the canadian dominion-第30章

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t　must　work　out　its　own　salvation。

In　March；　1891；　Sir　John　Macdonald　was　returned　to　office　for　the　sixth　time　since　Confederation；　but　he　was　not　destined　to　enjoy　power　long。　The　winter　campaign　had　been　too　much　for　his　weakened　constitution；　and　he　died　on　June　6；　1891。　No　man　had　been　more　hated　by　his　political　opponents；　no　man　more　loved　by　his　political　followers。　Today　the　hatred　has　long　since　died；　and　the　memory　of　Sir　John　Macdonald　has　become　the　common　pride　of　Canadians　of　every　party；　race；　and　creed。　He　had　done　much　to　lower　the　level　of　Canadian　politics；　but　this　fault　was　forgiven　when　men　remembered　his　unfailing　courage　and　confidence；　his　constructive　vision　and　fertility　of　resource；　his　deep　and　unquestioned　devotion　to　his　country。

The　Conservative　party　had　with　difficulty　survived　the　last　election。　Deprived　of　the　leader　who　for　so　long　had　been　half　its　force；　the　party　could　not　long　delay　its　break…up。　No　one　could　be　found　to　fill　Macdonald's　place。　The　helm　was　taken　in　turn　by　J。　J。　C。　Abbott；　〃the　confidential　family　lawyer　of　the　party；〃　by　Sir　John　Thompson；　solid　and　efficient　though　lacking　in　imagination；　and　by　Sir　Mackenzie　Bowell；　an　Ontario　veteran。　Abbott　was　forced　to　resign　because　of　ill　health；　Thompson　died　in　office；　and　Bowell　was　forced　out　by　a　revolt　within　the　party。　Sir　Charles　Tupper；　then　High　Commissioner　in　London；　was　summoned　to　take　up　the　difficult　task。　But　it　proved　too　great　for　even　his　fighting　energy。　The　party　was　divided。　Gross　corruption　in　the　awarding　of　public　contracts　had　been　brought　to　light。　The　farmers　were　demanding　a　lower　tariff。　The　leader　of　the　Opposition　was　proving　to　have　all　the　astuteness　and　the　mastery　of　his　party　which　had　marked　Macdonald　and　a　courage　in　his　convictions　which　promised　well。　Defeat　seemed　inevitable　unless　a　new　issue　which　had　invaded　federal　politics；　the　Manitoba　school　question；　should　prove　more　dangerous　to　the　Opposition　than　to　the　forces　of　the　Government。

The　Manitoba　school　question　was　an　echo　of　the　racial　and　religious　strife　which　followed　the　execution　of　Riel　and　in　which　the　Jesuits'　Estates　controversy　was　an　episode。　In　the　early　days　of　the　province；　when　it　was　still　uncertain　which　religion　would　be　dominant　among　the　settlers；　a　system　of　state…aided　denominational　schools　had　been　established。　In　1890　the　Manitoba　Government　swept　this　system　away　and　replaced　it　by　a　single　system　of　non…sectarian　and　state…supported　schools　which　were　practically　the　same　as　the　old　Protestant　schools。　Any　Roman　Catholic　who　did　not　wish　to　send　his　children　to　such　a　school　was　thus　compelled　to　pay　for　the　maintenance　of　a　parochial　school　as　well　as　to　pay　taxes　for　the　public　schools。　A　provision　of　the　Confederation　Act；　inserted　at　the　wish　of　the　Protestant　minority　in　Quebec；　safeguarded　the　educational　privileges　of　religious　minorities。　A　somewhat　similar　clause　had　been　inserted　in　the　Manitoba　Act　of　1870。　To　this　protection　the　Manitoba　minority　now　appealed。　The　courts　held　that　the　province　had　the　right　to　pass　the　law　but　also　that　the　Dominion　Government　had　the　constitutional　right　to　pass　remedial　legislation　restoring　in　some　measure　the　privileges　taken　away。　The　issue　was　thus　forced　into　federal　politics。

A　curious　situation　then　developed。　The　leader　of　the　Government；　Sir　Mackenzie　Bowell；　was　a　prominent　Orangeman。　The　leader　of　the　Opposition；　Wilfrid　Laurier；　was　a　Roman　Catholic。　The　Government；　after　a　vain　attempt　to　induce　the　province　to　amend　its　measure；　decided　to　pass　a　remedial　act　compelling　it　to　restore　to　the　Roman　Catholics　their　rights。　The　policy　of　the　Opposition　leader　was　awaited　with　keen　expectancy。　Strong　pressure　was　brought　upon　Laurier　by　the　Roman　Catholic　hierarchy　of　Quebec。　Most　men　expected　a　temporizing　compromise。　Yet　the　leader　of　the　Opposition　came　out　strongly　and　flatly　against　the　Government's　measure。　He　agreed　that　a　wrong　had　been　done　but　insisted　that　compulsion　could　not　right　it　and　promised　that；　if　in　power；　he　would　follow　the　path　of　conciliation。　At　once　all　the　wrath　of　the　hierarchy　was　unloosed　upon　him；　and　all　its　influence　was　thrown　to　the　support　of　the　Government。　Yet　when　the　Liberals　blocked　the　Remedial　Bill　by　obstructing　debate　until　the　term　of　Parliament　expired；　and　forced　an　election　on　this　issue　in　the　summer　of　1896；　Quebec　gave　a　big　majority　to　Laurier；　while　Manitoba　stood　behind　the　party　which　had　tried　to　coerce　it。　The　country　over；　the　Liberals　had　gained　a　decisive　majority。　The　day　of　new　leaders　and　anew　policy　had　dawned　at　last。



