HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1890-05-16, Page 40.
THE HURON EXPOSITOL,
MAY 16, 1896
NEW ADVERTISEMENTS
scr The figure between the parenthesis after
each line denotes the page of the paper on which
the advertisement will be found.
Barb Wire—Johnson Bros. (5)
Bull for Service—George Lockhart. (6)
Auction Sale—Taylor, McCullough Sr Burns. (6)
Shoemaker Wanted—Thomas Todd. (5)
For Spring Trade—M. R. Counter. (8)
Boy Wanted—M. R. Counter. (8)
Cemetery Accounts—W. M. Gray. (8)
Shingles—James Twitchell. (8)
Pasture to Rent—H. J. Grieve. (6)
Dressmaking—Miss Campbell (8)
Carpet Sweepers [3]—J. C. Laidlaw. (8)
Grand Musical Treat [5]—Quartette Club. (8)
Get Your Photo—Bauolaugh. (8)
Corn—D. S. Fust. (8)
Cheap Croceries—John Fairley. (6)
Going to Change—James Constable. (8)
argot txproitor.
SEAFORTH, FRIDAY, May 16, 1890
The Ballot and Separate
Schools.
It is urged by the Opposition as a rea-
son why the Mowat Government is un-
deserving of a continuance of the support
of the people of Ontario, that they have
refused to give to the supporters of Sep-
arate Schools the use of the ballot in
elections for Separate School trustees.
This reason, however, like ntany others
from the same source, is fallacious and
misleading. Mr. Mowat never refused
to the supporters of Separate Schools
the right to use the ballot, for the sinple
reason that he has never been asked by
them to grant it. On the contrary, he
has stated over and over again that he
is quite willing to pass a law providing
for the election of Separate School
trustees by ballot 80 soon as the sup-
porters of these schools ask it, but as
they have not asked it and as he believes
they do not desire it, it is premature to
grant them what they do not want. It is
true that at the last session of the Legis-
lature the Opposition introduced a
measure making it compulsory upon
both Public and Separate Schools in
cities, towns and incorporated villages
to hold their trustee elections upon the
same days and in the same manner as
the municipal elections. If this measure
had been adopted, of ,course the trustee
elections would have to be by ballot as
the municipal elections are, but they
would also have to be held on the
same day as the munioipal elections and
at the same time. While, therefore,
there are no serious objections to having
the trustee elections, for both Public
and Separate Schools by ballot, there
ore very serioes objections to having
them on the same days as the municipal
elections. The Government and the
Legislature, therefore, voted down the
rneeoure, and we think they did right.
A couple of years ago the Legislature
passed a law empowering Public School
trustees in cities, towns, and incorpor-
ated villages and townships having
Public School boards to have their elec-
tions on the same day and in the sanae
manner as municipal elections if they
thought it advisable. This law is permis-
sive, not compulsory, and only a very snaall
proportion of the school boards took ad-
vantage of it, thus showing that they
were not desirous for the change, and
some of those who had made the change
were anxious to get back to the old sys-
tem again. In view of these facts the
Government and their supporters argued
that it would not be. advisable to make t
compulsory a law which the people had
shown so clearly that they did not
want. In taking this position, we think
most reasonable persons will say that
the Government and those who support-
ed them acted wisely. This action of
the Government forms one of the prin-
cipal reasons which the Opposition offer
in support of their oharge that Mr.
Mowat and Ms supporters are pandering
to the Roman Catholic Church. How
much force there is in it our readers can
judge from what we have already said.
All the other ch,arges with a similar aim
are about on a par with this one, aand
when investigated amount to the same
degree of heinouaness. These are the
"crimes" for the perpetration of which
the people of Ontario are now being ser-
iously asked to hurl from power the
man who, for the past eighteen years,
has been their champion and defender;
who by his untiring industry and high
legal skill has preserved for them from
the greedy graep of the Dominion one-
hadf of their present territory and an
immense store of mineral and timber
wealth, and who has conducted the fin-
ances of the ProvinCe in such a manner
that while preserving intact the inherit-
ance left to the Province by his prede-
cessor has actually paid over to the peo-
ple for their benefit no less a sum than
twenty millions of dollars, while in ad-
dition to that he has largely increased
the assets of the Province by the erec-
tion of valuable buildings for charitable
and other purposes. .We place more de-
pendence on the good sense of the peo-
ple of Ontario than to believe that they
will be so foolishly blind to their own
interests as to do such a fooliah and un-
just act as to turn their backs on such a
champion and defender as Mr. Mowat.
IN a speech at Palmerston the other
day Mr. Meredith denied that he had
any connection with the now famous
campaign sheet known as " Facts for
Irish electors," issued in the interests of
the Conservative party during the cam-
paign of 1883, or that he knew of its be-
ing used until long after the elections.
