on? Might not the public, being wholly
engaged thereby, forget finance?"

Senator Gruff thought this among things possible; at least it might be
tried. Something surely must be done, or Senator Hanway would be
compelled to disclose his attitude on Silver versus Gold.

It was the decision of Senators Hanway and Gruff that the former should
bring up for Senate discussion the resolution concerning that Georgian
Bay-Ontario Canal. Credit Magellan was dead and gone, and had been since
the "bear" failure against Northern Consolidated. But no one in the
Senate, no one indeed not of the osprey pool, had heard of Credit
Magellan. Therefore, Senator Hanway could handle the Canal resolution as
a thing by itself. It could be offered as a measure important, not alone
nationally but internationally, and to all the world. Senator Hanway
would force no vote; but he would be heard, and his Senate friends and
allies would be heard. There should arise such a din of statesmanship
that the dullest ear in the country must be impressed with the Canal as
a subject of tremendous consequence. The public intelligence might thus
be made to center upon the Canal. The latter would subtract from, even
if it did not wholly swallow up in the common regard, that dangerous
query of finance.

"You may be right," observed Senator Gruff. He said this dubiously, for
he wasn't as sure as was Senator Hanway of either a public interest or
its direction touching the Canal. "It will be a novelty; and the public
is as readily caught by novelty as any rustic at a fair. But you might
better get to it at once. I had word from the Anaconda people yesterday;
they urge definite utterance on the money question. They say that either
silver or gold will do as a position; but they must know which it is to
be in order to select timber for the delegations. It won't do to name
silver delegates if you mean in the eleventh hour to declare for gold."

Senator Hanway brought up his Georgian Bay-Ontario Canal and talked a
profound hour. Other Senators followed, and the Canal held the carpet of
debate for three full days. Then it was sent back to the Foreign
Committee without a vote.

But the object of the discussion had been reached. Canal took the place
of Money in the people's mouth, and Senator Hanway, his name gaining
favorable place in every paper, particularly in the _Daily Tory_, became
a prodigious personality by acclamation. The most besotted of Governor
Obstinate's a