The Canadian Question (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1875 Excerpt: ...by concentrating it upon the acquisition of property, or the man who by continual labor and parsimonious habits, renders it sordid is more intelligent than the man whose mind has not been influenced in this way. Neither can it be said, that the man who obtains his property by defrauding his fellows is any more intelligent than the man who barely makes his living by adhering strictly to the rules of probity and honor. The exercise of industry and sagacity is generally supposed to be the means of acquiring wealth; and it may be probable that the man who makes the most money in this way evinces the most intelligence, but the race is not always won by the most deserving, and if wealth alone is to be taken as the only criterion, the highwayman and the robber are as much entitled to political privileges-as the man who has through a lifetime, by the practice of every virtue and the use of his talents, amassed a fortune. Besides these extreme cases, there is the great class who obtain wealth without any exertion of their own, who inherit it. It is likely that these are men of intelligence, but they may be fools. On the whole the property criterion is a very poor test, and the manhood suffrage of the United States would not be a bad foundation for government, nor lead to the results which we see flow from it there, if it were properly based, as i t should be, on education and religion. As it is the want of religion and its total separation from public education which creates the evil, it may be proper to consider these subjects. The educational system of the United States is esteemed by Americans as the best in the world. Its only object, however, seems to be the inculcation of secular information, and it may be said to secure all. that can be legitimately expected ...