It will be thus, no doubt, that the
workingman will explain in the future his eminent usefulness
to the government of his country, and it will be in these
terms that the cost of educating him by means of the ballot
will be demonstrated. Meanwhile we may look on and
cultivate philosophy; or we may make war upon the gods
with Mr Wallingham which is, perhaps, the better part.
That, to turn from recrimination, was what they saw in
Canada looking across--the queerest thing of all was the
recalcitrance of the farm labourer; they could only stare
at that--and it may be that the spectacle was depressing
to hopeful initiative. At all events, it was plain that
the new policy was suffering from a certain flatness on
the further side. As a ballon d'essai it lacked buoyancy;
and no doubt Mr Farquharson was right in declaring that
above all things it lacked actuality, business--the
proposition, in good set terms, for men to turn over, to
accept or reject. Nothing could be done with it, Mr
Farquharson averred, as a mere prospect; it was useful
only to its enemies. We of the young countries must be
invited to deeds, not theories, of which we have a restless
impatience; and this particular theory, though of golden
promise, was beginning to recoil to some extent, upon
the cause which had been confident enough to adopt it
before it could be translated into action and its hard
equivalent.
Pages:
339
340
341
342
343
344
345
346
347
348
349
350
351
352
353
354
355
356
357
358
359
360
361
362
363