Master of Arts

The Federal Election of 1896 in Manitoba Revisited BY Roland C. Pajares A Thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies of The University of Manitoba In Partial Fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF ARTS Department of History University of Manitoba Winnipeg O R. C. Pajares, 2008. THE T]NTVERSITY OF MANTTOBA FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDTES tr?t*rtr( COPYRIGHT PERMISSION The Federal Election of 1896 in Manitoba Revisited BY Roland C. Pajares A Thesis/Practicum submitted to the Facutty of Graduate Studies of The University of Manitoba in partial fulfillment of the requirement of the degree MASTER OF ARTS R. C. Pajares O 2008 Permission has been granted to the University of Manitoba Libraries to lend a copy of this thesis/practicum, to Library and Archives Canada (LAC) to lend a copy of this thesisþracticum, and to LAC's agent (UMlÆroQuest) to microfilm, sell copies and to p"nUsn an abstrict of this thesis/practicum. This reproduction or copy of this thesis has been made available by authority of the copyright owner solely for the purpose of private study and research, and may only be reproduced äna JopieO as permitted by copyright laws or with express written authorization from the copyright ownôr. ll ABSTRACT This thesis examines the federal election of 1896 in Manitoba. It is prompted by the question of why, during a brief period of six months, Manitoba voters retracted their support from the anti-Remedial and anti-coercionist Liberals in the Provincial election of January 1896 to elect the pro-Remedial and coercionist federal Conservatives in the federal election of 1896. The thesis investigates the ways Manitoba candidates and parties developed their positions and priorities on campaign issues and public policy during the federal campaign. It examines candidates' reliance upon both political management and their stance on controversial election issues. The thesis will show that the Manitoba campaign was not the referendum on education that almost all historians have assumed or concluded. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS There have been many individuals who have helped me in writing this M.A. Thesis. First and foremost, I am forever grateful to my supervisor, Professor Barry Ferguson. His sage wisdom, guidance, and belief in this topic have allowed me to bring these pages to completion. I owe him the deepest gratitude for sharpening the conceptual framework of this manuscript. I also thank Professors Jack Bumsted, Len Kuffert, and Richard Sigurdson for their critique and comments throughout the drafts of this project. My debts extend to Professor Paul Stevens, where our discussions have helped broaden my understanding of the structure of the Canadian political parties since Confederation. During my research, I received help from the staff at the Library and Archives Canada, Archives of Ontario, Société historique de Saint-Boniface, Archives of Manitoba, and the University of Manitoba Archives. Without their support in preserving the past, finding primary documents would have been nearly impossible. I am also thankful to Rod Bruinooge, who has taken the time to answer my questions on political and electoral management. A special thanks to Sunny Petrujkic, for his unmatched eye in catching grammatical effors. His experience saved me from embarrassment. I also owe thanks to Joseph Ahorro, who has helped me understand party systems in Canada. Jame Pedro's speciality on areas of Constitutional Law has served to clarify legal problems that were once difficult to understand. My friends at the University of Manitoba History Graduate Students' Association, SAMPA, and the Graduate Students' Association, who are too many to list, have been influential sources in challenging my views. I must thank the Wiles family and confidants Reznor and Taz, for welcoming me into their home. I owe much thanks to my Aunt Fe, who throughout the writing and research of this project, has offered me great insights to the real reason why voters vote. To my sister, Ruby, you have reminded me that there is more to life than just history and politics. Above all, and most importantly, I thank my parents, Dan and Gerry. Your unwavering support has allowed me to make it this far in my professional career. I could not have learnt to read, write, and prove a point without you. TABLE OF'CONTENTS FIGURES AND TABLES Figures 1 Provincial Electoral Divisions in the Provincial Election of 1896 Z V/innipeg Electoral Divisions in the Provincial Election of 1896 3 Manitoba Ridings in 1896 4 Marquette in 1896 5 Macdonald in 1896 6 Selkirk in 1896 7 Brandon in 1896 8 Lisgar in 1896 9 Provencher in 1896 10 Bi-Dimensional Policy Space in Manitoba: National Policy and Remedial Legislation Tables 1 Candidate Rallies totals by month during the Federal Election 1896 in Manitoba Z Nominal Results of the Provincial Election of 1895196 in Manitoba by constituency 3 RawVotebyRiding intheProvincialElection oflSg5lg6inManitoba 4 Popular Vote by Riding in the Provincial Election o11895196 in Manitoba 5 Nominal Results of the Federal Election of 1896 in Manitoba 6 Raw Vote by Constituency in the Federal Election of 1896 in Manitoba 7 Popular Vote Provincial Averages in the Federal Election of 1896 in Manitoba VI Ftgure I - Provincial Electoral Divisions in the Provincial Election of 1896 Source: Surveys and Mapping Branch, Province of Manitoba, 1986. vlr Fi8ur;2 Electoral Divisions in the Provincial Election of 1896 ,Wrnnine9 ï\flf{fi¡lPËË PtülÍfltûlAt ËlËßTtl#fr*",*llll$tSFt$ BAç fi IfOAD f;6 ilr i¡l l 8$8 t$ -:'=¡ idfi¡i; 4ìj\ i-, ïiÈ I.