the canadian dominion-第29部分

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ive　years　of　Confederation；　no　law　forbade　membership　in　both　federal　and　provincial　Parliaments；　and　the　short　sessions　of　that　blessed　time　made　such　double　service　feasible。　Here　he　was　aided　by　two　other　men　of　outstanding　ability；　Edward　Blake　and　Oliver　Mowat。　Blake；　the　son　of　a　well…to…do　Irishman　who　had　been　active　in　the　fight　for　responsible　government；　became　Premier　of　Ontario　in　1871　but　retired　in　1872　when　a　law　abolishing　dual　representation　made　it　necessary　for　him　to　choose　between　Toronto　and　Ottawa。　His　place　was　taken　by　Mowat；　who　for　a　quarter　of　a　century　gave　the　province　thrifty；　honest；　and　conservatively　progressive　government。

In　spite　of　the　growing　forces　opposed　to　him　Macdonald　triumphed　once　more　in　the　election　of　1872。　Ontario　fell　away；　but　Quebec　and　the　Maritime　Provinces　stood　true。　A　Conservative　majority　of　thirty　or　forty　seemed　to　assure　Macdonald　another　five…year　lease　of　power。　Yet　within　a　year　the　Pacific　Scandal　had　driven　him　from　office　and　overwhelmed　him　in　disgrace。

The　Pacific　Scandal　occurred　in　connection　with　the　financing　of　the　railway　which　the　Dominion　Government　had　promised　British　Columbia；　when　that　province　entered　Confederation　in　1871；　would　be　built　through　to　the　Pacific　coast　within　ten　years。　The　bargain　was　good　politics　but　poor　business。　It　was　a　rash　undertaking　for　a　people　of　three　and　a　half　millions；　with　a　national　revenue　of　less　than　twenty　million　dollars；　to　pledge　itself　to　build　a　railway　through　the　rocky　wilderness　north　of　Lake　Superior；　through　the　trackless　plains　and　prairies　of　the　middle　west；　and　across　the　mountain　ranges　that　barred　the　coast。　Yet　Macdonald　had　sufficient　faith　in　the　country；　in　himself；　and　in　the　happy　accidents　of　timea　confidence　that　won　him　the　nickname　of　〃Old　Tomorrow〃to　give　the　pledge。　Then　came　the　question　of　ways　and　means。　At　first　the　Government　planned　to　build　the　road。　On　second　thoughts；　however；　it　decided　to　follow　the　example　set　by　the　United　States　in　the　construction　of　the　Union　Pacific　and　Southern　Pacific；　and　to　entrust　the　work　to　a　private　company　liberally　subsidized　with　land　and　cash。　Two　companies　were　organized　with　a　view　to　securing　the　contract；　one　a　Montreal　company　under　Sir　Hugh　Allan；　the　foremost　Canadian　man　of　business　and　the　head　of　the　Allan　steamship　fleet；　and　the　other　a　Toronto　company　under　D。　L。　Macpherson；　who　had　been　concerned　in　the　building　of　the　Grand　Trunk。　Their　rivalry　was　intense。　After　the　election　of　1872　a　strong　compromise　company　was　formed；　with　Allan　at　the　head；　and　to　this　company　the　contract　was　awarded。

When　Parliament　met　in　1872；　a　Liberal　member；　L。　S。　Huntington；　made　the　charge　that　Allan　had　really　been　acting　on　behalf　of　certain　American　capitalists　and　that　he　had　made　lavish　contributions　to　the　Government　campaign　fund　in　the　recent　election。　In　the　course　of　the　summer　these　charges　were　fully　substantiated。　Allan　was　proved　by　his　own　correspondence；　stolen　from　his　solicitor's　office；　to　have　spent　over　350；000；　largely　advanced　by　his　American　allies；　in　buying　the　favor　of　newspapers　and　politicians。　Nearly　half　of　this　amount　had　been　contributed　to　the　Conservative　campaign　fund；　with　the　knowledge　and　at　the　instance　of　Cartier　and　Macdonald。　Macdonald；　while　unable　to　disprove　the　charges；　urged　that　there　was　no　connection　between　the　contributions　and　the　granting　of　the　charter。　But　his　defense　was　not　heeded。　A　wave　of　indignation　swept　the　country；　his　own　supporters　in　Parliament　fell　away；　and　in　November；　1873；　he　resigned。　Mackenzie；　who　was　summoned　to　form　a　new　Ministry；　dissolved　Parliament　and　was　sustained　by　a　majority　of　two　to　one。

