444 FALLACIES. 



bat the ambiguity of the language stands upon the 

 very threshold of the subject, and intercepts all 

 attempts to throw light upon it. 



Another ambiguous expression which continually 

 meets us in the political controversies of the present 

 time, especially in those which relate to organic 

 changes, is the phrase " influence of property:" which 

 is sometimes used for the influence of respect for supe- 

 rior intelligence, or gratitude for the kind offices 

 which persons of large property have it so much in 

 their power to bestow; at other times for the influence 

 of fear ; fear of the worse sort of power, which large 

 property also gives to its possessor, the power of doing 

 mischief to dependants. To confound these two, is 

 the standing fallacy of ambiguity brought against those 

 who seek to purify oar electoral system from corrup- 

 tion and intimidation. " The influence of property is 

 beneficial:" granted, if the former species of influence 

 and that alone be meant ; but conclusions are thence 

 drawn in condemnation of expedients which (like 

 secret voting, for example,) would deprive property of 

 some of its influences, though only of the latter and 

 bad kind. Persuasive influence, acting through the 

 conscience of the voter, and carrying his heart and 

 mind with it, is beneficial therefore we are to infer 

 that coercive influence, which compels him to forget 

 that he is a moral agent, or to act in opposition to his 

 moral convictions, ought not to be placed under 

 restraint. 



Another word which is often turned into an 

 instrument of the fallacy of ambiguity is Theory. In 

 its most proper acceptation, theory means the com- 

 pleted result of philosophical induction from expe- 

 rience. In that sense, there are erroneous as well as 

 true theories, for induction may be incorrectly per- 



