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Un des symboles suivants apparaitra sur la dernlAre image de cheque microfiche, selon le cas: le symbole — ► signifie "A SUIVRE ". le symbols V signifie "FIN". IVIaps, plates, charts, etc.. may be filmed at different reduction ratios. Those too large to be entirely included in one exposure are filmed beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to right and top to bottom, as many frames as required. The following diagrams illustrate the method: Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent dtre film6s d des taux de reduction diff6rents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour dtre reproduit en un seul clich6, il est film6 d partir de I'angle supArieur gauche, de gauche d droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images ndcessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mdthode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 i THE i LOCAL ELECTIONS BY A PROTECTIONIST. TORONTO: C. BLACKETT ROBINSON, PRINTKK, 5 JORDAN MREET, 1883. • , '/y/7a^ '^ THE LOCAL ELECTIONS. By a Protectionist. May I ask the reader to consider with me the important and int^rest- ing matters of which these few pages speak 1 They are plainly stated ; great pains have been taken to say nothing but what is strictly accurate, and are what every resident of Ontario should he well informed concerning. It is now nearly four years since the Mowat (government came before us for re-election. I believe I am warranted in saying— in directing your attention to the fact — and in asking you to remember and examine if it be not 80— that that Government have fulfilled every promise of that date, and have, wnich is rare in the history of Government, more than fulfilled them, a number of new works, not then proposed, but very valuable to the people of Ontario, having been .since inaugurated, some of them already pi'oducing excellent results, and others, promising equal advantages, about to come into full working condition. It is natural (though, 1 think, considering the capacity oi th«i Opposi- tion, not very patriotic) that the gentlemen comprising it should desire to take the Government positions themselves. Let us see what their organ says for them — what cogent reasons and solid arguments it finds to support their cause. Their organ is the Mail, which gives almost every day in the year an article in their support, frequently in this manner : It names a number of ancient celebrities who have nothing to do with the question ; adds a string of more modern and equally celebrated characters who have never thought or spoken of it ; mentions, it may be, something concerning the wars of Europe or the elections in the States ; and, while the reader is ery undecided as to what it if. all about, suddenly informs him that Mowat v^ is a tyrant — not telling you how ; and that an outraged and long-forbearing country must no longer endure him not telling you why ; winds up with nine or ten sentences of pure abuse, unadulterated with any meaning what- ever, and ends the article. My readers must not think this is a burlesque, though it sounds as such. It is as correct a description of many of the articles in the Mail against the Mowat Government as I can give. And the full, clear and decided proof that it is so is simply this — that although thpy havf written unnuinltored Huch columns, thero aro absolutely no charj^es to ho extracted — all is blank cartridge -noise and nothing more. If we take the speeches of the members of the Opposition we lind just as little force therein. Not one of tliem, during the wholes four ses- sions, has so critieised any (iovernmcnt policy — far less sostat(^d his own — as to, I will not say, turn public feeling in his favour, but not even so as to excit<^ any sensation worthy of note throughout the country. They have made continual little objections and small fault-findings, but as for any serious charge, it is not there. The charges are on the other si(le-~for it is, as it appears to me, clear that their papers and they theni.selves aro trying, at tht^ dictation of people in another province, to do ours serious injury. What little they have said against the Mowat Government, and something of what the people of Ontario have to say against them, will be stated in the few fol lowing pages. I cannot in these few pages detail at length all the great works the Mowat Government are carrying on. They are fully given in the blue books of the Province, and show that our Provincial affairs have Vjeen well managed. Our courts and prisons are well cared for —life and property are as safe, perhaps safer, in Ontario than in any country in the world; a vast system of education is being well attended to by Universities, High Schools, (Jommon Schools dotting the land in all directions — (these, if we use them, are the true sources of greatness). Of railroads, so many have been built that our country is chequered with them, frequently in consequence of the aid exten(ied thenj by the Local Government ; and it may very well be expected that, when the machinery of transit, and the understanding be- tween buyer tnd seller are more fully developed, the farmer all through Ontario will get as good a price (merely deducting freight) for his nx-at, butter, fruit, and other produce, as if he lived close to the cities : and while he, in most cases, will get a higher price than now, the citizens, owing to the fewer hands the article has passed through, will pay a lower than they at present ar(» charged. In the furtherance of this important object, as concerning some of these articles, it will be in the power, and is the intention of Government, to give direct aid — for instance, in the article of butter, the newly estaV)lished creameries will, among other benefits, point out