Mackenzie　gave　the　country　honest　and　efficient　administration。　Among　his　most　important　achievements　were　the　reform　of　elections　by　the　introduction　of　the　secret　ballot　and　the　requirement　that　elections　should　be　held　on　a　single　day　instead　of　being　spread　over　weeks；　a　measure　of　local　option　in　controlling　the　liquor　traffic；　and　the　establishment　of　a　Canadian　Supreme　Court　and　the　Royal　Military　Collegethe　Canadian　West　Point。　But　fate　and　his　own　limitations　were　against　him。　He　was　too　absorbed　in　the　details　of　administration　to　have　time　for　the　work　of　a　party　leader。　In　his　policy　of　constructing　the　Canadian　Pacific　as　a　government　road；　after　Allan　had　resigned　his　charter；　he　manifested　a　caution　and　a　slowness　that　brought　British　Columbia　to　the　verge　of　secession。　But　it　was　chiefly　the　world…wide　depression　that　began　in　his　first　year　of　office；　1873；　which　proved　his　undoing。　Trade　was　stagnant；　bankruptcies　multiplied；　and　acute　suffering　occurred　among　the　poor　in　the　larger　cities。　Mackenzie　had　no　solution　to　offer　except　patience　and　economy；　and　the　Opposition　were　freer　to　frame　an　enticing　policy。　The　country　was　turning　toward　a　high　tariff　as　the　solution　of　its　ills。　Protection　had　not　hitherto　been　a　party　issue　in　Canada；　and　it　was　still　uncertain　which　party　would　take　it　up。　Finally　Mackenzie；　who　was　an　ardent　free　trader；　and　the　Nova　Scotia　wing　of　his　party　triumphed　over　the　protectionists　in　their　own　ranks　and　made　a　low　tariff　the　party　platform。　Macdonald；　who　had　been　prepared　to　take　up　free　trade　if　Mackenzie　adopted　protection；　now　boldly　urged　the　high　tariff　panacea。　The　promise　of　work　and　wages　for　all；　the　appeal　to　national　spirit　made　by　the　arguments　of　self…sufficiency　and　fully　rounded　development；　the　desire　to　retaliate　against　the　United　States；　which　was　still　deaf　to　any　plea　for　more　liberal　trade　relations；　swept　the　country。　The　Conservative　minority　of　over　sixty　was　converted　into　a　still　greater　majority　in　the　general　election　of　1878；　and　the　leader　whom　all　men　five　years　before　had　considered　doomed；　returned　to　power；　never　to　lose　it　while　life　lasted。

The　first　task　of　the　new　Government；　in　which　Tupper　was　Macdonald's　chief　supporter；　was　to　carry　out　its　high　tariff　pledges。　〃Tell　us　how　much　protection　you　want；　gentlemen；〃　said　Macdonald　to　a　group　of　Ontario　manufacturers；　〃and　we'll　give　you　what　you　need。〃　In　the　new　tariff　needs　were　rated　almost　as　high　as　wants。　Particularly　on　textiles；　sugar；　and　iron　and　steel　products；　duties　were　raised　far　beyond　the　old　levels　and　stimulated　investment　just　as　the　world…wide　depression　which　had　lasted　since　1873　passed　away。　Canada　shared　in　the　recovery　and　gave　the　credit　to　the　well…advertised　political　patent　medicine　taken　just　before　the　turn　for　the　better　came。　For　years　the　National　Policy　or　〃N。P。；〃　as　its　supporters　termed　it；　had　all　the　vogue　of　a　popular　tonic。

The　next　task　of　the　Government　was　to　carry　through　in　earnest　the　building　of　the　railway　to　the　Pacific。　For　over　a　year　Macdonald　persisted　in　Mackenzie's　policy　of　government　construction　but　with　the　same　slow　and　unsatisfactory　results。　Then　an　opportunity　came　to　enlist　the　services　of　a　private　syndicate。　Four　Canadians；　Donald　A。　Smith；　a　former　Hudson's　Bay　Company　factor；　George　Stephen；　a　leading　merchant　and　banker　of　Montreal；　James　J。　Hill　and　Norman　W。　Kittson；　owners　of　a　small　line　of　boats　on　the　Red　River；　had　joined　forces　to　r