Mr. Meredith made a somewhat similar
tt,
statement in Plarliament last winter.
We would like to believe that his state-
ment is correct,and we are also unwilling
to believe that a gentleman of Mr. Mere-
dith's character and standing would de-
liberately make a falsestatement, even
to remove himself from tt very unpleas-
ant'Oorner. But, in opposition to Mr.
Meredith's statement, we have the
sworn statement of Captain Kirwan, a
gentleman who was then in the employ
.of the Conservative party, and who
wrote and prepared the document. In
this sworn statement he says that Mr.
Meredith not only knew that the docu-
ment was being, circulated, but that he
was one of the parties Who authorised
its preparation acd that he, Mr. Bunt-
ing, of the Mail newspaper, and other
Conservative leaders read and made cor-
rections in the proof •sheet. Now, if
Mr. Meredith's statement is correct,
this man Kirwan is a perjurer, And is
liable to proseoution and punishment.
He is still in the country and is at pres-
ent, or was very recently, an employe of
the Quebec Government. If, therefore,
he has perjured himself, how can Mr.
Meredith and his colleagues justify their
conduct in allowing him to escape jue-
tice thus far. It is astonishing that
some one of them has not yet even at-
tempted to secure his punishment, al-
though his affidavit has been cast in
their teeth many times both in Parlia-
ment and out of it, and has been pub-
lished broadcast at different times during
the past five years. .There is something
in this matter which needs clearing up,
and the sooner Mr. Meredith or some
of his friends attend to it the better for
their own reputation. If Captain Kir-
wan is guilty of making a false oath he
should be placed in the penitentiary. It
is now a question of veracity between
himself and Mr. Meredith. We have
his affidavit on the one side, and we
have Mr. Meredith's statement on the
other, and the public should have been
made aware of which is correct long be-
fore this.
South Huron.
At a South Huron Re'form Convention
held at Hensall on Tuesday last, Mr.
Archibald Bishop, who has repre-
sented the Riding for the past' eighteen
years, was unanimously chosen as the
standard bearer. To express a doubt
of Mr. Bishop's election by a larger ma-
jority than he has ever secured, would
be to insult the intelligence of the elec-
tors of the.Riding. The only donger, to
be avoided is over -confidence. If, how-
ever, we are to judge of the enthusiasm
of the electors by the large attendance
at the Coovention on Tuesday last and
the hearty expressions of confidence and
affection heard on all sides for the old
and honored leader of the Reform Party
in Ontario, the Reformers are fully alive
to the situation, If the Reformers of
South Huron do their duty, and we
believe they will, we confidently expect
for Mr. Bishop a larger majority than
has ever been recorded in this banner
Reform Riding. That Mr. Bishop's
course in Parliament as an unflinChing
supporter of the Mowat Government,
is approved of by his constituents is
amply proven by the cordiality of his
nomination, and we believe that South
Huron very accurately reflects the over-
whelming sentiment of the Province.
An Equal Righters' Opinion.
Our Conservative friends are paying
assidueus court to the Equal Rights' As-
sociation in the present eontest. This
is done, relying upon the fidelity of
their own friends in that organisation
adhering closely to the Conservative
cauee, and with the hope that they may
win, in each constituency, a few Re-
formers who belong to the Equal Rights
Aesooiation. The scheme, from a party
point of view, if it can be worked suc-
cessfully, is a very good one. We can
hardly believe, however, that there are
any Reformers so foolish as to fall into the
trap which has thus been adroitly set for
them. Mr. Mowat,for the past eighteen
years, has pursued the even tenor of his
ways, dealing justly with Protestants
and Roman Catholics alike, and giving
special privileges and advantages to
neither, while Mr. Meredith has been
all things by turns and nothing long.
In 1863 he issued his now famous cir-
cular " Facta for Irish Electors," in
which he sought to convince the Roman
Catholics that Mr. Mowat was their net-
utal enemy, and that he had unduly fa-
vored Protestants at their expense. Now,
however, he poses as the champion of
Protestantism, and with a. platform of
glittering generalities which may mean
anything or nothing, and from any
plank of which he can at_any time with-
draw witliclut being subject to the charge
of falsehood, he tries'to make Protest-
ants believe that Mr. Mowat is the en-
emy of Protestantism, and that he is
giving improper privileges to Roman
Catholics, and it is _surprising how even
consistent Conservatives can support
him or have confidence in hint, to say
nothing of Reformers._ At a meeting
at Orillia the other day at which the
Minister of Agriculture was re -nomin-
ated, a resolution expressing confidence
in Mr. Mowat and his Government was
seconded by a Mr. Miller,and in his speech
webelieve he expressed very fully the
sentiments of most of the Reformers
who belong to the Equal Rights Assb-
ciation. He said:
"His sympathies were with the Equal
Rights movement, and his opinion in
this metter was well known in, the com-
munity-. He felt that he was nbt com-
promising his position in supporting Mr.
