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a _ , ..- ""'"""'.e . .. . l' vat-"Am - "FRIDAY, MAY 1.. 1914. ----L--iesess--eeessrsre-let ' WHAT MB. HANNA DARE NOT DO. But the Government does not dare to dismiss F Mr. Snider. does not dare any more to "repudi- f is all very well for party journals like The ate" him, does not dare to allow him to give pub- Mail and Empire and, The News to protest against lie testimony. for, under oath, he would tell the even the suspicion "that Mr. Hanna is in league truth about a conference after hours in Mr. with the liquor interests." They do protest too Hanna's office, who else was there, and whom he much, and in terms too nearly identical to be represented, the Provincial Secretary's own ac- ' tions in the matter, and why a Minister of the convincing. Their language is too vague, too Crown "repudiated" his own offiei al in the Pressl evasive, to deceive even themselves. The Pro- and afterwards "ate crow" in Parliament. Mr.l, vincial Secretary's own conduct during recent Hanna is as much' afraid ot Mr. Snider under oath weeks is his own unanswerable condemnation. as of Mr. Taylor under oath. Either one could Were he innocent he would dare to do what be- shatter the lagt figment ot his reputation for even comes an innocent man His refusals make all ordinary street truthfulness. He dare not take . that risk. his protestings but so much make-believe. And Mr. Hanna and the Ontario Government Mr. Hanna does not dare to let the truth--- do not dare to allow the charges presented by Mr. not a skillful affidavit, but the whole, straight, C. M. Bowman in the Legislature to be investi- truth--be told. His refusal, the refusal of thef gated by a Royal Commission of Superior Court N . . ..l Judges. Such an investigation would turn the bovernment. the refusal ot his panicky support I searchlight round to expose the "deal" with the ers in the Public Accounts Committee to allow; liquor interests, the "deal" in Huron, the visit of evidence touching Mr. Snider's interference in the Huron liquor men to Toronto not long ago, Scott Act campaigns in January last, was defens- their threats. Mr. Hanna's suspicious evasion, and would have been given to one or other of the con- lit".""' between the liquor 11tre1t and tht On- tradictory statements to the Press and to Parlia- tario Government were renewed. Such an 1nves. ment by the Provincial Secretary himself. tigation might also definitely determine how Mr. Hanna does not dare to deal honestly with much m9re or less than $500,000 the liquor in- Mr. Snider, any more than he dares to deal hon- terest will raise to fight the anti-barroom policy estly with Mr. Taylor. If Mr. Snider, who is an and the Liberal candidates in the coming Pro.. oftieia1 under the Provincial Secretary, deserved vincial elections. Mr. Hanna's "repudiation," he deserved also dis.. And yet the newspaper defenders of the Pro- missal. " Mr. Snider is not dismissed it is be- vincial Secretary would rend the heavens with cause his interference with Conservative temper- their denunciations of the lue"fiht,? . that It, ance voters in the Scott Act campaigns was at Mr. Hanna is In league with t e iquor interests. Hanna's suggestion. Mr. C. E. Steele, who has The man and the Government that do not dare held most of the responsible offices in the muni- to do any one ot the things innocence, hionesty, cipal Council and in the Conservative Association and integrity would at once deman are n sore in Welland county. speaks the truth as every need of ttttttle-fish protection. They shun the open-eyed Conservative sees it: light of Judicial investigation for one adequate! "Mr. Snider represented himself to me as reason: "because their deeds are evil. representing the Provincial f?ecretary's depart- --.-----.-----..-- ment. lie stated he was visiting the county for the purpose of explaining to the Conservative vot- ers the undesirability of passing the Canada Temperance Act. . . . In fairness to the Gov- ernment there is only one course operr--namely, the dismissal of an official who would so far go out of his way as to interfere with a local issue in which he, as such omeia,1, had no right to in- terfere. and particularly in going so far as to throw the weight of the Government in favor of the liquor interests. . . . If the Government will not permit investigation into Mr. Snider's con- duet I fear a great many temperance Conserva- lives will be compelled to believe what they would be reluctant to believe-namely, that the Government sent him there and authorized him to do what he did."