FOR THE GOOD OF FRANCO-ONTARIANS: LE DROIT’S EDITORIALS, 1913-1933 MARIO R. GRAVELLE A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY GRADUATE PROGRAM IN HISTORY YORK UNIVERSITY TORONTO, ONTARIO MAY 2018 © Mario R. Gravelle, 2018 ABSTRACT In 1912 the Ontario government tabled Regulation 17 to severely limit teaching in French in provincial schools. Franco-Ontarians launched the newspaper Le Droit in March, 1913 to defeat the measure and protect minority language rights. The Oblats de Marie Immaculée, an Ottawa-based Catholic missionary order, provided operational support as it was also expected to act as a “bonne presse” encouraging social Catholicism. A content analysis of editorials from 1913 to 1933 reveals several changes that positioned Le Droit to remain in print after defeating Regulation 17 and the departure of the Oblates. In brief, in Le Droit’s initial years it offered a healthy amount of editorial content devoted to fighting Regulation 17, combatting assimilationist threats, and encouraging readers to live according to Catholic doctrine. However, by the late 1910s it diversified its content by paying less and less attention to religious matters while significantly limiting pieces about Regulation 17 and other assimilationist threats. The early half of the 1920s also saw the daily introduce content for readers in Quebec, challenging its initial aim of serving Franco-Ontarians exclusively. Archival material about Le Droit’s operations reveals the factors that encouraged its transformation. Financial pressures were a leading reason for seeking to diversify the daily’s editorials. Adopting the “bonne entente” strategy to protecting Franco-Ontarian rights likewise influenced the type of material it published. In short, embracing this strategy meant Le Droit printed an increasing number of pieces promoting a proactive approach to surviving instead of editorials assailing assimilationist threats. What emerges from this exploration is a glimpse into the mindset of Franco-Ontarian lay and clerical leaders. Their decision-making was not hampered by needing to remain wedded to their initial intentions or strategies. They instead adopted very practical solutions to internal and external challenges they faced. The evidence also shows that the unique, and often changing, circumstances and conditions in Ontario significantly impacted what opportunities could be used to ensure Le Droit remained relevant and in print. The pragmatism they demonstrated in guiding the daily’s editorial policies not only kept the daily on newsstands but was paramount in the fight to ensure the minority’s survival. ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The journey to completing a doctoral dissertation can be quite linear and, in theory, simple: upon finishing a B.A. and an M.A., a student gains entrance to a doctoral program where they take about two years to complete their coursework and comprehensive exams. Once those hurdles are cleared, a year or two is spent doing primary research followed by a couple of years writing. The budding scholar is now ready to defend and, after a few final tweaks, submit his/her dissertation to the School of Graduate studies for final processing. Voila! You are now done and “Ph.D.” appears next to your name. I envy those who had this type of “best case” scenario, wrapping up the entire process from undergraduate to doctoral completion in a decade or so. My own journey was certainly very uncommon as it was laced with several stops/starts over more than two decades. My dream of being a historian has taken me from Montreal to Ottawa followed by Hamilton and then to Toronto. Along the way I took classes at six universities. Such a protracted, challenging process would not have been possible without the inspiration of others, a ton of encouragement and, of course, a lot of assistance. Réal Tremblay, my history teacher in Grade 11 at École secondaire Des Source, is responsible for starting me along this journey. His passionate teaching style and the care he took to ensure I succeeded early on set the stage for the path I took. Claude Bélanger from Marionapolis College nurtured my love of history, while the faculty of the history department at Concordia University sparked my interest in “doing history”. Graham Carr and Shannon McSheffrey, amongst others, exposed me to the art of historical writing. Michael Piva, Nicole St.