APPENDIX A XLIX 
of action. A bitterness of party strife and a dissatisfaction with party 
subserviency have led a number of well-meaning people to advocate 
no-party government. ‘ No-partyism” where tried has generally led 
to secret combinations of localities or cliques to obtain certain local and 
sectional advantages which might not be for the public good. The 
elevation of one important reform in contradistinction to another, such 
as is seen in the French and German parliamentary bodies, seems to 
throw legislative bodies at times into chaos. The good old dignified 
style of party government along the lines of general policy, which we 
have learned from the mother of parliaments at St. Stephen’s, seems the 
best. However, even this may be abused. Policies, not men and not 
party watchwords or hereditary bias, should be our method. Western 
Canada has been of service to Canada in supplying new questions. 
New issues may disturb the partisan, but awaken the interest and 
supply field for the activity of the patriot. Western Canada, to use the 
picturesque western idiom, does not afford “an easy proposition” to 
the professional or ‘‘dyed in the wool” politician. The City of Winnipeg, 
which usually has voiced the mind of the west, has for forty years 
of its existence fairly divided its representation between Liberals, 
Conservatives and Laborites. The provincial representation of Mani- 
toba had been “no-party” at first, and then was Liberal and Conserva- 
tive in alternation. The Northwest Territories up to the time of the 
formation of the new provinces had a no-party government. In civic 
matters, Winnipeg and the other towns and cities of western Canada 
have given remarkable instances of a determination to subordinate class, 
political party, religious differences and even trade policy to the general 
city welfare. 
It is a hopeful thing for a country when city, town and country 
can say to the political parties—Whig or Tory—whichever of you will 
present us the best policy, the best executive ability, the most pro- 
gressive and most patriotic programme, will have our support. The 
people may at times make a mistake, but the writer is not yet prepared 
to give up the old maxim: Voz popult, vox Dei. 
(c) Language.—What about the vexed question of language, as 
affecting Canadian unity? 
One salient feature in the diversities of our Canadian life is the 
difference of the English and French languages among the original 
Canadian population which has prevailed for one hundred and fifty 
years since Canada or New France became English. The mere logician 
demands uniformity, and says that equality of treatment would require 
that German, Scandinavian and Galician should have, because they are 
spoken by large bodies of our western people, the same official recogni- 
tion as French. But treaty rights, a century and a-half of usage, and a 
