El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-02-21

"HE two principal political parties
of Canada follow the logical
British nomenclature and call
themselves Liberal and "COnserva-
tive" but in the popular phrase they
are "Grits'' and Tories" The Liberal
nickname is. purely Canadian and was
derived from the sobriquet OF Clear
Grits," applied to the more democratic
faction in the long quarrel which ag1-
tated upper Canada, or Ontario, our
ing the first half of the 18th century.
The use of the word "Grits" therefore
is more or less confined to the prov
ince of Ontario, the Liberals preferring
TO use their proper party name in or
binary conversation.
The Conservatives on the contrary,
delight to call themselves Tories, and
their opponents rarely call them any
thing elSe.< This is faithful to the
British practice. where the 'nicknames
OF the Liberal party almost have dis
appeared from use although the Con
servatives and their Liberal Unionfst
allies are collectively gfouped under
the name Tory The Canadian
Tories for a long time formally called
themselves LIBERAL Conservatives but
the double name has practically dis
appeared, just as the Democratie-Te-
publican party in the United States
has become the Democratic party ex-
eept in the official records of Tam
many Hail. where the old name is yet
preserved and used.
Even the most courteous considera-
ton for the susceptfbiIities of some
of our northern neighbors and many
of our British cousins cannot conceal
the fact that in the United States the
word Tory has an offensive sIgnIfi-
canoe The school children are taught
that Tories were those unpatrlotfc
and shameless traitors who sympz-
thized with George III. against George
Washington in the revolution. and
therefore their names are anathema-
tized forever
Tories Proud of the Name.
Therefore it is a curiously interest
ing fact that the Canadian Tories are
exceedingly proud of that name. not be-
cause of what the great Tory party OF
England has done. but because of that
seh-same fact that their ancestors
were American Tories who fought for
George III. against George Washington
and were forced to flee to the north
when the United States achieved inde-
pendence.
When the "embattIed farmers" at
Lexington and Concord began the
revolution at least one-third OF the
white people of the Is colonies were
England. The Tory ranks then COM
prised large part Of the cuIturec and
conservative classes of American So
ciety.
After the revolution had tr:umpned.
the Tories found that the United States
was The most unpleasant place on
earth for them to try to live in. They
were prosecuted in some places, and
everywhere they were made to feel tae
Inf0nCn TcrN1o
thousands of them, under these CIR
cumstances, emigrated TO the British
provinces at the north. They were
enthusiastically welcomed BY the
British authorities who hoped 20 pal
ance the French population TitE this
new English speaking element
Encouraging the Tories
To encourage these settlers the BRIT
ish authorities made complete lists of
Tory refugees and gave them liberal
grants of lands. The lists were pre-
pared under the heading of United
Empire Loyalists," and from that day
until this the q. E. Loyalists, descend
ants OF Tory refugees from the United
states, have been the backbone ana
heart OF the Conservative party n
Canada
A political boundary line has IT'S
amazing features. Between Canada
and the United States there is nothing
but an imaginary line, a chain of lakes,
river and string of customs houses.
There is not a soldier, a gunboar nor
a fort on either side of the enr1re
boundary of over 5000 miles
The Two Sides of the Line.
But on the Canadian side men
proudly proclaim that they are de-
scendants of Tories of 1776, and they
still look upon the men who fought
under Washington as traitorous rep
els; while on the American side eyerv
person with a drop of Wing Diood of
1776 wears a button to proclaim it.
and no man viii admit that he comes
of Tory stock. On the north side OF
the line the children are taught that
in the war Of 1912 the United -tales
was overwhelmingly defeated in war
by the Canadians. while on the south
side the children are taught that N
the same war the Americans for the
second time humbled the power of Eng
land On both sides of the line the
battle of Lundy's lane is claimed as a
victory.
Americans denounce the British for
burning the capitol at Washington in
1914 Canadians denounce the Amerf-
cans for burning the capitol at TOron-
to and stealing the mace in the same