Drury and the M cwat Government,but, on
the contrary, believed their policy was
egnal right e to all and P peciml privileges
to none. He maintained that it would be
better for the country -if we had .more
men like Mr. Drury in the House, and
would give him a cordial Support. He
did not believe in Mr. Meredith's sin-
cerity, but thought he was attempting
to use the Equal Rights movement as a
means of obtaining power. He drew
this conclusion, from Mr. Meredith's re-
fusal to accept the public challenge to
show his sincerity by denouncing Sir
John Macdonald." ,
,
MB. CHARLES RYKERT, who was
forced to resign his seat in the House of
Commons on account of " boodling," is
again appealing to his constituents for
re-election. Whether ...or not he will
succeed remains to be seen. In his
election address Mr. Rykert says :
"Why I should be singled out for pub-
" lic censure when there are dozens of
"members in the same House who not
"only have applied for and obtained
" limits for thetnselves, but sit there
"daily voting moneys into their own
"pockets, I cannot understand." Why,
indeed? The only reason we know of
why Mr. Rykert has been singled out
from among the others is that the proof
of his guilt, over his own signature, fell
into the hands of the Opposition. There
is no doubt but Mr. Rykert could "a
tale unfold" if he felt so dispoeed as he
has been long enough in the confidence
of the Government to know the secrets
of the "inner circle," and the inkling
he gives above shows what he could de-
vulge if he were so disposed.
AN interesting history of the Canada
Life Assurance Company, together with
an illustrated description of the Com-
pany's new building in Toronto is given
in the last number of the Budget. The
building is shown by the cuts to be an
exceedingly large and handsome struc-
ture, while the description of the in-
terior, as it will be when completed in-
dicates that it will be a business palace
equal to anything of the kind on the
continent.
FROM THE CAPITAL.
(From Our Own Correspondent.)
• OrrAwA, May 12,th, 1890.
6
The prelude to the closing of every
session of Parliament in these degener-
ate days is thepresentation to the House
of Commons for the appropriation of
several millionaof dollars for the subsi-
dizing of sundry and divers railways.
The subsidizing of railways may or
may not be a good thing, but, as at
present carried (tut, the results are evil
and that continually, The log rolling
for subsidies has become so open and
flagrant that it disgusts and alarms
even those who back the appropriations
with their votes in the House. In fact
there are good reasons for crediting the
statement that Sir John Macdonald
himself, though giving the sanction of
his name as the head of the Govern-
ment to the appropriations of the year,
does so unwillingly and under presaure
from his followers. The subsidies so far
preeented, excliasive of re -votes, for
appropriations lapsed hitherto, amount
to about three million dollars. . The
plea is made, of course, that this does
not involve the. expenditure of this
amount of money, but that instead of
being a good feature is one of the very
worst features of the system. All sorts
of schemes caa thus be carried out or
subsidized with the idea of satisfying
political favorites of ene kind and an-
other. Other bonuses are for roads that
do not deserve to be built and that
would not be built' but for some such
unhealthy foroing as is involved in this
system. The conseiluence in either of
these cases is demoralization not merely
among the promoters of tile scheme,
but among the people of the district in
which the road is intended to run. The
chance or supposed chance to acquire
wealth quickly and easily through a
railway schemc is as bad in its effects as
the chance to acquire it through a lot-
tery or a bucket shop. Another evil in
this case is the palpable interference of
the Dominion Government, n-ot merely
in Provincial affairs? but in Provin-
cial electoral contests. Manyof
the subsidies granted are in-
tended and almost 'openly avowed to
be intended to hurt the Mowat Govern -
merit and help the Opposition in Ontario.
For instanceothere is the glaring 088e of
the so-called Lake Erie do_Detroit River
Railway Company which gets a subsidy
ef $160,000 for fifty miles of a road "to
be fixed by the Governor-General in
Council " ; in other words by the Do-
minion Government. What can be the
hurry inbonusing a road until at the
very least the promoters have decided
between what pointe they desire it to run?
If the road is urgently needed it must
be needed by known localities. Why
not specify in some way? With a sub-
sidy of this kind in their hands the Con-
servative wire -pullers who are trying so
desperately to bbost the Meredith squad
Into power over the heads of better men
.can make glowing promises to three or
four different constituencies, The dis-
advantage of this is not thatitis unfair
to Mr. Mowat and kis friends, but that
the country's credit is pledged and the
country's business is demoralised to pro-
mote the selfish interest of a small and
most undesirable class of political
hacks.
