HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron News-Record, 1889-05-29, Page 4a; s
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The Huron News -Record
serei h seer-•$1.es th Advance.
Tho man dens not do justice to his iluei9hess
rola, words leo in .tdoertirinp than he does in
rent.—A. T. $toWArct, the nttttionaire rnerchant
of New York.
Wednesday. flay 29114 1889
SERMONS IN STONES, BOOKS
IN . TDE RUNNING
BROOKS AND GOOD
IN EVERYTHING.
Given a conscientious nian who
is ordinarily well read or versed in
that which ho is called upon to do,
and who has firmness and judg-
ment to act upon what his con-
science and his knowledge has
determined upon, and the outcome
will be as nearly in accordance
with the voice of God as can be
expected from fallible humanity.
These thoughts occurred to us a
few days ago upon reading remarks
attributed to President Harrison :—
"The one thing I will try' to do as
president will be to act so that
when my term of office has expired
I can say with truth, `Thank God,
I have satisfied myself " If he is
the kind of man we believe ho is he
will then not only have satisfied
himself but his, God. Tho same
will apply to members of the Cana-
dian parliament, both to the noble
thirteen and the equally noble 188.
The public have no reason to
suppose that any of the 2(31 acted
other than according to their.ccm-
scionce—according to the voice 19f.
God. The whispered suggestion
comes :—"Can both the 188 and
the 13 have acted conscientiously
—in accordance with the voice- ..pf
God V' Certainly. The voice of
God is equally in the wind that
uproots the towering trees and that
destroys men and habi•tatious. Itis
equally in the gentle breeze that
fans with life giving breath the
stalwart corn, the wee, delicate
daisy or the 'fair choeked maiden.
Nature as welt as 'God rebukes
those who suspect good in nothing
or no one but themselves. And
the point of all this comes in in the
application -of it, as the lrate'lamout-
ed Joey Bagatock ie said to have
remarked: Some of the Couserva-
tive friends of Mr. Porter of West.
Huron and some of the Orange
brethren of Hon. k'IcPenzie Bowell
have unthinkingly sot themselves
up against those two geutlemen
especially, and the 188 generally.
That Mr. Porter and Mr. Bowell
acted according to their conscience
we must assume. That they acted
in accordance with firmly establish
ed and generally .acknowledged
constitutional usage and precedent
will appear as clear as the sun at
midday to those who will divest
themselves of pardonable prejudices
and creditable impulses. That ob-
jectors cannot see this is, probably
more their misfortune than their
fault. But the mass of the people
who do not devote much study to
political problems should no more
bs chided for not uudorstanding
them than should the most of us
who are not physical scientists be
chided for not understanding the
mysteries of the workings of nature
when the same olements do duty as
apparent destroyers and vivifyers.
But we all believe that the good
Creator , never does anything in
vain. Humanly speaking wo have
no right to hold that the good
legislator does anything in vain or
that ho errs because we cannot at
once perceive that good. The
diverse works of the elements serve
their purpose in the economy of
nature, but good predominates by a
vast majority ; the diverse elements
in legislation serve their purpose in
political oronomy, but good pre-
dominates —by a largo majority.
And the apparently constitution
destruct...tendencies of Messrs
O'Brien and McCarthy, which we
believe, were born of an houest
desire;to partly the political atmos•
phere t ill, probably unwittingly,
serve an equally good purpose with
the apparently destructively do -
signed tondenheies of wind storms
,which agitate the seas and neutral-
jzo or prevent their malarious
influences as they also dissipate the
disease laden germs of the land
atrpiosphero. Verily there" are
sermons in stones, hooks' in the
running brooks and good in every-
thing. Tho huivan intelligence
that wili discern this to the gteatest
extent will approach most nearly an
eltpro,Kirmte estimate of the end
the Creator had in view when he
endowed human beings with res-
ponsible discriminating free will in
a but little less degree than the
angels.
PARTY VS. NO PARTY AND
FACTION.
At this preaent time disgruntled
one time party men ; no -party men,
those who never belonged to any
party and abnegated the highest
functions of a civilized citizen by
not at any time, or any occaeion'
having voted ; and third party men
are all engaged in the doubtfully
patriotic work of destroying the old
political party organizations. That
they will not succeed is beyond a
peradventure.
