The Canadian elections will have been held before our next
issue appears, the day fixed being Thursday, March 5th. As yet, no one in the Dominion appears confident of the result,. which depends to a great degree on the votes of a scattered population of farmers and labourers who do not attend city. meetings, and seldom say anything until the day of polling. The parties have grown exceedingly bitter. Sir J. A. Macdonald persists in his charges of treason, and certainly the case looks rather black against Mr. Farrer, the Irish Catholic, who admits writing letters to Americans showing them how to urge Canadians to consent to annexation. His only defence is, that he has a right to his opinion, which may be true ; but his letters are almost acts. The Opposition,, however, energetically repudiate him and his leading idea, affirming that the true anrtexationists are those whose policy of Protection has within the past few years driven a million good Canadians from Canada. An election to the Provincial Assembly for Ontario has ended in the return of Mr. Hamilton, a Liberal, which is considered significant, as is also the election to Parliament of three Liberal leaders as candi- dates unopposed. It must not be forgotten, in considering the chances, that the Canadians, like all Colonists, are ex- ceedingly afraid of direct taxation, and do not see, if Protection against the Union is given up, how they are to raise sufficient revenue without it. Sir J. A. Macdonald relies greatly on this. argument, and forgets that it goes too far. If a tariff against the United States enriches the Dominion, a tariff against the Dominion ought to enrich each Province.
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