*f- "î*'.1 l": * :'t ] I ìir :ìi: Eä Íl¿ï: -'4:Ìr' ób ÉirriÉtÈå v Source: Surveys and Mapping Branch, Province of Manitoba, 1986. V111 Figure 3 - Manitoba Ridings in 1896 L Source: ArchiaNET: On-line Research Tool: http://www.collectionscanada.ca/archivianet/020151/0201510408_e.html IX Figure 4 - Marquette in 1896 o. o Source: ArchiaNET: On-line Research Tool: http://www.collectionscanada.ca/archivianet/020151/0201510408_e.html x Figure 5 - Macdonald in 1896 Source: ArchiaNET: On-line Research Tool: http://www.collectionscanada.ca/archivianet/020151/0201510408_e.html Xl Figure 6 - Selkirk in 1896 Source: ArchiaNET: On-line Research Tool: http://www.collectionscanada.ca/archivianet/020151/0201510408_e.html xu Figure 7 - Brandon in 1896 ~ • ULATI...... - Source: ArchiaNET: On-line Research Tool: http://www.collectionscanada.calarchivianetl02015110201510408_e.html Xl11 Figure 8 - Lisgar in 1896 No.! PORtAGE: I LA 1'\ s. -~I CYRE:SS $. N :2 -I « c..> ... 2: o IE II~ POPULATION-CENSUS OF 1891- Z8.58S ISGAR, M Source: ArchiaNET: On-line Research Tool: http://www.collectionscanada.ca/archivianet/020151/0201510408_e.html XIV Figure 9 - Provencher in 1896 ._00 ... \,.... _'< s-· p.." 9 II Source: ArchiaNET: On-line Research Tool: http://www.collectionscanada.calarchivianetl02015110201510408_e.html CHAPTER I: Revisiting Political History Most of the literature on the federal election of 1896 in Manitoba examines the ramifications of the 1890 Manitoba School Act. These studies have been limited to issue politics that have narrowed the analysis to the debates among political leaders, the prominent, and newspaper editors. By and large, the activities of backbenchers and local activists, let alone the concerns and responses of the voters, have yet to be thoroughly examined in a serious manner. This chapter clears apath for the three primary targets of this thesis in two areas. This chapteï canvases the literature on the Canadian federal election of 1896 in Manitoba, as well as major works that explain the value of political and electoral histories. It comments on the existing body of literature that examines campaign management and party politics as they relate to the Manitoba campaign during a time when the party system in the province was relatively new and somewhat unstable. The thesis will then turn to examine three related problems. First, the thesis identifies how and why the Conservatives defeated the Liberals and Patrons of Industry in Manitoba, despite the Conservatives' unpopular policy on the schools question. Second, it considers whether campaign management or election issues were more important to the outcome of the contest in Manitoba. Third, it questions whether education was the most significant campaign issue during the Manitoba campaign. In general, the thesis examines both campaign management and election issues to assess their importance to the outcome of the contest and to show how each factor contributed, or not, to the firming up of party lines in Manitoba. {.*t In The Decline of Politics: The Conservatives and the Party System, 190I-1920, Joln English described the 1896 general election as "one of those rare political events which deserves 'Wilfrid to be called a 'turning point."'l He explains that in the election, "Sir Laurier led a phalanx of Liberal premiers in the overthrow of the long-besieged Macdonald Conservatives."2 The Canadian federal election of 1896 has been studied at length with great emphasis on the policy debates among the party leaders and in the press. Most of this work on the 1890s was done several decades ago and very little has been written on the period in the last twenty-five years.3 For the most part, these studies have chronicled the party leaders' campaigns. A few of them have tried to analyse the connection between politics, religion, and party management in Ontario and Québec.a Tuming to the federal election in Manitoba, historical writing has concentrated almost exclusively on the consequences of the Federal Remedial bill of 1896 on Manitoba. Election I John English, The Decline of Politics: The Conservatives and the Party System, 1901-1920 (Toronto: University ofToronto Press, 1977), 11. ' Ibid., ll. 3 Key works that have researched or commented on the federal election of 1896 include the following: Lovell C. Clark, "A History of Conservative Administrations, 1891-1896," Ph.

Load more