But they were exceptions, and there was no
doubt that the other side had been considerably strengthened
by the addition of two or three thriving and highly
capitalized concerns during the past five years. Upon
the top of this had come the possibility of a great and
dramatic change of trade relations with Great Britain,
which the Liberal Government at Ottawa had given every
sign of willingness to adopt--had, indeed, initiated,
and were bound by word and letter to follow up. Though
the moment had not yet come, might never come, for its
acceptance or rejection by the country as a whole, there
could be no doubt that every by-election would be concerned
with the policy involved, and that every Liberal candidate
must be prepared to stand by it in so far as the leaders
had conceived and pushed it. Party feeling was by no
means unanimous in favour of the change; many Liberals
saw commercial salvation closer in improved trade relations
with the United States. On the other hand, the new policy,
clothed as it was in the attractive sentiment of loyalty,
and making for the solidarity of the British race, might
be depended upon to capture votes which had been hitherto
Conservative mainly because these professions were supposed
to be an indissoluble part of Conservatism. It was a
thing to split the vote sufficiently to bring an unusual
amount of anxiety and calculation into Liberal counsels.
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