d
"Labour" was taboo, so far as it referred to any political party.
"Duty," "Patriotism," "Defence," "Citizenship," "United Empire,"
"British Federation," and, again, ringing loudly above all other cries,
"Duty"--those were the watchwords and the platforms of the invasion year
elections. The candidate who promised relief from taxation was laughed
at. The candidate who promised legislation directed toward the citizen's
defence of the citizen's hearth and home, was cheered to the echo.

The one member of "The Destroyers'" Administration who sought
reelection, found it well to assert the claims of his youth by making a
public recantation of all his previously expressed views and policy,
and seeking to outdo every one else in the direction of patriotic
reform. Though he gulled nobody, he was listened to good-humouredly, and
defeated with great ease by Abel Winchester, the Australian, who saw
years of work before him, in conjunction with Forbes Thompson, in the
supervision of village rifle corps throughout the country.

In many ways the country had never known a Parliamentary election so
constructive; in one respect it was absolutely destructive. It destroyed
all previously existing political parties. No single member was returned
as the representative of a previously existing party. The voters of
Britain had refused to consider any other than the one issue of
patriotic reform: the all-British policy, as it was called; and the
consequence was, that when Parliament assembled it was found that the
House of Commons could no longer boast possession of an Opposition.

The members of that assembly had been sent to St. Stephens to busy
themselves, in unison, with the accomplishment of a common end; and if
one among them should waste the time of the House by any form of
obstruction, he could only do so by breaking the pledges upon the
strength of which he had been elected. This fact was clearly set forth
in the Speech from the Throne, delivered by the King in person. The
business of Parliament was in full swing before its second sitting was
far advanced. Though then an aged man, the famous statesman to whom the
King had entrusted the task of forming a new Cabinet bore himself with
the vigour of early manhood, and no Prime Minister had ever faced
Parliament with so great a driving power behind him of unity,
confidence, and national sympathy. The fact that for years his name had
been most prominently associated with every movement m