As to the no -party idea, it is the
most absurdly chimerical that could
be proposed. It ie self-contradiotnry.
Those who entertain it professedly
want to create a something which
shall be nothing. They want to
create a party which shall not be a
party—a mere no -party.
There must be an instrumentality
to do any given work. The work of
governing a country must be con-
fided to some fess numerous body
than the whole body politic.
It would be itnpossible for the one
million or more heads of families,
in this Dominion to meet at
Ottawa, and make laws for the
general good. This aggregation
must be boiled down, so to speak.
This boiling dowu process has
hitherto consisted' in the electorate,
in various counties and municipal-
ities, enrolling themselves on the
side of one or other parties. They
meet locally and formulate the
principles of their respective
parties. That is they, the electors,
send delegates to covontions called
in the interest of one or other party.
These delegates aro supposed to re-
present the, unwieldy masses who'
could not conveniently • assemble.
They select a candidate whose per-
sonal ability and honesty of pur-
pose will bo exercised in snaking
laws which shall be productive of
what Jeremy Bautharu has defined
as the greatest good to the greatest
number. The supporters of the
candidate are the party. In' many
cases the laws which the party are
supposed to require for the better
government of the country are• an
uuknown'aud au Undefined quantity
in the minds of the masses or even
of their delegates in convention
assembled: Much has to be left to
the. candidate. If he is elected he
conduits with others and the leaders
of the party, and as the masses were
boiled down in numbers for practi-
cal legislative work, so they again
buil down the views of their respec-
tive localities. These views are re-
cognized as the platform or prin.
ciples of the party.
In a latitudinarian weer the
Liberal -Conservative party may
be said to bo committed to the
policy of liberally conserving
and preserving even laws of doubt-
ful utility, which have in the „peat
worked for the general good, until
something which the experience of
the past acting upon present, and it
may bo changed oottditious of
suciety and the ,country, shall give
reasonable grounds for their being
impolitic in existing conditions.
Once convinced that certain latus
are inimical to the geueral good
Liberal -Conservatism is bound to
have them repealed and has always
acted on that, Alao, Liberal -Con-
servatism is hound by the converse
proposition. If it is proper to re-
peal useless or uujust laws that have
been in operation, Liberal -Conser-
vatism is also bound to liberally
conserve and preserve tho public
weal and progress by enacting new
legislation to that end.
Liberal Conservatism as now
known. in C tnada specially dates
from about the ora confederation'.
Tho Liberal Reformers joined with
ho Cuuservatives and formulated
the present Constitution of Canada.
This was the work of party , -it tvis
a work iu consonance with the will
of the people, thought 'out• and
wrought ont by the masses boiled
down to numerically leis numbers
of tho whole people, but represent
ing the whole. Without party this
confederation could never have been
brought about. Another notable
outcome of party was the inception
of the Canada Pacific Railway.
This was hindered by Faction, com-
posed of soured, selfish, disappoint-
..nd, disgruntled party, mofi, tio•pat tq
men and third party men. These
appealed to the prejudices and
passions of the people then --as their
unpatriotic kin are Juing to day—
with the result that the Govern-
ment supporters were left in the
minority and the wheels of Cana-
dian progress arrested. and for five
long years the whole machine left
in the mire of uncertaiety, despond-
ent impotence and general' depres-
sion. During these five disastrous
years of the conjoint rule ofFaction,
'soured party men, no -party men and
third party men,, the Americans,
into whose hands these bad, bold
wen had so iniquitously played,
took advautange -of the absence of
legitimate party in CanadaAtook ad-
vantage of the ruleof an imbecile•
substitute for party in Canada, to
energetically further railway de-
vetopmeut in Dakota and other
portions of the American North-
west. With the result that tens of
thousands of loyal and energetic
Canadians, of the best people on the
top of God's sunny footstool; were
driven or iuveiglud from their Can-
adian homes to settle in that bliz-
zardy country iustead of in the
white man's country uuder the
British flag in the Northwest.
This deplorable incidence of no -
party rule in Canada extended be
yond even the five years of im-
potent, nu party rule. Our people,
the youth and flower of our country,
wanted to go West to farm. They
Wanted to feel assured that in settl-
ing down they• wuuld not have to
live as old as Metl>.uselah, or even
to the age of three scorn and ten
before they would have a chauce to
market the teeming produce of.our
minium of acres of fertile land.
