair in the former days of Conservative rule. Let well enough alone is a good rule to keep in mind just now. in West Huron there is especially good reason for- a _vote of censure upon the Opposition candidate. Mr. Lewis sae refused to stand on the platform before the people and ac- rot)r1t for his acts during his term of representation. He has conducted throughout a hole-and-corner cam- paign, (lodging from one section to another with what different pleas and excuses and promisee to please dif- ferent people one can only guess. Do the Conservatives of West Huron approve of Mr. Lewis' conduct ? Do they feel thathe represents them ? Is there any satisfaction to them in hie political career ? It is not that Mr. Lewis has nota certain sort of ability -the ability to take care of himself at all events -hit he believes that the course he has adopted ie the successful course. He deliberately re- fuses to be honest and candid with the people, because he thinks that to be honest and candid is to lose votes. He deliberately chooses the "still hunt" campaign, because he thinks that is the way to get votes. Aod when he gets the votes he cares for nobody. Not oply- Liberals, but- independent men of all stripes, and Conservatives refmnrineotinfeuiiice Mr. -Lewis' devious ways, should join next Mon- day itt showing him that this constitu- ency demands something better from the man who would represent it. i1110 ARIBIRIR/11111 OM OM • •1•111111111111 IThe Star on E. N.Lewisf The Goderich Star of May I2th, 1905, re- ferring to E. N. Lewis' course in regard to the Autonomy Bills, said : (t His whole course has been evasive, uncandid and shifting, a glaring example of the trick- ery that has made politics a Isynonym for dishonesty. To at - opponents of tempt to justify this vote as a conscientious act on behalf of a nvolved in the .1 , • principle would be to insult both supporters and I the questions i autonomy bills." • . — . ,—• 1