An instance of the evils resulting from
this system was brought out in advance
of the bringing down of the batch of
subsidies for this year. There was a
long discussion on the Caraquet railway,
one of the bantlings of this Govern-
ment. The principal owner of this line
is Mr. Kennedy F. Burns who seems to
be a general monopolist in Gloucester
county, New Brunswick. He has large
interests it mills and stores, and is be-
lieved to control a good, deal of shipping
as well. The road was bonused at dif-
ferent times by both the Dominion and
Previncial Governments' until for 671
miles of road from Bathurst on the
Inter -Colonial to Shippegan harbor the
total subsidies amounted to $404,000 or
over $6,000 per mile. The bonds of the
000nt -the$500,00g 1 i sohr mo vaerr-
was produced to show that the cost of
yrewaleizreedpaubt
Ck eotn lapnain
$6,000 a mite. Competent testimony
the road was not over $9,000, so
that the Company • has received in
cash about $3,000 a inile more
than the road cost. But this is
not all. The English bond holders are
now raising a' great rumpus on the
ground that they invested under mis-
representations,
which misrepresentatiou
was sanctionedby the President of the
road, Mr. Burns, M. P. And, still
worse, they claim that had the Govern-
ment not given a bonus and thus in a
sense endorsed the scheme they_ wovld
never have gone into it and they
suggest and alatost demand that the
Government shall buy over the road to
incorporate it with the Intercolonial.
The prospect is that after having paid a
large share of the cost of the road and
after having contributed to a acheme
which has done much to injure the
country's credit, the Government is to
pay more than the road cost in order
to get possession of a poorly built line
which has not been able to get traffie
to pay its running expenses.
To -day, according to promise? the
Government gave first place to the Ry-
kert and Middleton reports. The for-
mer passed unanimously and almost
without a word. Mr. Mulock made a
brief speech in which he expressed his
own gratification that not only had the
Government been completely exoner-
ated, but also Mr. Hugh J. Macdonald
and Mr. Stewart Tupper, whose names
had been dragged into the affair through
Rykert's letters. He spoke especially
of Mr. H. J. Macdonald, and it was
curious to see Sir John Macdonald's
lips twitch and his eyes fill with tears
while his son was being thus commend-
ed. The " old man" has a warm heart,
and is as grateful for kind words from
an opponent as though they were ne-
cessary to his continuance. A recorded
vote was not taken, but the resolution
adopting the report wasadopted unanim-
ously, thus committing every member of
the House to the condemnation of Ry-
kert.
The Middleton case occupied a good
deal longer titne, Mr. Blake took hold
of the case, and even he has probably
never more completely shown up wrong
doing than he did the turpitude of
General Middleton. He showed by
exhanative citatious that the whole
spirit of Her Majesty's regulations was
to impress upon every soldier, from the
commanding -officer down, the para-
mount duty of exercising honor, justice
and humanity in the case, even of
enemies. He pointed out how much
greater the necessity for those virtues
when the people over whom the com-
manding officer for the time exercised a
despotic control were citizens of the
country. But this was not till. The
rights of the citizens, even of rebels, to
their property would have been com-
plete under martial law. But martial
law was never proclaimed in the North-
west during the rebellion, and moreover
the man Bremner, from whom General
-Middleton took the furs, Was not a re-
bel. He had been accused of being in
league with the rebels, and not even one
tittle of evidence wee brought against
him. But even if he ha.d been proven
a rebel, General Middleton's conduct
would have been not the less reprehen-
sible for the reason that he
took the furs before there had
been any time to prefer any evi-
dence to convict Bremner. But even
had the law and practice the claim of
justice, and the dictates of humanity
been on the other side ; even had it been
justifiable for Gen. Middleton to confis-
cate Bremner's property, it could only
have been on the ground of public inter-
est and in his capacity as the representa-
tive of the public'there would have
vested in General Middleton no •right
whatever to appropriate the furs for his
own use. Were a less exalted person-
age to commit such an act it would be
called theft. As against all this moun-
tain of condemnatory fact and -reason
Mr. Blake mentioned the plea oGen-
eral Middleton's friends that the General
had never got or enjoyed the furs they
having been appropriated aboard the
steamer by somebody else. The great
orator of Liberalism brought out,' as no
other man could have done, the unpar-
alleled meanness of this robbery of a
poor half-breed by a man absolutely des-
potic at the time and on his way home
to be -received with honor by a grateful
people. He might well have gone
further, as Mr. Lister did in speaking
on the subject later in the debate, and
pointed out how, piled upon the moun-
tain of meanness was another even
greater—the General remained for five
years silent and inactive in regerd to
this wrong, though pleaded with by
Bremner and his friends to do him jus-
tice and restore some part of his pro-
perty, and Sir Adolphe Caron sought to
weaken the form of the blow at the
General, though net hardy or daring
enough to attempt ito shield him. He
pleaded that in taking the furs from.
