When men strike, the side which can afford to be idle the longest will win. The masters are usually rich enough to live on their accumulated property for some time. The men often have no savings, and rarely, if ever, have large ones. They may belong to a trade-union which will supply them with means of subsistence for some time, but the small funds of such a society, divided among a number of men, cannot go far. The masters must have the men work in order to have their capital yield them anything, but the men must work in order to live. It is plain that the masters can, as a rule, stay idle the longest.

- LALOR AND MASON: A Primer of Political Economy.

C. Criticise the wording of the following propositions. The words that are ambiguous or in need of definition or modification are printed in italics. From one of these make a proposition that you would be willing to advocate.

1. United States senators should be elected by the people. (On a general ticket? Ignoring state lines?)

2. The elective system should be adopted in our schools.

of them? Define elective system.)

(In all

3. Sunday recreations should be prohibited by law. (What is included in recreations?)

4. All anarchists should be deported. (What is an anarchist ?) 5. A high school education insures success in life. (Is a high school education the same for everybody? What is success in life?)

6. A trade is better than a clerkship. (For whom? in what sense?)

7. The policy of Conservation should be supported by legislation. (What is Conservation? What legislation is wanted?

state or federal?)

D. Make a proposition that precisely expresses some conclusion to which you have come. Word it with extreme care with a view

to clearness and accuracy. form.

Bring it to class for criticism of its

E. Think of a proposition that would be unwelcome to your classmates, something about restricting a certain privilege, for instance, or curtailing a holiday recess, and consider what you might say before announcing the proposition, in order to render it less unwelcome when announced.

Arguments for the Proposition based on Pertinent Facts.

131. Whatever helps to persuade others to accept a proposition as true is an argument for the proposition, a reason for believing it. The fact that A is a financier long accustomed to the safe management of large funds, is an argument for the proposition that "A should be elected city treasurer." The absence of any accusation affecting A's integrity or ability to perform the duties of the office, is a further argument for the same proposition. As an argument for the proposition that "revenue by voluntary grant of the colonial legislatures is the most productive means of obtaining money from the colonies," Burke cited the fact that the colonies had granted voluntarily more than £200,000 sterling for his Majesty's service. As a further argument for the same proposition, he pointed to the absence of revenue from the system of imposing taxes on the colonies.

A pertinent fact and the absence of a pertinent fact are alike arguments for a proposition.

132. Assignment in finding Pertinent Facts.

Find two or three pertinent facts that tend to prove the affirmative or the negative of the following propositions. Make at least one additional argument from the absence of a pertinent fact.

1. The interurban railways hurt retail business in small villages near larger cities.

2. Smith should be made captain of the baseball nine.

3. Jones should be elected secretary of the literary society. 4. Final examinations should be required of every student in every study.

5. Basket-ball affords better exercise for a girl than ice-skating.

Arguments based on Pertinent Circumstances.

133. The mayor of a city, a candidate for reëlection, was accused of unfriendliness to the working classes. because he had vetoed an appropriation for free band concerts. As an argument that the accusation was false, the absence of any motive for unfriendliness was urged, and the circumstance was pointed out that there was no money left in the city treasury to meet that or any other appropriation. The very circumstance that he had vetoed the measure when a candidate for reëlection was cited as an argument for his good faith. A certain house with windows and doors secure has been robbed. After the robbery, the lock on one window is found to have been broken. This circumstance is an argument that the robbery was probably committed by some one from without. If there is no sign that the windows and doors have been tampered with, this circumstance is an argument that the robbery was committed by, or in collusion with, an inmate of the house.

A mere circumstance, if pertinent to the proposition, and the absence of a circumstance are alike arguments.

134. Assignment in finding Pertinent Circumstances. For one of the following propositions (or the negative of it) find several pertinent circumstances. Note also the absence of any circumstance that would be significant if present. (Take a real case for each proposition.)

1. Fear of occupying room 13 in a hotel is foolish.

2. Belief in your luck is rational.

3. The fire was of incendiary origin.

4. The burglar entered by climbing the porch.
5. The ring was lost between home and school.
6. The child is lost, not kidnapped.

7. The book has been mislaid; it is not stolen.
8. That piece of goods wears unusually well.
9. She is offended about something I have done.
10. The candidate was not sincere in his motives.

Arguments based on Specific Instances.

135. Burke in the conciliation speech offered, as an argument that concession was in accordance with English policy, four historical instances or examples, — the cases of Ireland, Wales, Chester, and Durham, — show⚫ing that these had been pacified by giving them full English privileges and rights. Also against Lord North's plan of conciliation, Burke urged that it was "without example of our ancestors." Thus, he virtually made an argument out of Lord North's inability to produce from English history any example or instance.

Specific instances, if pertinent, are arguments for a proposition; and the absence of a specific instance is also an argument, counting against a proposition needing such support.

Assignment in finding Specific Instances.

136. For one of the first five of the following propositions (or the negative of it) find at least one specific instance. Show how the absence of a specific instance could be used as an argument against any one of the last five propositions.

1. The honor system in examinations should be adopted.
2. Cities should own their lighting plants.

3. Generosity in diplomacy is the truest wisdom.

4. Patience, perseverance, and skill will teach an animal anything.

5. Gratitude is thankfulness for favors expected.

6. Arizona and New Mexico should be united in one state.

7. The ballot should be taken away from ignorant voters. 8. Banks should be allowed to issue circulation without limit. 9. The government should provide work for everybody. 10. All punishments for crime should be abolished.

Arguments based on Principles, Experiences,
Authority.

137. In favor of the simplicity of his scheme for conciliating the colonies, Burke used as arguments the following principles and maxims: "Refined policy ever has been the parent of confusion; and ever will be so, as long as the world endures. Plain, good intention, which is as easily discovered at the first view as fraud is surely detected at last, is, let me say, of no mean force in the government of mankind. Genuine simplicity of heart is an healing and cementing principle.” In another part of his speech, Burke pointed out the absence of any intelligible principle in Lord North's plan for dealing with the colonies, as an argument against it. "It is," he said, "a mere project. It is a thing new; unheard of; supported by no experience; justified by no analogy; without example of our ancestors, or root in the constitution. It is neither regular parliamentary taxation nor colony grant.”

A principle, a maxim, an appeal to experience or to authority, is an argument for a proposition, if pertinent to it; and so is the absence of any one of these, if the absence is significant.