Then again, if a braking system requires some occult voodoo magicks to get at least somewhat functional, it's not really a good braking system is it?
I had cantilevers for a decade and tried every permutation I could think of. Straddle cable in every possible position, wide set, narrow set, pads toe in, pads no toe, kool stop, shimano pads, compressionless housing, machined rims, shimano levers, tektro levers, sram levers etc etc.
never could get them to not suck. The only brake worse than cantilevers I've used was the spoon brake.