the way to secure this. In their aid given to the development of the Province, many country roads have been built by (Government through the newer lands, which shall in time l)ecoine rich and fruitful country. And while we are speaking » 8 of this, let us notice a fact not g*Mierally known, that si^ttlement is undcir the Mowat Government making progress in these at a rate comparing favourably with Manitoba. From 1871 to 1881 ManitoUa's population had only risen from twelve thousand to forty-seven thousand, while our Muskoka alone had risen from seven thousand to twenty-sevrn thousand, and had received a new settler for ev«My 159 acres, while tlu; other had only received one for every 230. The reason we compete so successfully is that our Government deal directly with the settler ; the land in Mani- toba has, unwisely, been sold to companies and speculators. In addition to the.se our Local (iov»^rnment have planned and are car- rying out several important measures I think more of than all, and which 1 will speak of "esently. Now, let US say a word concerning the Uppo.sition. Could we entrust, these important atlairs to their managements 1 regret to say they do not appear to be sufficiently capable in any respect. While incessantly «'arp- ing at Government concerning slight matters of detail, they have never laid down any distinct outline of what they themselves would d( , and seem, in fact, to niake it their chief claim for (Ontario support that they call th(;mselves National Policy men. No statement was ever more ridic- ulous. Being so or not makes no difference in an a.s.serablage which has nothing to do with tariffs. But let me expose this little bit of hypocrisy. When a fev/ individuals, years befon^ 1878, commenced and agitated the National Policy plan — when for years they were sending numbers of articles through ( -anada on this question, thi^y had no help from these gentlemen. If these gentlemen were Protectionists —if they were National Policy men — where are their speeches 1 where are theii- articles of that day ? There are none. They took up the cry for election purposes, and now hope that, having been powerful at the Dominion elections, where it had meaning, it may perhaps be so in the local elections, where it hsvs none. A word further on the National Policy. 1 am a Protectionist, and always, have been, for principle, not for party. I supported Sir John Macdonald last June on that ground, and because I considered it the most important question then at stake. I am utt«!rly opposed to revenue tarifis i)i any shape or form, believing in honie industries and in Canada for the (Canadians. Sir John took that side. J supported the National Policy then for the good of the country, and I support Mr. Mowat now for the same reason. You must not suppose I &m satisfied with the way that Policy is being carried out. It has done good— but the Dominion Cabinet have been five years at work, and have not helped the country one-fourth as much as two years, properly used, might have done. I support the National Policy for all that ; it will grow and flourish when its pretended friends are passed away, and ('anadians wonder how they ever endured them. Let me say that if true National Policy men had power at Ottawa, we would have had before now the right to make our own treaties, which was i)art of the National Policy ; we would have had the Pacifle Railway, which was part of the National Policy, without making the syndicate a present of an im- mense portion of the country, which whs not part of the National Policy ; we would have had the North -West settled, which was part of the National Policy, without making speculators a present of most of the rest of the country, which was not part of the National Policy j we would have had factories, far more than are now seen, all through the land, which was part of the National Policy ; but care would have been taken that the woollen factories did not put shodily in your cloth as some of them do, nor tho sugar refiners put in quantities of glucose as they do, which was not part of the National Policy. And you would have seen the many millions of iron-work used for the Pacific Railway made here, which was part of the National Policy, and not made in foreign lands and brought here duty free, which was not part of the National Policy. But no more on this subject. I could tell you much more. My reason for supporting Mr. Mowat is that he carries out works for the benefit of the Province — he is what I consider a Provincial Policy man, and is endeavouring to benefit its industries by special legislation, as I think each Province should. I take the plain ground of saying that Mr. Mowat has done much good, is doing good, and, that if he be left in power to continue to completion several plans now being gone on with, he will do more still. I oppose Mr. Meredith and his friends getting power, because through all their career they have never been able — nor apparently fit — to propound in plain words describing what they mean, a better Provincial Policy than Mr. Mowat's — nor, in fact, any distinct policy whatever ; — because the V)eneficial works introduced have been none of theirs, nor had at their suggestion, and because, while continually declaring that the present men are doing wrong, they are unable to point out any justification for their words. I have heard the statement made that Mr. Mowat is likely to oppose the National Policy. Let me say one plain word. As a profound believer in the National Policy system, I would not desire better assistance on behalf of that policy than the very work Mr. Mowat's Government is doing here. In not one way alone, but in numerous ways, that Government I «, is working, a» I rthall show you, to givo aid, in town and country, all through the Province, to thoso who