Bremner Genetal Middleton committed
an error of judgment, and it might be
that in appropriating them to this own
use he had been misled by misreading
his instructions. The General, he said,
was sorrY and was ready to pay for such
of the furs as, on investigatiou, it should
be shown he had appropriated to his
own use. If it is the case that the
General really made . a proposition of
this kind it proves nothing except that
General Middleton has mistaken his
avocation. He should have been a •
bunco steerer. In no other occupation
can such nerve have proper scope. The
General confiscated all the furs con-
trary to justice and to the regulations
which even every common soldier is
supposed to know and he should be com-
pelled to pay for them all. It is rumor-
ed that the General has resigned. His
resignation should not be accepted un-
til he has apologized to Bremner, whom
he despoiled, and to the people whom
he has wronged and disgraced.
The question of prorogation is not yet
settled. Everything depends upon
whether the Government intends to
go on with the North West Territories
Bill. So far as can be judged the Gov-
ernment doesn't know its own mind on
this subject yet. To go on with the
Bill means to bring up the Separate
Schools and Dual Language question
again, which Sir John McDonald is
anxious to avoid. But to drop it is to
dissatisfy the North West members who
are already in all but open revolt against
the many unpleasant things they have
to swallow—tariff, mal -administration
of the public lands and so on. Alto -
together it is likely that the North
West Bill will be gone on with and
that the Parliament will close about
this day week.
News of the Week.
Loss BY BURNING.—The Montana
Union freight depot at South Butte was
burned Friday with all its contents.
-Loss, $60,000 to.$100,000.
ENGLAND TOO SLOW.—Stanley thinks
England is altogether too apathetic with
regard to her interests in Africa, and
that Germany will get ahead of her.
LIGHTNING STRIKES THE EIFFEL
TOWER.—During the severe storm last
Friday evening the Eiffel Tower at
Paris was struck six times by lightning.
No serious damage was done.
DREADFUL TORNADO. — At Akron.
Ohio, on Saturday evening, a tornado de-
stroyed 100 buildings. There was no
loss of life, but a large number of peo-
ple received injuries.
TERRIBLE ACT. —Et workman in De -
Bruce, New York State, supposed to
have been insane, committed suicide
last week by diving into a vat of boil-
ing acid.
WIND'S DOINGS. — A heavy wind
storm blew down five arches of theaque-
duct at the City of Mexico and the city
is without drinking water.
GREAT BRIDGE. —The great cantilever
bridge at Needles, California, was anish-
ed Saturday. The structure is 960 feet
long, and has an unsupported span of
360AfTeAet
F
CYCLONE. —It is reported that
a cyclone on Friday afternoon killed four
people in Fredonia county, Kansas,
FROST IN ENE SOUTHWEST. — Heavy
•frosts have visited northern Kansas,
damaging fruit buds and grain. Illinois
and Missouri were visited.
COWARDLY ROWDY, —Raymond Car-
roll, son of the mayor of Rochester, has
been arrested for assaulting his wife Ju-
dith, whom he married over a- year ago
against the wishes of his parents-.
OCEAN RACING. —The Aurania and
City of Rome, which landed in Liver-
pool on Sunday evening, raced across
the ocean in sight all the way, and land-
ed within a few tninutes of each other,
with the City of Rome winner.
TOBACCONISTS FAILED. —Lachenbruch
Bros., tobacco dealers of New York,.
have -a ssig ned . The firm was rated at
$150,000 to $200,000.
ACCIDENTALLY SHOP.—Rev. George
M. Green, one of the best known minis-
ters in Arkansas, was accidentally shot
and killed Thursday in Saline county by
his brother, Martin Green, while they
were inspectibg a revolver. The brother
attempted suicide after the accident.
LARGEST STORE IN THE WORLD.—
Real estate in Chicago valued at $3,080,-
000 and bounded by State, Adams and
Dearborn streets, was leased Friday for
99 years by parties who are to erect a
twenty -tory building costing $2,000,000
to be in Ju pied by a department store,
the largest in the word.
MEMORIZING HIS NATIVE HOME.—
Henry H. Porter, a resident millionaire
of Chicago and a native of Machias,
Maine has given $10,000 and a lot for a
free lifirary building in the latter place,
to be called the Porter Memorial Library.
Ai HEIR IN DISGUISE.—Thomas Ed-
monds, who died at Cleveland in Feb-
ruary, is supposed te have been Hubert
von Bomber, who by the death of a
brother in Holland wos heir to 6,000,000
marks.
BISMARC:C. — Prince Bismarck rides
out every toy. He is much improved in
health. He devotes several hours every
day sorting and arranging his letters,
many of which he burns. In Berlin a
committee has been formed which will
prosent the ex -Chancellor with an il-
luminated record of his achievements.
