Canada's Maverick Sage

An amusing anecdote from the archives about someone who refused to listen:

In a letter from Eugene Forsey to Arthur Meighen in 1949, Forsey tells Meighen about a visit he made in the midst of the 1945 election to the journalist Charles A Bowman. I'll let Forsey tell the story:

'In the 1945 election, Walter Mann (CCF Federal candidate) and I went to interview him [Bowman], in the hope of getting favourable publicity. Walter, who knew the old boy before, gave him a short outline of our views. When he'd finished, Bowman bleated at him: "It's such a pity the CCF doesn't propose to do anything about the banks." Walter replied, "Well, Mr. Bowman, as I've told you many times, the CCF proposes to nationalize the banks." "Yes. It's such a pity the CCF doesn't propose to do anything about the banks." Walter repeated what he had just said. "Yes. It's such a pity the CCF doesn't propose to do anything about the banks." After this had happened four or five times, Walter just looked at me and gave up.'

Forsey is, as I've said before, a delight.

Incidentally, for a longer and stronger dose, do look to his daughter, Helen Forsey's new book Eugene Forsey: Canada's Maverick Sage from Dundurn. See here