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 © R. C. Pajares, 2008. 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Canada THE UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES ***** COPYRIGHT PERMISSION The Federal Election of 1896 in Manitoba Revisited BY Roland C. Pajares A Thesis/Practicum submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies of The University of Manitoba in partial fulfillment of the requirement of the degree MASTER OF ARTS R. C. Pajares © 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 thesis/practicum, and to LAC's agent (UMI/ProQuest) to microfilm, sell copies and to publish an abstract 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 and copied as permitted by copyright laws or with express written authorization from the copyright owner. ii 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. Ill 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, Societe 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 errors. 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, SAMP A, 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 ABSTRACT ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS iii TABLE OF CONTENTS iv FIGURES AND TABLES v CHAPTER I: Revisiting Political History 1 CHAPTER II: The Conservative Campaign 20 CHAPTER III: The Opposition Liberal Campaign 54 CHAPTER IV: The Patrons of Industry and D'Alton McCarthy 78 CHAPTER V: What Decided the 1896 Election in Manitoba? 99 APPENDIX 126 BIBLIOGRAPHY : 133 V FIGURES AND TABLES Figures 1 Provincial Electoral Divisions in the Provincial Election of 1896 2 Winnipeg 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 Lisgarinl896 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 2 Nominal Results of the Provincial Election of 1895/96 in Manitoba by constituency 3 Raw Vote by Riding in the Provincial Election of 1895/96 in Manitoba 4 Popular Vote by Riding in the Provincial Election of 1895/96 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 Figure 1 - Provincial Electoral Divisions in the Provincial Election of 1896 '< ^. "f- PROViNCIAL ELECTORAL DIVISIONS : 6 .jSfe?^ i 5 *»" /*> -V LAKE •%v > v\ , . * ir"Zt f * *.X- f.," mfiNtnv *'~^ r * -" *• a. A !"*v/-. ! V-'"' u-*5 r''•"•• H * '"'. / ^ -, ^ / i • ' / r % " \ " ^ ' «,,-) RvVMij '.!^V jyy V*,< '**• ' ' - J^ij I •• 1 ,7 ^.* J**", ^ -. .. W •IW^B^M^^, u^^^^,,^ ^ M,Mh^.„M «***ff"S-.1t SoMrce; Surveys and Mapping Branch, Province of Manitoba, 1986. vii Figure 2 - Winnipeg Electoral Divisions in the Provincial Election of 1896 WINNIPEG PROVINCIAL ELECTORAL DIM Source: Surveys and Mapping Branch, Province of Manitoba, 1986. Figure 3 - Manitoba Ridings in 1896 #i§^i •m^sm§m&i SMA/VQQA/ I 200 IISBAP ,f,? t~ A"f •*". K n & T .i T /•; s Source: ArchiaNET : On-line Research Tool: http://www.collectionscanada.ca/archivianet/020151/0201510408 e.html ix Figure 4 - Marquette in 1896 wmmwmi No. IQ8 ,Spah tt. W/i».* tu mt mrff PWWJCTIW-OBflSlS Of «W-0-if8. MARQUETTE, (MAN.) Source: ArchiaNET : On-line Research Tool: http://www.collectionscanada.ca/archivianet/020151/0201510408 e.html Figure 5 - Macdonald in 1896 AWOTgHft No. 199 4s"titit»Iit.Vt/rt- & tm Mtrh K5WUT)0S-C©JSUS OF IW •-«.***. MACDONALD, (MAN.) Source: ArchiaNET : On-line Research Tool: http://www.collectionscanada.ca/archivianet/020151/0201510408 e.html xi Figure 6 - Selkirk in 1896 n&wfmmi "Qf^Tm-jcammO F 1891-2t. 339. SiwirtA . *'///•» to mt utrA Source: ArchiaNET : On-line Research Tool: http://www.collectionscanada.ca/archivianet/020151/0201510408_e.html Xll Figure 7 - Brandon in 1896 *#3Kt»^?*<# W5S?** No. 196 NORTH CYPRESS SOUTH i crPRess I Jirth- U. Vtff* tv v: >//'•& fa- frr-/<r-/f({. ^/ t.i'tf'Y f/ PQPUUTfON-CENSUS OF «9I-«5.ST5. BRANDON, (MAN.) Source: ArchiaNET : On-line Research Tool: http://www.collectionscanada.ca/archivianet/020151/0201510408_e.html Xlll Figure 8 - Lisgar in 1896 No. 197 j-AGE j LA jPRAfR! ! I 1 S*al* l2-*filf!S to OP im& POWUTION.--CENSU$ OF 1891-28.585. LISGAR, MAN. Source: ArchiaNET : On-line Research Tool: http://www.collectionscanada.ca/archivianet/020151/0201510408_e.html XIV Figure 9 - Provencher in 1896 No. 200 ,ttWff £%. Vi/eA tl> tilt Ultil PROVENCHER, (MAN.) WULATiOM-. CENSUS OF iS9l - 15.469 Source: ArchiaNET : On-line Research Tool: http://www.collectionscanada.ca/archivianet/020151/0201510408 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.