es
that the men could hardly be held within bounds of official orders. He
is of the very class of men who have forsaken gainful occupations in
the West to clamor a hundred-thousand strong for the privilege of
fighting to the last ditch for the empire under the rain of death from
German fire.

"How can Canadians be loyal to a system of government that acknowledges
some fat king sitting on a throne chair like a mummy as ruler?"
demanded an American woman of a Canadian man.

"Well," answered the Canadian, "I don't know that any 'fat king' was
ever quite so fat as a gentleman named Mammon who plays a pretty big
part in the government of all republics." He drew a five-dollar bill
from his pocket. "As a piece of paper that is utterly worthless," he
explained. "It isn't even good wrapping paper. It's a promise to
pay--to deliver the goods, that gives it value. It's what the system
of government stands for, that rouses support--not this, that, or the
other man--"

"But what does it stand for?" interrupted the American; and the
Canadian couldn't answer. It roused and held his loyalty as if of
family ties. Yet he could not define it.

He might have explained that Canada has had a system of justice since
1837 never truckled to nor trafficked in, but he knew in his heart that
the loyalty was to a something deeper than that. He knew that many
republics--Switzerland, for instance--have as impartial a system of
justice. He might have descanted on the British North America Act
being to Canada what the Constitution is to the United States, only
more elastic, more susceptible to growth and changing conditions; but
he knew that the Constitution was what it was owing to this other
principle of which law and justice were but the visible formula. He
might easily have dilated on excellent features of the Canadian
parliamentary system different from the United States or Germany. For
instance, no party can hold office one day after it lacks the support
of a majority vote. It must resign reins to the other party, or go to
the country for re-election. Or he might have pointed to the very
excellent feature of Cabinet Ministers sitting in the House and being
directly responsible to Commons and Senate for the management of their
departments to the expenditure of a farthing. A Cabinet member who may
be quizzed to-day, to-morrow, every day in the week except Sunday, on
the management of affairs under him can never take refuge in am