The no -party faction rulers said,
"we can't help yea, A Canadian
northwest rail road will not pay for
oil to grease the axles of the cars.
We will give you "water stretches"
and patches of railway from no-
where to nowhere. But as for
a national trauscontinental road that
will afford you ingressto•and egress
from our own Northwest, that will
boom up marts of • local industry,
that will enable you to profitably
transport your wheat and your stock
to Britian and theechief marts. of the
world, we cannot hold out any such
quixotic 'inducement."
Therefore many of these enter-
prising pioneer young Canadians
settled in Dakota where party rale
and patriotism were paratnpunt-
They sent for their friends,' Lheir
brothers, their sisters and their
consins and kindred to ,join.
Thousands did so and some are
straggling beyoud the border oven
to this day through the strength of
family tins and ties of kinship.
But all things have an end. At
any rate Faction uo•party rule bad
an end. The people ares° iu their
might and buried factious impotence
fathoms deep beneath their virtd-
ous indignation. They returned
again to strong party government
with Sir John A. Macdonald at is
ita head. From that day, some ten
years ago, Canada has been again
furgeing ahead. The Canadian
Pacific Northwest Railway has boon
completed, to the surprise and dis-
comfiture of .Alnericans, the chagtin
of imbecile no -party faction, the
delight of every lover of .the British
Empire, the gratification of the
-manly aspirations of every tree
Canadian, and the untold material
development of the immense re-
sources of our grand heritage.
Then with party—strung united
party—composed of Liberal Con-
servatives and Liberal Reformers
we have risen above being a mere
annex of the United States. In-
stead of being a lean-to whose
occupants wore more hewers of wood
and drawers of water for the great
American eagle, depending upon
the droppings from the noble bird
in return, we creditably' vie with
that country in all that constitutes
civilized greatness, and exceed it in
many of thoseetlributes. In ship-
ping, commerce, mauufactures, arts,
agriculture, education, legislation, a
well guarded individual franchise,
and in many other ways, we over
lap thein, population cousidered.
To say "I ata Canadian" has now
as talismanic an effect as in olden
day the words "I sant a Roman
citizen." From our nearest neigh
bor to the uttermost parts of the
earth Canada is looked tipon as the
most important part, of diet, great Brit-
ish Empire upon the like of which,
the sun has not hitherto shone. Brief-
ly have we sketched a correct hie-
torieal outline of how party -
government by party in Canada, has
elevated the country above the ex-
igencies of foreign dependence and
internal depression. It has indeed
placed us upon re pinnacle from
whence we can look down upon the
nations of the earth, and though the
cloven footed head , of faction
should say again, "All those will I
give thee if thou wilt forswear thy
birthright and thy title to British
connexion and Canadian nationlity"
the salve old reply would resonantly
sound, "Get thee behind me thou
clover -footed imp of no party fac-
tion." And we have also shown
the reverse picture of no party
faction government. ,
THE QUEBEC PARLIAMENT
RESPONSIBLE, NOT THE
DOMINION PARLIA-
MENT.
The annual meeting of the Goder-
ich District of the Methodist church
was held in Hensel' last week. A
resolution was passed ' disapproving
of the acts incorporating and endors-
ing the jesuit order iu Quebec and
the recognition given to the pope
in the endowment act.' This is to
be commended by all protestants
and lovers of civil and religi ou
liberty throughout the Dominion.
Another portion of the resolution
condemns ' the course taken by the
leaders in parliament' This "wee
are not su clear is advisable. In
fact we think the leaders in parlia-
ment and the majority of the mem-
bers did what honese1egislators
should do who were endeavoring to
du to others as they would be done
by. They had nothiug to do with
incorporating the jesuit order or
with passing the jesuit act.
ause OIeaMn!
Have you finished House Cleaning yet ? If not
call and inspect
Robertson's Stock of Curtains
.--AT-
45c., $1, $1:50, $1.75, $2, $2.50,
$3, $3.50, $4, $4.25 & $5,
In the Leading Novelties. 00`-' Everyone knows how a
Curtain sets off a room, giving the furniture a newer and
richer look. Who would deny themselves this comfort
when it can be had at such low figures. r-0— Call and
'see our stock of HOUSE FURNISHINGS.
