distance and disintereetedness—in the sense of detachment—may in some respects lead to misapprehension of fact, in to events such as the tio victory in the November elections in the United States, a clearer view may, perhaps, be taken by the remote observer. 'Those in the thick of the conflict, though they may not be actual combatants, are apt to find their sense of proportion obscured. Conseynently, although possibly important points may be missed, it is not altogether wasted labour to' endeavour to penetrate into the innermost meaning of this political event, which is fraught with such important consequences to our American friends. Most readers are aware that the Republican party in the United States, as the name denotes is, in essence, the national party and that the Democratic party is, in essence, the embodiment of the political safety valve beloved of Anglo-Saxons, the conscientious Opposition. The Nitical. history of the United fates, since the lines of pa "Yeleavage became clearly defined, shows that what is understood by "Republicanism" appears to be the enduring faith of the American ple. Notwithstanding the mar-_ vellous growth of the United States, sufficient time has not yet elapsed for the development of such distinct li tical bodies as Unionists and Liberals in the United Kingdom. To generalize is often to invite error, but it is a fairly "aconrhte statement that the Be-publicans represent a constructive dlicy, while the Democrats stand for a'policy that, if not destructive, is mainly critical. Such questions as " free silver" and " anti-Imperialisn,"'bs party ries, left the country cold, and, except for the "brie! "inenrtion of '3fr. Grover Gleveland to While House, the destinies ofthe United States of Inte~-howe been entrusted to Re-
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.