r since the veteran Sir John Macdonald declared for a protective
"National Policy," and placed the plain issue before the country which
divided the industrial and the agricultural interests. A certain number
of millowners--Mr Milburn mentioned Young and Windle--belonged to the
Liberals, as if to illustrate the fact that you inherit your party in
Canada as you inherit your "denomination," or your nose; it accompanies
you, simply, to the grave. But they were exceptions, and there was no
doubt that the other side had been considerably strengthened by the
addition of two or three thriving and highly capitalized concerns during
the past five years. Upon the top of this had come the possibility of a
great and dramatic change of trade relations with Great Britain, which
the Liberal Government at Ottawa had given every sign of willingness
to adopt--had, indeed, initiated, and were bound by word and letter to
follow up. Though the moment had not yet come, might never come, for
its acceptance or rejection by the country as a whole, there could be
no doubt that every by-election would be concerned with the policy
involved, and that every Liberal candidate must be prepared to stand by
it in so far as the leaders had conceived and pushed it. Party feeling
was by no means unanimous in favour of the change; many Liberals saw
commercial salvation closer in improved trade relations with the United
States. On the other hand, the new policy, clothed as it was in the
attractive sentiment of loyalty, and making for the solidarity of the
British race, might be depended upon to capture votes which had been
hitherto Conservative mainly because these professions were supposed
to be an indissoluble part of Conservatism. It was a thing to split the
vote sufficiently to bring an unusual amount of anxiety and calculation
into Liberal counsels. 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 tes