The cost of this gift is 12,000 marks.
AN AUSTRALIAN TOWN SUBMERGED.—
Advices from Sidney state that the
greatest flood in the history of Australia.
occurred OD April 18th, at Bourke, on
the River Darling. The river broke
through the enbankment surrounding
the town and submerged it to a depth of
three feet. Bourke is now in the midst
of an inland sea 49 miles wide, and many
buildings are collapsing.
FEMALE OFFICE -HOLDERS DISGUSTED.
—The women recently elected municipal
officers of the city Edgerton, in Olathe
county, Kansas, have become disgusted
with their acquired honors and have re-
signed. They were elected originally as
a joke. When they qualified and mani-
fested a disposition to reform the old
way of doing things the men made such
a racket that life became a burden to
the wothen.
GREAT Fr,00Ds.—A dispatch from
Greenwood, Louisiana, gives a gloomy
description of the situation in the Black
Bayou country. The Red River Coast
Line steamer New Haven, with a relief
commiesion, reached that section just in
time to save 280 people and hundreds of
mules, horses and cattle. There is not
a foot of dry land in thot whole section,
embracing thousands of the most pro-
ductive acres in the world.
A YOUNG WOMAN'S SUCCESS. —One
of the brightest women in New York,
Mrs. Isabel Mallon, who, perhsps,knows
more about woman's dress and fixings
than any woman in America,- has been
added to the editorial staff of The
Ladies' Home Journal, of Philadelphia.
Mrs. Mallon is an experienced editorial
writer, and will conduct one of the full-
est and strongest fashion departments
in the Journal ever attempted in a gen-
eral magazine. Her new position makes
her the best -paid fashion writer in the
country. Mrs. Mallon is young, pretty,
and one of the best known women in
New York society.
THE TRIFLE ALLIANCE.—London, May
12th.—Politicians are asking themselves
whether the tripple alliance may not
include, for defensive purposes at least,
Russia and England. The aid of Eng-
land's fleet in the Mediterranean may be
regarded as assured, and there seems
no doubt that the marriage of the
Czarewitch to Princess Margaret of
Prussia will soon take place, all the dif-
ference of religion to the contrary not-
withstanding. That this alliance is a
settled project of the:Czar is well known:.
The Czarewitch is said, on good author-
ity, to be at least -indifferent to the
nuptiale and the fighting element in the
Russian army looks with disgust upon
this new assurance of peace
AMERICAN FEDERATION OF CATHOLIC
SomeTinsa—At a meeting of Roman
Catholics at Pittsburg, Pennsylvania,
the other night, an organization was
perfected to be known as the American
Federation of Catholic Societies. It is
proposed to consolidate all the Catholic
societies under that name. The main
object and aims of the federation as set
forth in the constitution is the more
thorough cementing, maintaining and
consolidation of cordial fellowship
among the Catholic laity everywere and
the upholding and conserving of the
public welfare of Catholic communities
m all respects as regards either tne ad-
vanceme$ of general brotherhood or the
vindication of common manhood against
all ignoble encroachments. In this
country they claim to have 30,000 mem-
bers. Arrangements were perfected. for
a grand public demonstration in Pitts-
burg on July 4th.
THE TEMPERANCE QUESTION IN
PARLIAMENT.—A despatch from Lon-
don, on the 12th inst., says : The Tem-
perance questien is - perhaps the most
important of those which have come up,
though incidentally, the last week in
the House of Commons. A battle is to
be fought on the compensation question,
that is, whether, when licenses are can-
celed, the holders are to be paid for the
value of the property thus confiscated.
The Leovscoi-Caine party will oppose
compensation in every shape and form,
and they are hoping to induce Mr.
Gladstone to jein them in obstructing
every such proposal. The Government
are committed to the principle, and even
Lord Randolph Churchill says he will
never be a party to what amounts to
robbery. So formidable is the temper-
ance vote that the contest will be keen,
and the result is doubtful, so doubtful
that it can hardly be made a cabinet
question.
The One Issue.
(From the St: Thomas Home Journal)
lf Mr. Mowat, or Mr. Mowat's
Government, has been guilty of truck-
ling to the Roman Catholics, then he or
they are no longer worthy of the confid-
ence of thepeople of Ontario. On this point
there can be no two honest opinions.
If the Mowat Government is in lea,gue
with the Catholic hierarcy ; if it has
bought Catholic support by passing leg-
islation unduly favorable to the Catho-
lics; if it has allowed Catholic priests
and bishops to influence its actions—in
short, if it has done any of the things
attributed to it by its Cpponents,in hope
of thereby securing Catholic suppoit—it
has forfeited its right to exist, and on
June 5 should be buried beneath the
votes of an outraged and indignant
public.
The Conservatives are making this
the one great issue of the campaign,
and therefore if it fails ali fails; if it is
sustained, all is sustained, and Mowat
must go.
