Life and Letters of Sir Wilfrid Laurier
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LIFE AND LETTERS O F SIR WILFRID LAURIER B$ O SCAR DO UGLAS SKELTO N ILLUSTRATED WITH PHOTOG RAPHS VO LUME II D$ B . G N S . U O XFO RD UNIVERSIT Y PRESS TORO NTO 1 921 LIST O F ILLUSTRATIO N S Wilfrid Laurier Gr oup of Ministers . Mr Jos h Ch mberl in an . ep a a d his Colon ial Premiers A Pilgrim age to Hawarden G roup of Ministers Cartoon by Hen ri Julien ’ Henri Julien s By-Town Coons Group of Ministers Lady Laurier ’ Laurier s Last Imperial Con feren ce Campaignin g in Western Ontario Campaign ing in Quebec Sir Robe rt B orden ’ Mr Laurier s ome in rthabaska . H A ’ Laurier s LawO fiee in rthabaska Mr . A Their G olden Weddin g Day Sir Wilfrid Laurier LIFE AND LE TTER S O F SIR WILF R ID LAU RIE R LIFE AND LETTERS O F SIR WILFRID LAURIER CHAP TER X THE FIRST LAURIER M IN ISTR$ S eedin h — — p g t e Partin g Guest Formin g the Ministry The Laurier-G e — — re n way Settlement An Episcopal Challenge An Ap l to — — pea Rome The Beginning o f Pro sperity The Openin g of the West— The B ritish refer P en ce . ’ F TER eighteen years wan derin g in the wilder n ss of siti n for half the tim d r Wil e oppo o , e un e ’ f id au l ad h i l a t ha r L rier s e ership, t e L bera p r y d m to r . fift n a s the l n st n u co e powe For ee ye r , o ge ’ b k n str t h of auth it in the untr s ann als ro e e c or y co y , ui in ist of Mr . La r er was destined to remain prime m er r Can ada. They were to be years crowded with oppo tunit an d ith s n sibilit a t stin -tim suffi ient y w re po y, e g e c to search out every strength and every weakn ess of the ’ urier s a M . a leader or of his administration . It w s r L ’ f r e an d a s that he was to be in con tr ol o f o tun , C n ada , ’ the country s affairs at the m ost creative and form ative i in he a s h n the mini n period in ts history, t ye r w e Do o was attain ing at on ce in dustrial m aturity and n ation al status. 3 LIFE AND LETTERS O F SIR WILFRID LAURIE I n un 1 896 th s thi l J e, , e e ngs ay hidden in the fu The imm diat usti n was h t ef e e q e o , w en would he d ’ min istry resign ? Sin ce Mackenzie s resign atio 1 8 8 it had b n a c t d d t i h 7 , ee c ep e oc r n e that in t e e o f a decisive defeat a ministry would n ot await assem blin g of parliam ent an d a form al vote of wa nfi but uld si t d n n a n . Sir Ch co e ce, wo re g o ce u r m ad un h T ppe e no due aste in retiring. It was 11 t th r f n sary o win d up e wo k o the departme ts. It still m ore n ecessary to use the van ishing powers o poin tm en t to reward past service an d to buttress f i i A of ew u s t n s. l n list n s n at s d s po o o g e or , j ge , Qu uns l isin ffi s inland- ev nu ll t s Co e , rev g o cer , r e e co ec or , dra n u an d r s n t d to the rn r n ral w p p e e e gove o ge e , f o rm rov A er deen his f al a al . o r e Ab , or pp L d b hesitated to sanction the more important n omina As the last parliam en t had voted supplies on ly un 80 an d as Sir harl s u r had n ot f rm J e , C e T ppe o nm nt until aft a liam nt had r ud gover e er p r e pro og e , r s nt adm inistrati n the n acts of the p e e o , gover or “ ” ral h ld are in an un usual d r isi n al . e e , egree p ov o n at ft tw nt -f u ears of n s r ati Se e, a er e y o r y Co e v ve ib r l a intm n ts was r h lmin l five of L e a ppo e , ove w e g y tive a d to fill all he main in a an i s serva , n t re g v c c e ’ Sir Charles s n omin ees would n ot only keep the loaded again st the n ew governm en t for m an y a but would embarrass it seriously at the very o ’ blocking Sir Oliver M owat s accession to the cal n h a ain uld be r h lmin l n s The Be c , g , wo ove w e g y Co O n this und the n - n ral usin tive . gro gover or ge e , 4 THE FIRST LAURIER MINISTRY ’ acce t his advis r s ad i e . S ir harles after a i or p e v c C , v g “ ous protest against unwarranted invasion of re ” s onsible o nm nt an nd p g ver e , d an e eavour to buttress ’ up his position by appeals to Todd s authority an d ’ ’ Mackenzi s ex am l t at d the ovem or- n al s e p e, re e g ge er refusal to sign the appointmen ts as an indication of want of confiden ce ; on July 8 he resign ed the seals of offic but he n f a t e o f th a tin e, ever org ve h speeding e p r g u s . h M g e t T e n ext day Lord Aberdeen called upon r . L a urier to form a new admin stration . It was not a difficult task to find sufficient cabin et th mba rass nt timber. The difficulty was ra er an e r me i . h m an t n tial m inist s and of r ches T ere were y po e er , f tf li s — f alas than mi ht ha b n had ewpor o o , ewer, , g ve ee , not Liberals in the unrecking days of opposition de noun ced as ex travagan t the creation of every n ew de 1 m an in sts to i h. partm ent. There were y tere we g 1 al r am es McMullen who Replying some time later to a Liber membe , J , ° i en t ex e n diture coun tin had in PP°3 tion been a stern critic of go ve rn m p , g ever ear the silver s oons in Rideau Hall and who now queried the y y p , Revenue of ull cabi establishment of ministers of Customs and of Inland f a k Sir Wil rid wrote : net r n , f “ s ta en a ver stron dear McMullen that ouhave alway y g I know, my , y k the number $ ouhave alwa s been of the o inion that viewon this subject. y p $ u nowthat this is a sub ect duced. o of cabinet ministers ought to be re k j ou I have alwa s holden to the view as to which I could not agree with y . y da with a o ulation s read that to govern eflectively a country like Can a p p p t e i and with the necessit of ivin cabine over such a very l arge t rr tory, y g g l sections no r im e min iste r co uld un de rt ak e t o r educe representation to al , p that u osin ouwere to dro on e cabinet minister, the cabinet. S pp g y p w rom the rovince would be an economy of but if the reduction as f p d satisfied. o t believe that the eo le of O ntario woul be of O ntario, I d no p p tween anada and the United States in The comparison is often m ade be C but ou The United States has onl seven cabinet ministers, y this respect. y is ative duties the can must remember that these ministers have no leg l ; y f heir de artments. give all their time to the administration o t p 5 LIFE AND LETTERS ' O F S IR 'W'ILFRID LAURI l Mr .