Gilbert Keith Chesterton was born on 29 May 1874.
To celebrate this anniversary, let me quote again his remarks on political canvassing in his Autobiography:
Charles Masterman used to swear with derisive gusto that when we went canvassing together, he went all down one side of a street and up most of the other, and found me in the first house, still arguing the philosophy of government with the first householder. ...
It is perfectly true that I began electioneering under the extraordinary delusion that the object of canvassing is conversion. The object of canvassing is counting. The only real reason for people being pestered in their own houses by party agents is quite unconnected with the principles of the party (which are often a complete mystery to the agents): it is simply that the agents may discover from the words, manner, gesticulations, oaths, curses, kicks or blows of the householder, whether he is likely to vote for the party candidate, or not to vote at all.If you want to know more about G.K. Chesterton and his writings, a good place to begin is the resources page for him on the De Montfort University website.
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