toil in city and in Held. In many ways thoy have aided the farmer to prosper, by commissionu, by institutions, by loans. And have they not aided the cities ? Why they have spent nearly twenty-five millions of mom^y largely in the cities and towns, and add to that the railway expenditure, which but for them would not have been — it will double the money. Does all this not help the National Policy ,' Does it not give our factories twice the custom I That is the. true vca.y to help any national policy — make your people better oti*, and able to buy more — and Mr. Mowat is doing it. As to injuring it, look at the facts. Pie has been in power all through its existence. He has neither . retarded, nor endeavoured to retard its operation. WHAT MKIHT BE EXPECTED IF THE OPPOSITION GAINED ONTARIO. At first, the Ontario Opposition were heartily with their Province in declaring the Boundary Award should be carried out ; but when 8ir John declared it should not, they too declared it should not. How they can, after such a piece of conten»ptible 8ub.servience, come forward for re-election, I am at a loss to understand. i)ii the 3rd March, 1880, they voted that "the Award of the Arbitrators should be sustained." On the 9th March, 1882, they voted that the Award of the Arbitrators is " wholly nugatory and inoperative." What was the reason i Why, the Con.servative Convention had been held in September, Sir John had made a speech, and the glowing Provincial colours of a Conservative foliage changed with that one September frost to the darkest anti-provincial hue. The preceding paragraph shows us the Ontario Opposition actually, I am sorry to say, base their course on directions from Ottawa, and even change their position and nuiounce their former n»ost distinctly (sxpressed opinions at Ottawa conunund. Let Ud remember now that our principal property in Ontario, from which we draw a very large portion of our income, is what is called the Crown Lands, in(!aning, in fact, the sales of land and of timber. With care, we may for many years, indeed in perpe- tuity, draw a very large revenue from these. But suppose our (Jpposi tion friends obtain power, how long would the source of that revenue ' remain in existence ? What would they do with our land and timber t We may form some idea, if we consider what that (Jovernment has done, whose style they are most likely to copy. They entered into possession of G the ^rcat North West prairie land, and they havp [)artr«l with it in every direction ; to every speculator who was williiifr to pay them a Htnall Huin, for the priviUii^e of fleeciiij^ tlje settler, and er." Township of Field — No mention of fire. Township of Dryden — " The greater portion of the timber has been destroyed by fire." Town- ship of Wilkes — " Not injured by tire." In last year's report, out of tifteen surveyor's statements, eleven speak similarly of the ravages of fire. THE NORTH WEST TERRITORY OF ONTARIO. Now, let us say a word on this very important subject. This territory is withheld from us, and has been for some years, by the delay in ratifying the Award which declared Ontario entitled to it. Th(! ( )ttawa Government now insists that the Award be thrown aside, and suggests that the matter be litigated anew before the Privy Council, saying that the present Award is not legal. That is not true. The Confederation Act gives us the right to increase or alter the limits of any Province with its coiisent. The fact is, it has always been a weakness of Sir John's to follow too sub.serviently the lead of Quebec politicians, jealous of Ontario. Really, there is no neces- sity for these squabbles of Provinces. The richer Ontario is, the better for Quebec, V)ecause we can and do help Quebec with our nieans in a thousand ways. At present, unfortunately. Sir John can make capital with some lileu politicians by promising to keep our territory from us. Their last suggestion would keep it from us probably for several years —perhaps for ten ; for every step has to be consented to by all the parties, and while Quebec can be pleased by delaying, the Ottawa Government will delay its consent. The object of this suggested reference can be nothing else but delay. Let us consider the position in which we should be placed. The reference, if made by all parties, must have the consent of the Ottawa Government, that of Ontario, and that of Manitoba. If at any stop either of these choose to delay proceedings — for which a hundred excuses could easily be manufactured — the whole business must stop, must absolutely cease, till m^m^F^m^ iWMi 8 tliey choose to say they are ready. The Ottawa Government may delay the case a year ; then Manitoba may find some reason for not going on for another ; then the Ottawa Government may discover another obitacle, and between them they may keep up the process absolutely as long as they choose. There is no knowing how long proceedings may be spun out, and in the meantime, the territory will be utterly despoiled. It is necessary to take decided steps in the matter, and Mr. Mowat may be trusted to take them. But if Mr. Merddith, the nominee of Sir John, were to obtain power in Ontario, he may be equally trusted not to take them. Mr. Meredith, in his last speech, quietly remarks that Mr. Mowat was willing to let the Award go for decision before the Privy Council. True, with this one proviso, that Ontario should have charge of the territory in the meantime. Mr. Meredith quietly left the proviso out. People of Ontario, do you wish your leader to be a man who could do this 1 Now, let us consider how this delay will affect Ontario. There is much valuable timber in the territory. It has been computed by people who should be good judges as being worth the enormous sum of one hundred and twenty millions of dollars — enough to pay all the expenses