We iu Ontario, or the people
of Nova Scotia, or New Brunswick,
or Mauitoba weeld,,:net..like
the people of .Quebec to ask the
Dominion parliament to override
the sovoreigu will of the people of
any of these other proviuces for the
simple reason that they, the people
of Qnobec did not approve legisla-
tion which it is in the competency 'of
anyaud all the provinces to pass. The
jesuit act of Quebec is clearly with -
etency of the local legis
• tl atis the matters that
cope of ,theimttt "
natters which are within the ex-
clusive jurisdiction of the province.
The province may use its power ill-
egally or wrougfully while dealing
with such hatters. This wo believe
has haen done by the Qneboc legis-
lature, But the Dominion parlia-
ment .is not the arbiter in such a
case, but wo believe the courts are.
The jesuits are au illegal body,
being so they cannot ,even as an
educatioual body be endowed. The
pope has no legal civil power in
Canada. To make his assent to the
act one of the conditions of it be-
coming law is clearly an acknow-
ledgment of the civil power of the
pope. But these are matters for
the cour� pronounce upon. TUE
NEWS-RECZttitl•will never recognize
the right of the pope to interfere in
civil legislation ; it cannot from its
understanding of the position of the
jesuits recognize them as a legally
incorporated body ; not recognizing
theui as a legal body it cannot ap-
prove of their being made the in-
struments fur oxpeudin j provincial
educational funds. But they must
receive their quietus in the courts.
Failing that, then by an amendent
to the British North America Act,
Tho meeting we have referred to
also 'approved by resolution the
Governor-General exercising his
right of dissolving the House. This
is also the idea of the Globe. An
idea, though, at variance with a just
conception of responsible govern-
ment. In fact the Governor-Gen-
eral would be exceeding his prero-
gative to dissolve the IIouse when
hie responsible advisers are sustain-
ed by 188 to•13 of the duly elected
representatives of the people. It
ay be held that they do not repre-
sent the people on the constitution-
al problem involved in the ,jesuits
act. But we have more right to
assume that tlioy do than that they
do not. And tho Governor -Goner -
al has no right to so assume. He is
responsible to his advisers, the gov-
et•nnlcnt of the day, they to parlia-
ment and parliament to the people.
We make the following excerpt
in the cotrl
lature to pa
come within
0
flobortsons fireat Cc'Ih Store
from The Week touching this very
point : -
From Tho Week.
!'he Globe takes exoeption'to a re-
mark in our last number to the effect
that substantially the same objec-
tion (inconsistency with our system
of Responsible Government) which
we urged to the proposal to petition
the Governor.General .toy -take the
prerogative of dissolution into his
own hands, lies against the proposal
to petition for the disallowance of the
Jesuits' Estates Act, in face. of the
overwhelming vote in the Commons
against disallowance. As the matter
is of importance we mayexplain our
meaning a little more fully. Not-
withstanding anything objectionable
in the form of the motion, it cannot,
surely, be seriously denied that the
great majority of the Commons did
intend to vote against disallowance
itself, not, as the Globe " for argu-
ment's Rake " assumes, " to please
the Roman Catholic GliaToh,'' but on
the ground which was "put forward
in every speech on that side of the
question, that the Act was within
.the powers of the Quebeo Legisla-
ture ; and that to disallow it would
be a viol9tion of the Provincial rights
of which' the Globe has heretofore
been one of the most uncompromise
inrechampions. This being so, in
whit position wonitt,the people of
Canada put themselves should they
now petition the Government to dis-
alio.w the Act? The normal and
constitutional medium of communi-
cation between the people and the
Government is the Commons. Of
course the Government might,hit so
disposed, disregard the vote o the
Commons ; but they have no wish to
do so. They are of one mind with
the great bulk of the people's repre-
sentatibes, of both parties, in the
matter. May they not be expected
to say to his Excellency, should he
be influenced by petition to ask for
disallowance, on the ground of , the
popular feeling : " We have been ad-
vised of the popular wish in the
ordinary and legitimate way —
through the people's representatives.