CHAPTER　V。　THE　YEARS　OF　FULFILMENT

Wilfrid　Laurier　was　summoned　to　form　his　first　Cabinet　in　July；　1896。　For　eighteen　years　previous　to　that　time　the　Liberals　had　sat　in　what　one　of　their　number　used　to　call　〃the　cold　shades　of　Opposition。〃　For　half　of　that　term　Laurier　had　been　leader　of　the　party；　confined　to　the　negative　task　of　watching　and　criticizing　the　administration　of　his　great　predecessor　and　of　the　four　premiers　who　followed　in　almost　as　many　years。　Now　he　was　called　to　constructive　tasks。　Fortune　favored　him　by　bringing　him　to　power　at　the　very　turn　of　the　tide；　but　he　justified　fortune's　favor　by　so　steering　the　ship　of　state　as　to　take　full　advantage　of　wind　and　current。　Through　four　Parliaments；　through　fifteen　years　of　office；　through　the　time　of　fruition　of　so　many　long…deferred　hopes；　he　was　to　guide　the　destinies　of　the　nation。

Laurier　began　his　work　by　calling　to　his　Cabinet　not　merely　the　party　leaders　in　the　federal　arena　but　four　of　the　outstanding　provincial　LiberalsOliver　Mowat；　Premier　of　Ontario；　William　S。　Fielding；　Premier　of　Nova　Scotia；　Andrew　G。　Blair；　Premier　of　New　Brunswick；　and；　a　few　months　later；　Clifford　Sifton　of　Manitoba。　The　Ministry　was　the　strongest　in　individual　capacity　that　the　Dominion　had　yet　possessed。　The　prestige　of　the　provincial　leaders；　all　men　of　long　experience　and　tested　shrewdness；　strengthened　the　Administration　in　quarters　where　it　otherwise　would　have　been　weak；　for　there　had　been　many　who　doubted　whether　the　untried　Liberal　party　could　provide　capable　administrators。　There　had　also　been　many　who　doubted　the　expediency　of　making　Prime　Minister　a　French…Canadian　Catholic。　Such　doubters　were　reassured　by　the　presence　of　Mowat　and　Fielding；　until　the　Prime　Minister　himself　had　proved　the　wisdom　of　the　choice。　There　were　others　who　admitted　Laurier's　personal　charm　and　grace　but　doubted　whether　he　had　the　political　strength　to　control　a　party　of　conflicting　elements　and　to　govern　a　country　where　different　race　and　diverging　religious　and　sectional　interests　set　men　at　odds。　Here　again　time　proved　such　fears　to　be　groundless。　Long　before　Laurier's　long　term　of　office　had　ended；　any　distrust　was　transformed　into　the　charge　of　his　opponents　that　he　played　the　dictator。　His　courtly　manners　were　found　not　to　hide　weakness　but　to　cover　strength。

The　first　task　of　the　new　Government　was　to　settle　the　Manitoba　school　question。　Negotiations　which　were　at　once　begun　with　the　provincial　Government　were　doubtless　made　easier　by　the　fact　that　the　same　party　was　in　power　at　Ottawa　and　at　Winnipeg；　but　it　was　not　this　fact　alone　which　brought　agreement。　The　Laurier　Government；　unlike　its　predecessor；　did　not　insist　on　the　restoration　of　separate　schools。　It　accepted　a　compromise　which　retained　the　single　system　of　public　schools；　but　which　provided　religious　teaching　in　the　last　half　hour　of　school　and；　where　numbers　warranted；　a　teacher　of　the　same　faith　as　the　pupils。　The　compromise　was　violently　denounced　by　the　Roman　Catholic　hierarchy　but；　except　in　two　cities；　where　parochial　schools　were　set　up；　it　was　accepted　by　the　laity。

With　this　thorny　question　out　of　the　way；　the　Government　turned　to　what　it　recognized　as　its　greatest　task；　the　promotion　of　the　country's　material　prosperity。　For　years　industry　had　been　at　a　standstill。　Exports　and　imports　had　ceased　to　expand；　railway　building　had　halted；　emigrants　outnumbered　immigrants。　The　West；　the　center　of　so　many　hopes；　the　object　of　so　many　sacrifices；　had　not　proved　the　El　Dorado　so　eagerly　sought　by　fortune　hunters　and　home　builders。　There