When the honest men of both parties
are agreed that the commission of a
certain crime renders a Government in-
eligible to continue in office, the proof
of such commission is all that is necess-
ary to secure the speedy and decisive
condemnation of the guilty administra-
tion. In this case the 'crime has been
distinctly charged, Condemnation waits
only on proof. Where is this proof?
What is this proof? are the questions
that thousands of the Protestant—aye,
and for that matter, Catholie—Liberals
only await incriminating answers to, in
order to work and vote against a Gov-
ernment that could be so recreant to its
trust, so dishonest to its constituents,
so false to all the traditions -of Liberal-
ism.
But when this proof is asked for in
vain; when it is found that the loud and
blatant accusations of the Conservative
press die away into meaningless whispers
when closely examined; when the
positive evidence in rebuttal is support-
ed by the negative evidence supplied by.
eighteen years of unimpeached Liberal
rule under the guidence of Oliver Mowat
—of the strictest sect of the. Presby-
terians a Presbyterian—there is certaiu-
ly reason why every Protestant Re-
former should pause before accepting as
true any portion of the pharges laid
against the Liberal administration of
the Province. He shonld not forget—
'sensitive as he may be in regard to any
appearauce of aggression by the Roman
Catholics—thot this is election time ;
that the Tory orators and preito must
have ammunition!, and that it is easier
to cast it in religious moulds than in
anyother kind. He should not forget
that the party which is to -day pro -
'claiming its ultra -Protestantism is the
party that in 1883 published the now
notorious "Facts for Irish Electoxs,"
a circular teeming with- arguments why
Mowat should be opposed, and Meredith
supported,by the Irish Roman Catholios
of the province. He should not forget
Oliver Mowat's administrative record of
eighteen years—and remembering all
these things, we repeat, should pause
and seriously consider what solid
grounds for dissatisfaction with Mr.
Mowat's Government he possesses, be-
fore deciding to withdraw hia support
from a Government tried by the fires of
hostile criticiatia for near a score of years,
and assist in placing the affairs of this
great province in the charge of Mo.
Meredith.
What pretence of proof that Mowat
truckles to the Roman Catholics has
been adduced? The principai strife is
being Waged over the atnendruents to the
Separate School Act, and if Mowat is to
be found guilty the proof must surely be
somewhere in these. The Separate
Schools, be it remembered, were first
recognised as a permanent part of our
educational system by Sir John Mac-
donald, who was strongly opposed by
Mr. Brown and Mr. Mowat. The sys-
tem was perpetuated by the terms of
the British North America Act. As
years rolled on it was found that in cer-
tain respects the laws governing these
schools were defective. This was net to
be wondered at, and there was certainly
no ground for suspicion when the Gov-
ernment, at various times, introduced
into the House legislation calculated to
increase the efficiency of the Separate
schools, to remove incongruities in the
laws respecting them, and to simplify
the system under which they are gov-
erned. That the Opposition—then, as
now '• lel by Mr. W. R. Meredith—saw
nothing suspicious in these amendments
was clearly shown by the fact that they
never even debated the wisdom of the
proposed changes, but accepted them as
naturel and necessary. By so doing it
might be supposed that they debarred
themselves from ever afterwards assail-
ing these amendments, but in this case,
as in others, the Ontario Opposition have
shown that they are satisfied to seek any
port in a storm.
Now, what are the main objections
advanced to these amendtnents by the
Opposition kittens whose eyes have at
last been opened? The principal one is
that the law, as it stood at the time of
Confederation, assumed that every rate-
payer was a Public school supporter un-
less he expressly signified in writing his
wish to the contrary, and that this law
W&8 so amended as to constitute every
Rennin Catholic a supporter of the Sep-
arate echools. Mr. Mowat7generally
good authority on such subjects—denied
that the amendments had this obnoxiout
effect The Opposition persisted in their
charges that they had. The eubjectwas
referred to the Court of Chancery, And
by it Mr. Mowat's contention Wag up.
held. But in order that there might he
no possible mistake in regard to the
meaning and intent of the law the Mini.
ster of Education during the session of
the Legislature just closed introduced
another amendment stating, in so many
words, that the Inunicipal clerk muse
keep a record of the names a all Roman
Catholics who have signified in writing
their desire to support the Separate
schools, and must also keep the notices
so given on file for reference.
By this amendment Mr. Ross knocked
the principal prop from under Idee
Meredith's fabric. He made totally mo
fit for future use the weapon which had
looked so dangerous and proven SO
harmless. If Mowat does not make 41
Roman Catholics separate school imp.
porters is not the Opposition platform
but a thing of straw?
