"To each according to his need, and from each according to his ability. Why cannot the world see this?": The politics of William lvens, 1916-1936 by Michael William Butt A thesis presented to the University of Winnipeg in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts ln History Winnipeg, Manitoba (c) Michael William Butt, 1993 tl,Sonatolrbrav Bibliothèque nationale ffiWffi du Canada Acquisitions and Direction des acquisitions et Bibliographic Services Branch des services bibliog raphiques 395 Wellington Street 395, rue Wellington Ottawa, Ontario Ottawa (Ontario) K1A ON4 K1A ON4 Your lìle Volrc rélétence Out l¡le Nolre èlérence The author has granted an L'auteur a accordé une licence irrevocable non-exclusive Iicence irrévocable et non exclusive allowing the National Library of permettant à la Bibliothèque Canada to reproduce, loan, nationale du Canada de distribute or sell copies of reproduire, prêter, distribuer ou his/her thesis by any means and vendre des copies de sa thèse in any form or format, making de quelque manière et sous this thesis available to interested quelque forme que ce so¡t pour persons. mettre des exemplaires de cette thèse à la disposition des person nes intéressées. 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ISBN 0-315-86122-3 C¿nadä ''TO EACH ACCORDING TO HIS NEED, AND FROM EACH ACCORDING TO HIS ABILITY. t^¡-itY CANNOT THE I4IORLD SEE TI{IS?": THE POLITICS OF I^/ILLIAM IVENS, 1916-1936 BY MICHAEL WILLIA-I'I BUTT A Thesis submitted to the Faculty of G¡aduate Sh¡dies of the University of Manitoba in partial fulfillment of the requirenents fo¡ ihe degree of MASTER OF ARTS @ 1993 Pe¡rrission has been granted b the LIBR.{RY OF TI{E UNT\aERSITY OF ¡vfANTfOBA to le¡rd or sell copies of this thesis, b the NATIONAL LIBRåRY OF CA.IrÍå,DA to miaofi.lm this thesis and to lend or sell copies of the fiIm, and LINTIryRSITY MICROEIL\¿S to publ.Ísh a¡r abstract of this thesis. lhe author rÊiewes other publications rights, and neither the thesis no¡ extensive extracfs Êom it may be printed or othenvise repmduced without the authoy's perrrission- ABSl-RACT Follorving capitalism's arrival on the Canadian Prairies, the desire to challenge the existing order grew within a number of sharply divided communities. Immediately following World War I moderates and radicals alike, responded to the grim realities of unemployment, starvation \.vages, poor rvorking conditions, and unsanitary housing by challenging a contradictory system of social relations in a battle over the meaning of "democracy". It was a golden age of social criticism, as pioneer reformers reached out to the large community audiences. In colleges, in churches, and in a radicalized press. the arrival of reform rvas heralded as the coming of a nerv day. Ferv persons were as outspoken or were able to gain as wide an audience as William lvens. As a Methodist minister, a Labour Church leader, a working-class intellectual, and eventually as a member of the Manitoba Legislative Assembly, William Ivens challenged the existing order. He represented a tendency in Western Canadian thought throughout the 1910s, 1920s, and 1930s. His Labour Church as a working-class institution helped forge a political space in the community. Ivens offered Manitobans a new social order based not on competition, but rather on co-operation. His tendency rvas the result of passing various elements of Marxism, and Labour Marxist thought through the lens of a non-conformist Christianity and Methodism. The end result was an ethical socialist social philosophy that effectively addressed the social problems of the period. As a spokes-person and as an iv agitator for social reform, Ivens' ethical socialist outlook achieved a consensus among radical and moderate labourists. His importance as an activist in the community and the type of reforms that he rvas advocating, make him an important, interesting and worthrvhile study in Western Canadian history. v ACKNOWLEDGMENl'S I would like to thank the follorving persons or institutions for their assistance: Dianne Haglund and Ruth Dyck Wilson of the United Church Archives; the staff of the Legislative Library of Manitoba; Ingrid Botting for her suggestions in improving the opening chapter; fellow students: Jim Daschuck, Scott McNeil. David Larson, Wade Derkson, John Mclean, Robert Wardhaugh; members of my examining committee Sarah McKinnon, John Hofly. David Burley; Edith Burley; Sharon Reilly; Francis M. Carroll; John Kendle; and my mother and father. Special thanks are due to Dr. James Naylor for sharing his rich insights into the nature of the pre C.C.F. movement in Manitoba and for rvorking rvith me throughout the completion of my thesis. My greatest thanks