第65部分(第1/7 页)

there　is　no　standing…room　upon　any　of　our　political　platforms。　“Away　with　him！”　would　be　the　cry。　Therefore　he　must　be　content　to　remain　outside；　doing　whatever　work　may　e　to　his　hand　which　he　conceives　to　be　clean　and；　in　however　humble　a　measure；　useful。　It　is　hard　to　be　an　out…and…out　party　politician　and　yet　remain　honest　—　or　at　least　some　of　us　find　it　so；　though　the　consciences　of　others　are　more　acmodating。　Perhaps；　however；　this　saying　is　not　true　in　every　sense；　since　some　minds　cannot　consider　a　subject　in　all　its　aspects；　to　them　light　has　but　a　single　colour。　What　they　want　to　believe；　that　they　believe。

Such　are　the　views　to　which　I　have　attained　at　my　present　age。　Five…and…twenty　years　ago；　even　fifteen　years　ago；　they　were　different。　For　then　I　still　smarted　from　the　whip　of　Mr。　Gladstone’s　Colonial　policy；　and　had　less　practical　experience　of　social　questions　than　I　have　today。　The　great　wrongs　which　Radicals　were　capable　of　working　upon　loyal　Englishmen　to　serve　their　party　interests　dominated　my　mind。　In　short；　Mr。　Gladstone　turned　one　who　in　all　essentials　would　have　been　a　moderate　Liberal　into　an　Imperialist　who　made　the　mistake；　that　is　mon　to　those　who　“think　in　continents；”　of　underrating　the　needs　and　circumstances　of　the　Home　Country。　The　Empire　is　very　large　and　England　is　very　small。　So　is　the　heart　small　in　proportion　to　a　great　body；　but　after　all　it　is　an　important　organ；　and　if　it　bees　diseased　or　stops　—　what　happens　to　the　body？　Even　today；　when　the　Colonies　are　more　powerful　than　they　were　a　score　of　years　ago；　they　would　find　this　question　awkward　to　answer；　since　there　are　peoples　who；　in　such　an　event　as　the　stoppage　of　our　national　heart；　might　be　anxious　to　possess　themselves　of　a　limb　or　two　of　that　weakened　or　paraly