What, then, is left of Mr. Meredith'e
objections to the Act? These four, if we
take his London speech as fairly indo
eating his views:
1.—That the tenant of a house, and
not the landlord, is permitted to direct
the destination of the taxes on the
property.
2.—That provincial, and not county,
inspectors of separate schools are ap-
pointed.
3.—That the separate school board is
permitted to appoint a member of the
high school board.
4.—That the text books used in the
Separate school are not controlled br
the Department of Education.
These are the fourrernaining objections.
How weighty are they? As the tenant
always pays the taxes—directly, or itt
his rent—is it unreasonable that he
should be allowed to say which schoolhe
desires to support, and do the Roman
Catholics derive any undue advantage
thereby? As there are so few Separate
schools, is there anything unreasonable
in appointing provincial, rather than
county inspectors, and do the Roman
Catholics derive any undue advantage
thereby? As pupils from the separate
schools enter the high schools, and,
should be encouraged to do so, is it
very unreasonable that there should be
one representative of the separate
schools on the high school board In
brief, i there any evidence in these oh-
jectil el that Mowat has truckled to the
Rom Catholics? On the contrary,are
the objections not of altogether too
trivial and frivolous a character to for
the b ,sis of a charge of malfeasance
against a Government, which in all
other respects has commanded the ad-
miration and approval of even its old-
time enemies?
Huron Notes.
What' is known as the Walter
Haines farm in Hullett has been bought -
by Mr. Richard Van Egmond.
—A movement is on foot in Exeter to
have the placee of business closed a 7 p.
m. every evening except Saturday.
—Mr. Abram Dearing, of the 4th
concession, Stephen, died on the 3rd of
May, from the effeets of a large cancer.
—The bankrupt stock of R. B. Smith
& Co., Goderich, general dry goods,
valued at $9,228, was sold to A. E.
James, of Brantford, at 58 cents on tits
dollar.
—Messrs. E. Winfield and J. Youhill
left Wingham on Wednesday of last
week for Manitoba. Mr. and Mrs. Win.
Little left on Monday for the same
—
Province.
—On Tuesday of last week s. thorough-
bred cove, the property of Peter Robert-
son'9th concession, of Grey, had to be
killed on account of having tuber-
culoais.
—Albert Schafer has leased the AO
acre lot belonging to Miss Roxy Itvaait
12th concession, of Grey, for two ye.
It is said he will build a dwelling en tile
property.
—Mrs. Pratt, of Morris, was thrown out of a buggy the other day by a TU11-
away horse and her shoulder was, disto-
cated. Her son, who was in the swat
escaped unhurt.
—A lady residing in_the neighboritood
of Clinton, and who has lived there fist
30 years, attended a public entertain-
ment a few nights ago, the first she had
ever attended.
—One day last week as J. Menzies, of
Ethel, was engaged in driving the horse
power at W. Elliot's,his foot was caught
in the gearing. It was terribly lacer-
ated, owing to the effects of the gearing
and his attempts to extricate it.
--The other day, while a son of Mr.
W. Cudmore, of the London Road, near
Kippen, was at work in Goderieh town-
ship, with a hay press, he happened in
some way to get his arm -broken.
—Mr. H. S, MeLean, late prineipal of
Portage la Prairie School, and formgly
of Clinton Collegiate Institute, has 0110
appointed School Inspector for Brandon
district, Manitoba.
—On Wednesday of last week, Mr.
o Bembridge, of Hullett,had the rnisfoi-
tune to lose a mare from paralysis. She
was within a month of foaling, and as
this is the second one he has lost within
a short time the loss becomes a heavy
one.
—David Milne, stockman of ' Ethel,
received quite an addition to his stir&
family in the shape of a Short Horn -cow
presenting him with twin calves a
Leicester ewe having twin lambs, and
Berkshire sow adding her quota of nine
pigs. All are living and doing well. it
was a kind of a windfall for one day.
—A man named McDougall received a
severe beating on Saturday evenino,
May 3, in Wingharn, while in a state
of helplessness from the effects of liquor.
The affair might have terminated fatally
had not Chief Pettypiece happened
along and put a stop to the brutal con-
duwrtehtT. Turner's church,
Sun-
day last. The officers are Mr. Herbert
he Sunday School in oonneetiun
Tuckersmith,
opened for the summer months on Sun -
Crich, Superintendent; Mr. E. Turner,
Assistant Superintendent; Mr. Ira
Johns, Secretary r Miss Eva Nott,
organist.
—Clinton has lost by death, some-
what unexpectedly during the last
twelve months quite a number of its
residents, but the loss of none is more
genuinely regretted than that of Mr.
dames A. Combe, who died on Friday
morning, 9th inst., at the age el 27
years. He was the eldest son of Mr.
James H. Combe, druggist, of Cliuton,
and had been in declining health for
smne time. A couple of years ago he
went to California, and the change
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