[Illustration: "_I have lately started a store in the village._"]
The other day a friend of mine was in much the same position as I am
to-night. He owned a large estate in the neighbourhood, and he was
asked to preside at a meeting of the candidate who was going to come
forward. I asked him afterwards if the meeting was successful. "Oh,
yes," he replied, "it was fairly successful, but they began to find
out my failures and shortcomings." I said, "What have they found out
about you?" The reply was, "I have lately started a store in the
village, so that the agricultural labourers might have their beef and
groceries at cost price. I thought that was rather a good thing to do,
but it was far from a good thing in the opinion of my opponents. All
the butchers and grocers declared they would make it very hot for me."
I am in a somewhat similar position, and I told my friend so. "What
have you done?" asked my friend, and I replied, "I have given a public
park to the Newport people." "What has that to do with it?" "Well,"
said I, "they make out that it has increased the rates."
_Conservative Meeting, Newport,
February 2nd, 1894._