He was encouraged in this endeavour  by his riding companion John X. Merriman, himself already a former Cabinet minister  and by now a determined anti-imperialist, having led the opposition to the  Governor's failed Confederation scheme.

他的这一努力得到了他的骑行伙伴约翰·梅里曼 (John X. Merriman) 的鼓励，梅里曼本人已经是前内阁部长， 现在是一名坚定的反帝国主义者，曾领导反对总督失败的联邦计划。