o not like the look of its face because it is
strange. Now that may be very good ethics for hens, but it is hardly
good enough for human beings. Our attitude toward the foreign people
was well exemplified in one of the missions, where a little Italian
boy, who had been out two years, refused to sit beside a newly arrived
Italian boy, who, of course, could not speak a word of English. The
teacher asked him to sit with his lately arrived compatriot, so that he
might interpret for him. The older boy flatly refused, and told the
teacher he "had no use for them young dagos."

"You see," said the teacher sadly, when telling the story, "he had
caught the Canadian spirit."

People say hard things about the corruptible foreign vote, but they
place the emphasis in the wrong place. Instead of using our harsh
adjectives for the poor fellow who sells his vote, let us save them all
for the corrupt politician who buys it, for he cannot plead
ignorance--he knows what he is doing. The foreign people who come to
Canada, come with burning enthusiasm for the new land, this land of
liberty--land of freedom. Some have been seen kissing the ground in an
ecstacy of gladness when they arrive. It is the land of their dreams,
where they hope to find home and happiness. They come to us with
ideals of citizenship that shame our narrow, mercenary standards.
These men are of a race which has gladly shed its blood for freedom and
is doing it today. But what happens? They go out to work on
construction gangs for the summer, they earn money for several months,
and when the work closes down they drift back into the cities. They
have done the work we wanted them to do, and no further thought is
given to them. They may get off the earth so far as we are concerned.
One door stands invitingly open to them. There is one place they are
welcome--so long as their money lasts--and around the bar they get
their ideals of citizenship.

When an election is held, all at once this new land of their adoption
begins to take an interest in them, and political heelers, well paid
for the job, well armed with whiskey, cigars and money, go among them,
and, in their own language, tell them which way they must vote--and
they do. Many an election, has been swung by this means. One new
arrival, just learning our language, expressed his contempt for us by
exclaiming: "Bah! Canada is not a country--it's just a place to make
money." That was all he had seen. H