e ministership of Canada; but in any event to
establish his position forever as the unquestioned, unchallenged
leader of his own people. In this campaign--which covered the two
years from the moment he consented to one year's extension of the
life of parliament until election day in 1917--he had repeatedly to
make a choice between his two purposes; and he invariably preferred
the second. In the sequel he missed the premiership; but he very
definitely accomplished his second desire. He died the unquestioned
leader, the idol of his people; and it may well be that as the
centuries pass he will become the legendary embodiment of the
race--like King Arthur of the English awaiting in the Isle of Avalon the
summons of posterity. As for Bourassa, he may live in Canadian
history as Douglas lives in the history of the United States--by
reason of his relations with the man he fought.

THE BILINGUAL EPISODE

The Canadian house of commons was the vantage point from which Sir
Wilfrid carried on the operations by which he unhorsed Bourassa.
Here we find the explanation of much that appears inexplicable in
the political events of 1916 and 1917. Laurier was out to
demonstrate that he was the true champion of Quebec's views and
interests, because he could rally to her cause the support of a
great national party. Hence the remarkable projection of the
bilingual issue into the proceeding of parliament in May, 1916. The
question as an Ontario one could only be dealt with by the Ontario
authorities once it was admitted--Sir Wilfrid being in agreement--that
disallowance was not possible. Yet Sir Wilfrid brought the
issue into the Dominion parliament. If he had done this merely for
the purpose of making his own attitude of sympathy with his
compatriots in Ontario clear, the course would have been of doubtful
political wisdom, in view of his responsibilities to the party he
led. But he insisted upon a formal resolution being submitted.
Professor Skelton, in the passages dealing with this episode, shows
him whipping up a reluctant party and compelling it, by every
influence he could command, to follow him. The writer, arriving in
Ottawa when this situation was developing, was informed by a
leading Liberal member of parliament that the "old man" had thought
out a wonderful stroke of tactics by which he was going to
strengthen himself in Quebec and at the same time do no harm in
Ontario--a feat beside which squaring the circle would be child's