-Onge, Brian Villa, and Jean-Pierre Wallot at the University of Ottawa fuelled my passion and provided much support as I prepared for doctoral studies. Once at York University I had the pleasure of attending wonderful seminars under the tutelage of inspiring and stimulating professors. Chris Armstrong, H. Viv Nelles, and Peter Oliver were especially insightful during this stage of the process. Completing a doctoral dissertation is impossible without the help and guidance of dedicated committee members. Marcel Martel and Roberto Perin were unbelievable patient along the writing process. Their insights were priceless. Un gros merçi à vous deux ! What can I say about Yves Frenette that would do justice to the role he played in getting me to the finish line? His encouragement and kindness over almost 15 years were simply invaluable. Getting to this point would not have been possible without his wise counsel and support. Yves, I will be forever grateful to you for not giving up on me and for steering me along such a difficult but rewarding path. I would be remised to not recognize those closest to me for their love, support and patience throughout this unbelievable journey. Thank you to my sisters, Josée and Sandra, and to my parents, Claude and Paulette. I hope to have made you proud. Lastly, the biggest thank you goes to Lori. We met when I was just beginning the primary research. A decade has passed. In all this time you sustained my dream and would not allow me to walk away from what I had started. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Voila ! Mario R. Gravelle, Ph.D. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract……………………………………………………………………………………….......ii Acknowledgements……………………………………………………………………………....iii Table of Contents……………………………………………………………….………….….....iv List of Figures……………………………………………………………………………………vi Chapter One: Introduction—A battle organ emerges in Ontario…..……………………………...1 What Le Droit tells us…………………………………………………………….……….4 Historiography………………………………………………………………………….....8 Sources…………………………………………………………………………………...29 Methodology……………………………………………………………………………..34 Chapters……………………………………………………………………………….....37 Chapter Two: Le Droit in print—a measured transformation………………………..……….....41 A newspaper to fight for Franco-Ontarians rights……………………………………….43 Le Droit’s shifting focus…………………………………………………………………53 Le Droit changes its format and style……………………………………………………59 Le Droit reaches out to a different audience………………………………………….....70 Le Droit’s editorial page reflects its evolution………………………………………......74 Le Droit’s role in provincial politics……………………………………………….…....88 Le Droit’s involvement in federal politics……………………………………………....95 Concerns over Le Droit’s interference in federal politics……………………………...102 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………...107 Chapter Three: Le Droit’s endorses respectable conduct...….……….………………………...109 General Topic Values & Ideals—Subheading Morality……………………………......110 General Topic Values & Ideals—Subheading Use of Income………………………....124 General Topic Values & Ideals—Subheading Temperance/Prohibition……………….135 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………...147 Chapter Four: Le Droit’s ideal community… ………………………………………………….150 General Topic Education—Subheading Higher Education…………………………….151 General Topic Education—Subheading Early Education………………………………157 General Topic Education—Subheading Lifelong Learning……………………………166 General Topic Family—Subheading Gender Roles……………………………………171 General Topic Family—Subheading Divorce………………………………………….183 General Topic Family—Subheading Reproduction……………………………………187 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………...190 Chapter Five: Le Droit’s perspective on making a living……… …………….………….,……192 General Topic Economy & Business—Subheading Agriculture/Ruralism…………….193 General Topic Economy & Business—Subheading Commercial Participation………..208 General Topic Economy & Business—Subheading Cooperatives……………………..222 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………...227 iv Chapter Six: Le Droit’s outlook on class relations………...………………….…......................228 General Topic Labour Relations—Subheading Organized Labour………………….....230 General Topic Labour Relations—Subheading Immorality in Business & Class Issues……..….………………………………………………………………..246 General Topic Labour Relations—Subheading Socialism & Communism……………256 Conclusion………………………………………………………………………...........264 Chapter Seven: Conclusion…………………………………………………………………….265 Changes related to Regulation 17 and protecting minority rights……………………...266 Changes related to promoting social Catholicism……………………………………...271 Potential research avenues……………………………………………………………...278 Bibliography………………………………………………………………………..…………..282 Appendices Appendix A: Le Droit’s Most Prominent Editorialists—1913 to 1933………………..294 Appendix B: Thematic Index of General Topics with Related Subheadings………….295 Appendix C: General Topics per Year by Percentage………………………………....300 Appendix D: General Topics per Year by Rank…………………...…………………..301 Appendix E: General Topic Values & Ideals and its Subheadings per Year…………..302 Appendix F: General Topic Education and its Subheadings per Year…………….…...303