Mr. King of Canada

During the recent "freak" Canadian election, that jovial Liberal, Premier William Lyon Mackenzie King, was astonished to find himself defeated for his own seat in the Canadian House of Commons (TIME, Nov. 9 et seq). He incurred the contemptuous nickname of "Seatless Mac" from his delighted Conservative enemies.

Last week Premier King's Liberal henchmen whooped up voters of their persuasion at Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, where a vacant seat had been specially created by the resignation of one of Mr. King's friends in order that he might campaign for it. The territory was naturally chosen with an eye to being "safe." The candidate who opposed the Premier was one Captain D. L. Burgess, a sufficiently insignificant Independent. Suddenly, on the eve of the election, the Captain became obstreperous. He used the word "corruption." He pointed to a printed ballot on which appeared the Premier's full style and title. He brandished the ballot and demanded to know through what "pernicious influence" the letters "M. C." (Military Cross) had been omitted after his own name. He threatened to take legal steps under the Canadian Elections Act. Finally he decided to vent his spleen in the following tempestuous campaign outburst:

"You, my constituents, are to decide whether the Prince Albert seat in the House of Commons is a chattel to be passed from hand to hand at the whim of a chosen few, or whether the electors themselves are to have a voice as to who shall represent them at Ottawa. You are to decide whether the ballot is to be loaded so that the Liberal candidate is presented on the ballot with all his rank and title while the Independent candidate is robbed of the Military Cross which he won in France."

Mr. King smiled amusedly at this bombast. After a short visit to Prince Albert, he returned to Ottawa and allowed the Liberal steam roller in Saskatchewan to obliterate doughty Captain Burgess, M. C., six ballots to one.

On the morrow after the polling, the Captain cried: "I consider that the moral victory rests with me!"

Joyous Liberals pounded their desks in the Commons at the first news of their leader's return.