is reserved for my wise and patient advisor, Nolan Reilly. Dr. Reilly helped me define the topic trvo years ago rvhen the project rvas first begun as a seminar paper. Since that time he has spent countless hours working rvith me, reading. revising and providin-e insight into my rvork at its various stages of completion. At every difficult turn Nolan was there providing the guidance that can make rvriting a thesis an enjoyable task. t VI For Lisa l)raho, a friend, a companion, and the most important person in my life. vii ABBREVIA'f IONS American Federation of Labour Building Trades Council Canadian Brotherhood of Raihvay Employees Commonwealth Co-operative Federation Communist Party Communist Party of Canada Dominion Labour Party Federated Labour Party Great War Veterans Association Independent Labour Party Industrial 'Workers of the World Labour Representation Committee Member of the Legislative Assembly Manitoba Labour Party Member of Parliament Metal Trades Council Nerv Democratic Party One Big Union Royal North \West Mounted Police Social Democratic Party Socialist Party of Canada Trades and Labour Congress Western l-abor Nervs Winnipeg Trades and Labour Council vilt,l a CONTENTS Chapter Page I. INTRODUCTION ...... 1 II. CONVERSIONS AND CRUSADES: IVENS AND THE METHODIST CHURCH, 1878- 1918 ...............29 III. ''FOR HUMAN UPLIFT'': POLITICAL ACTION AND SOCIAL JUSTICE, 1918- 1919 .............. 65 IV. GENERAL STRIKE AND STRIKE TRIALS. 1919- 1920 ............ 105 V. PRACTICAL REALITIES?: ELECTIONS AND REFORMS, 1920-1936 ............. 166 vt. EPrLOGU8............. ..............225 BIBLIOGRAPHY ..,........,.,235 In every realm, in every age Time stamps her impress page by pa-ee. Religion. State, must, day by day Conform to progress, or decay. .1 That socialism appeals to outstanding thinkers in all nations is evidenced by membership in its ranks for many years. Karl Marx. founder of scientific socialism. rvasamastermind....2 1 Extract from,"Old and Nerv: Hymns for the New Day"- composed by William Ivens and found in D.F. Pratt, "William Ivens M.4.. 8.D., and the lù/innipeg Labor Church", B.D. Thesis.. St. Andrew's College, Saskatoon, 1962, p.56. 2 Public Archives of Manitoba. (hereafter cited as P.A.M.). William Ivens Collection, Box 8. Quote taken from'notes from socialism file.' 2 Chapter I Introduction To The Stud]¡ Described as "one of the most colorful figures in the history of organized labor in Canada,"3 William Ivens is best remembered as a strike leader indicted for sedition in 1918-19 during the Winnipe_e General Strike. Some people remember Ivens as well for his founding role in Winnipeg's Labour Church and for his sixteen year term as an M.L.A. for Winnipeg. A ferv people remember Ivens for his editorial leadership in the rvorkers' paper the Western Labor Nelvs.4 Through an illustrious career devoted to social change. William lvens. a rvorking-class intellectual. made a substantial contribution torvards the development of Western Canadian life. Born in England in 1878. Ivens emigrated to Manitoba in 1896. as he declared. "to make his fortune on the Canadian Prairies."5 H. w,orked as a farm labourer for a number of years in ton,ns in rural Manitoba.6 Then, seeking an education. in 1902. he settled in Winnipeg and began attending Wesley College rvhere he came under the influence of a group of progressive Social Gospellers.T In the spring of 1908, he u,as ordained a minister in the 3 See A.R. Allen, "William lvens," in Gen. ed., Nolan. B. Harmon, Enc)¡clopedia of World Methodism: Vol. 1.. ( Nerv York: United Methodist Publishing House, 1974),p. 1244. 4 The Western Labor Nervs, was an eight page weekly sent to press Friday mornings and published by the Trades and l-abor Council. Winnipeg. 5 P.A.M.. Manitoba Strike Trials. Tesrimony of William Ivens. 6 David Jay Bercuson. Confrontation At Winnipeg: [,abour. Industrial Relations. and the General Strike. (Montreal-Kingston: McGill-Queen's IJniversity Press. 1974). Rpt. 1991, p.66. 7 Vox Wesle]¡ana . Vol.XII.6 (May: 1908), p.129. Most influential rvere J.S. Woodsrvorth, Rev. A.E. Smith, and Salam Bland. JI Methodist Church. After several successful stops in rural communities, Ivens returned to Winnipeg as pastor at McDougall Methodist church in 1916. At McDougall. Ivens' developing ideas of progressive reform found increasing expression in the labour movement and in his activities as a community spokesperson on social issues. In 1918, he was expelled from the Methodist Church because of his commitment to political and social reform and for expressing viervs that he rvould retain for the remainder of his life. Despite lvens' obvious importance to the history of progressive reform in Canada.