32 CANADA AND THE EMPIRE

opinion, which should be removed. In the first
place, most Canadians are Protectionists. They
are inclined, therefore, to wonder amicably how
England can get along with Free Trade. They
approve the suggestion that Great Britain should
follow Canada’s example and become Protectionist
in her own interests, and are therefore dubbed
Chamberlainite. But just as we do Canada the
justice of believing her capable of adopting the
system best for herself, so she is ready to credit
us with the capacity for managing our own affairs,
and the approval of Protection in a Canadian does
not necessarily mean that he desires an Imperial
preferential bond.
In the second place, many Canadians approve
of accepting what is offered without pausing to
consider the results of the scheme. But the man
who wishes to receive without giving can hardly
be called a real Chamberlainite.
In the third place, it is often said in Canada as
in England that Mr. Chamberlain’s policy should
be given a trial, and men are found ready to risk
results they have not examined. This attitude
presupposes the possibility of experimenting with
the Empire, forgetting that although unsatisfactory
domestic legislation can be repealed, changes in
the constitution of an Empire are irretrievable.

CANADIAN AGRICULTURE.

A few paragraphs devoted to some considerations
of Canadian agriculture can hardly be out of place