MR. BORDEN'S CHANCE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1280, 8 November 1911, Page 4

MR. BORDEN'S CHANCE.

THE NEW MEN IN CANADA. A GREAT FIGHT. To make a great man two tilings, are needed—character and opportunity. I'rom within must spring Ihe strength ol conviction that alone can triumph. .I'rom without must como the .set of ciriMimstanees winch oilers the great personality a great task. I'or ten years (writes a Uimidian eorri".pendent to the Jxindon "Daily Jlail") li'iiliert l.aird llordcn has led the ('o.nMTntliio Opposition ill Canada. Pur ljino vears he was a disappointment. Suddcn)v in the tenth year of his leadership i'liere swept a change over him. A great r|Ui'ilion came up tor decision. The moment Imd arrived which puts men to the led. All the (jiutlitii's which had been j, inn hii| in Mr. liorden came instantly lO light. , , ... Hitherto he ho.s never had anything that stirred him profoundly to light iilioilt. The differences between Conservatives and J/ibcrals were scarcely jierceptiblc. Now (he line of cleavage i.s deep and decisive. Tho Conservative leader lett the danger (hat llircaloiied in every fibre of his "being. He Hung himself i.nto the struggle with a new light in his eye. a new stillness of determination. Ho I'oughl, and he has won. He has lulled lieeipi'oeity. liut lie ought to be grate)ul to ttie men who projKwd it- For it is Jieeiprocity that has mado him great. Tho strong conviction was there all the time waiting for the spark. The bed-rock element in Mr. Borden "a. nature is love of country, love of British 1 institutions and ideals. His usually level tones ring like a trumpet when he speaks of himself as "a descendant of men who never lived under any but the British flag." The Empire i.s to him a splendid jhissibilitv. He can see it rising, youug and confident, a bond ot free peoples united bv lies of trading and defence, carrying on into the New Ago tho befit traditions of the old. Never until it was proi>osed to draw away from that ideal and to create closer ties "with the United States had tlus element in Mr. Borden's nature been called into pkiv oil the political field. 'Die moment I lie proposal was launohod he flung down his challenge' against Jr. There was 110 hesitation, no."trimming, no ear to the ground to find out "what the. country wanted." Ho knew his own mind and 110 spoke it out. Further, he declared all through that the mass ot his fellow-countrymen felt with him. Tito Reward of Courage. "Kecijirocitv within the Empire rather than with foreign countries is the aspiration of the Canadian party," lie said last winter; and he added that its early accomplishment was "not only desirable, wit even essential to the future of the Empire." That was the keynote of his campaign. Ho sounded it even more vigorously in tho Prairie provinces, where free wheat across the United States border was most popular, than in the East, which had everything to loso and nothing to gain. And his courage had its natural effect. His Western audiences liked him and respected him for it; a lot of them must have voted for him too. Loii"- as it has taken for the choice which" fell on him ten years ago to be justified, the wheel is come full circle. Long as he has had to wait for tho opportunity that ■ .should prove his greatness, there can be 110 question of his leadership now*. Twice since he lu\s hau it ho has almost thrown it up. In 1901 ilis own province turned against him. He lost his seat for Halifax, and all his candidates in Nova Scotia were beaten. Without undue resentment it was natural that Mr. Borden should have wished to resign. Tho party protested, however, and he staved on. Again, not long ago, lie. offered to yield his position when the criticisms of French Canadian Conservatives passed' what 110 considered the iair mark. But again tho party rose and implored him to stay. . Ifo is a. type of tho older-fashioned Canadian. His tastes aro scholarly. In his library at Pinehurst, looking over an arm of Halifax Harbour, ho will talk about poetry with the taste and cnthusinrm of Halifax Harbour, 110 will talk talk cricket, too, and play it sometimes with a straight bat still in spite of his fiftv-sevon vears. His tall figure is upright and active. His hair is whitened, but his strong features and. deep-set eyes are those of a man in full vigour. | Happiest in His Home. 110 must have more than ordinary strength to travel nearly 200 miles a day for nearly three weeks, sometimes making eleven siieechcs a day; to address night after night big meetings; to sit up talking for hours with local leaders; to start off early next morning for the next "stand." That is what he did during the campaign, and apparently he is none the worso for it. But then he has a devoted wife who insists 011 looking ai'ter him and doing everything possible to take off tho strain of overwork. In his home he is always cheery, always content. He will take hi's visitor for a round of golf or a day's fishing and thoroughly enjoy himself, talking much in his oddly dispassionate, fair-minded way. He would have been happier as a judge than a statesman, so far as he personal liking "°Hc sacrificed, too, what would have been a verv large income by giving up his fine practico at the Bar. It is true 110 has for soiuo years received a salary as Leader of tho Opiiosition—a curious arrangement which he did not much like himself. But this, with his M.P.'s pay, come* to less than .£2OOO a year, and he might bo making as a K.C. several times as much. Liko Sir Starr Jameson, ho remained leader of his party from a sense of duty, against many of his tastes and interests, because there was no one else. His Colleagues. Of tho men who will be his colleagues in the Ministry, very few are known 111 i'ritain even by name. Mr. M'Hriue, "ot British Columbia," is, of course, familiar to us; Mr. George Foster's iiamo is also known; Mr. Chase Casgrain is remembered as 11 Conservative who has done good service over a long period; Mr. 11. B. Ames's eloquent advocacy of Preferential Trade has made a hit in Britain as well as in Canada and Australia. But most of the candidates for office are to British peoplo merely names. Yet there is 110 doubt that Mr. Borden will be able to form a capable Cabinet, mid tho spirit which he will infuse into it will certainly lie 0110 of robust Imperialism. Under him, too, wo may hope to hear less of political "graft" in Canada. 110 has always been respected for his straightness, a quality which caused certain financial interests"to look upon his leadership with distrust. Now that he takes ollice he will verv likely show them that they had ground for their fears.