The other side were in no doubt or difficulty: Walter
Winter was good enough for them, and it was their cheerful
conviction that Walter Winter would put a large number
of people wise on the subject of preference trade
bye-and-bye, who at present only knew enough to vote for
it.
The great question was the practicability of the new idea
and how much further it could safely be carried in a
loyal Dominion which was just getting on its industrial
legs. It was debated with anxiety at Ottawa, and made
the subject of special instruction to South Fox, where
the by-election would have all the importance of an early
test. "It's a clear issue," wrote an influential person
at Ottawa to the local party leaders at Elgin, "we don't
want any tendency to hedge or double. It's straight
business with us, the thing we want, and it will be till
Wallingham either gets it through over there, or finds
he can't deal with us. Meanwhile it might be as well to
ascertain just how much there is in it for platform
purposes in a safe spot like South Fox, and how much the
fresh opposition will cost us where we can afford it. We
can't lose the seat, and the returns will be worth anything
in their bearing on the General Election next year. The
objection to Carter is that he's only half-convinced; he
couldn't talk straight if he wanted to, and that lecture
tour of his in the United States ten years ago pushing
reciprocity with the Americans would make awkward
literature.
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