Dr. Stiggins:
ably a Churchman or a Romanist. Those were the words of honest John Bright; and so long as England emblazons them on her banner all will be well with her.
But how about the thoughtless masses? Have they the self-sacrifice, the moral strength, the confidence in Liberal principles that are requisite in such a crisis? Can we not imagine them declaring that if democracy implies the poisoning and adulteration of every conceivable article of food and drink they would rather be without democracy? Here, they may say, is a great free nation, a great commonwealth of sovereign citizens; without king or lords or Established Church; a government for the people, by the people, through the people. And the result seems to be that the sovereign citizens in question have to feed on dung, poisoned rat, and tuberculous cow; while the representatives of the sovereign citizens aforesaid grow rich on the bribes administered by the purveyors of these delicacies. Cannot you see the deplorable results that may follow from this specious though falla-
36
