NEWS OF THE WEEK.
THE General Elections were held in Canada on Thursday, and the results, so far as we have learned them at the time of going to press, show overwhelming gains for the Con- servatives. The elections in the Western Provinces may help the Government to recover some lost ground, but it must be admitted that Sir Wilfrid Laurier has entirely failed to obtain the authority he asked for to carry through the Reciprocity Agreement with the United States. The elections were fought almost exclusively on that issue. Both sides expressed their confidence of winning the elections; no election of recent times has been more in doubt, and we may add that none has been more important from the point of view of determining the immediate political future of Canada. We ourselves thought, and sincerely hoped, that the Trade Agreement would be authorized by the people, but, as we have said throughout, whatever the Canadian people decide is best for themselves should be accepted without stint or cavil in Great Britain. That is the only possible method of retaining the affection of this or any dominion.