If the people wore misrepresented
that is their, own business. Let
them compel their unfaithful mem-
be s to resign. Let them choose
otters. We do riot pledge ourselves
to follow the instruction of even
these in such a matter ; but if we do
not we must takethe consequences.
They are the only constitutional re.
presentatives of the people. If we
should decide otherwise; if we should
take it upon ourselves td say that we
do not accept the vote of the Com-
mons aa the expression of the popu-
lar will, but are going to disregard h-
and take our cue from public meet-
ings and from petitions, though- we
have no means of knowing how many
of the signatures to those petitions
are those of citizens and electors; we
should surely be pouring contempt
upon the whole system of responsi-
ble Government 1"
the country. They can then act
intelligently. We believe the
traditions of the Liberal. Con,
servative party will cow mend it to the
approval of the majority of o.ue
young men. The Couservative
party is the party of - pro=
gress, the constructive pert, dl
the country. With it must relualn
the progressive future of the
try. That
have
coun-
progrussivo future we
eau if we are but true
to our present aspirations.
Young men should take• as
part iu politic& It is the uublest
and most elevating science 'within
the grasp of the human mind.
4P1Wieit has been abused, as well as
all other goldthings have been goes
without saying. But that the
science of polities has developed as
good mon as has physical ur rolig
.ions science cannot Abe refuted. It
has had its unselfish devotees as
well as any other •lyalk ill' life ; its
Martyrs also. Among these may be
classed the presout premier of the
Dominiou. Though the treatment
he has sometimes received has made
his lot sometimes a not very euvia-
blu one, yet ou the whole, Which of
our young men would, not be pleas-
ed to be a Sir John A. Macdonald,$
The only way they can do so is by
taking an interest in politics, while'
they are young, hopeful and on- '
thusiastic. The best place for the
bettor development of those traits ie
within the Conservative party. Not
that you will agree with everything,
but that they will find the most of
the best of everything within it to
agree with and the least to coudemu
and reform. Tho most of the work
of the country, the moat of the work
of the 'world, is done in polities. It
is the footer -parent of national
enterprise and consequently of in
dividual enterprise. But it requires
work. It is easy to sit on the bank
and snarl and criticise those who are
down in the arena, but it is out of
the smoke and turmoil and dust and
sweat of 'the political arena that
civilization has been improved,
liberty and freedom secured, and
the higher intellectual and material
duvelopmeut of the human race
evolved. Belong to the Conserv-
ative party if you can ; if you can-
not conscientiously do so then be-
long to the Reform party, but by all
muaus belong to some political
party. Ono treed not he partisan
nor fanatic, but indifference is worse
than either of these.
PITCH IN, DON'T SIT ON THE
FENCE AND SNARL.
Ete two years, a short span in
the lite of a young roan and n still
shorter one in the life of a young
nation, this Canada of ours will bo
in throes of a national election.
The result of that election and in a
very large me re the fate of
our country well d ,end upon our
young men. They nor any section
of the community should sit on the
fence and snarl in the mean time.
'Ve all should be up and doing in
tlhu uheun time, The next best
thing to action is thought. It is
the duty of a journalist to excite
and stimulate thought. We would
commend the Liberal Conservative
party to the thoughtful considsra•
tion of our young men as well as to
the present guidance of their elders.
More especially, though, would wo
,commend the policy of our party to
the young men who are just about
coming to the age of citizenship.
They will nearly all, if notabsolute-
ly. all, have votes. ' They should
tbhtfully prepare for their poli-
tical reponsibilities. They can best
do this by becoming acquainted with
the traditions of the two parties of
EDITORIAL NOTES.
The Toronto Globe, in referring
to the possibility of a break up of
the Orange organization over the
Jesuits act imbroglio, is candid
enough to say : The break up
"would be ono of the misfortunes „
we could endure with equanimity."
Mr. Rufus Pope, as we mentioned
last wook, was elected for Compton,
Quebec by majority greater than
that which returned his father the
late tlon. J. II. Pope. A tory not-
able feature in the returns are the
largely increased majorities for the
Ministerial candidate in the exclne-
ivoly Protestant districts. This is
eertainly very strong evidence that
the protost.ants of Quebec, in that
county at leant, approve of the non-
interference of the Government and
parliament in their provincial affairs
anent the jesuits act.
0