of our Province for thirty or forty years. This large quantity of very valuable timber — tho only large timber reserve in all that great country till, perhaps, the distant Rocky Mountain slopes are reached — in a position where it will always command ready sale, and comparatively untouched by the lumber- man or settler, offers, as yet, a most excellent opportunity not only for procuring timber, but also for maintaining the supply. If this reserve were at once taken in hand, and judiciously managed, the forest could be main- tained in perpetuity, and a large supply of the best lumbfer yearly drawn therefrom. On the other hand, if our awarded rights are longer withheld from us, or the reasonable proposition to give Ontario control till the boundary claim be finally settled, be still refused, if the claim must still lie for years in abeyance, the timber left till then will be but small. For in the meantime, the demand for lumber in the North-West is growing apace ; private Individ uals have commenced to cut ; lumbering operations will be carried on by rival and irresponsible parties (carelessly, as they always are in such cases), bush roads will be slashed through, piles of brush left in all directions, and there will be no one to prevent. Even now, we are informed the lumber is being taken by those who have no claim (it is said the Dominion Government is even selling it), and as soon as the plundering operations are a little further advanced, I will ask you to think what will happen, and consider i j ■OHSHMiflBHIiiiiliifiliililiin this in^the light of the fire ravages spoken of in our last section. Remem- ber that these timber reserves are in a dry and rocky country, partly prairie, and exposed to winds. The fires will certainly get in, and will as certainly run badly. Before Ontario's claim is acknowledged by the Privy Council, what is left standing will not be worth having. In the meantime, this disputed territory is in a wretched state for want of proper jurisdiction. The Ottawa Government has magistrates there, Ontario has magistrates there, but no one knows in any civil proceeding which of them constitutes the proper tribunal, or which law governs the case. In surveys, in mining licenses, in a hundred other matters, there is no undisputed authority. There is no knowing who has power to settle such matters ; representations have been made that bloodshed and murder are not unlikely to occui", and if some steps be not taken to settle the question of jurisdiction very serious results are sure to follow. Let me here say a word about this land which is in dispute : Ontario has spent on it in surveys, administration, buildings and roads, about a quarter of a million. Colonel Dennis tells us that on the shores of Rainy River and Rainy Lake, in the territory which the Award gives us, there are 26,000,000,000 feet of timber — an enormous quantity. At this moment the Canadian Pacific Railway are advertising that their line thereabouts runs through valuable timber lands. Mr. Miller, a prominent lumberman, tells us that the mere stumpage value of this is close on $130,000,000. Now, we know that the railway between Thunder Bay and Winnipeg is nearly finished ; there will at once be au immense demand for lumber in these two places. And now, just at this moment, when we ought to be able to go in and take possession of the country, and get some return for our outlay, we are in etfect told to wait a few years. It is monstrous ' If Mr. Mowat's Government be sustained it will be equivalent to a declaration by the Province that slio values and means to defend her rights, a,nd further proceedings may obtain them. If it be not, the whole amount of timber will be lost, and the development of the rest of the resources, said to be very valuable, prevented for a lengthened time. I consider Mr. Mowat should be strongly supported on this ground by all Ontario citizens. THE LICENSE LAW. It appears to me that if there be one thing more than another which proves the incompetence of the Opposition to Mr. Mowat, it is that they have committed the folly of attacking the License Law of the Mowat 10 Government, and would actually give the control again to the municipali- ties. I am Hure you can all very well remember that before the preHent law came into force matters were in a very bad state, and are now very greatly improved. I have myself known places where hundreds purchased licjuor illegally, Sundays and nightly, and the authorities seemed powerless Lo stop them. I have known half a dozen policemen stand outside, know itig what was going on, and not interfere, night after night. The fact is, influence can be brought to bear on members of municipalities which can very seldom be used with the class of License Commissioners appointed by Government. The liquor sold was bad. Men frequently staggered through the streets drunk — a thing not so often seen now. In six years the drinking places have decreased from about 6,000 to about 4,000, and committals for drunkenness have decreased nearly one-fourth. 1 think that a man would be committed now for far less than then, so that it is likely they are decreased one-half. Moreover, you all must remember the evil state of affairs when the Councils issued licenses — the lobbying, the favoritism, and much other disagreeable matter our Councils are i\ow freed from. The law is cheap — the average of enforcing it has not been $50 a year for each municipality — a great saving on the old way ; it pays the municipalities better. They got this year $270,000, when, by the old way, they would have got but $100^000. There is no political favoritism in giving out licenses ; this year li,700 Conservatives got licenses to 1,100 Reformers. No Conservative who obeys the law fears to lose his license. Let us notice one striking fact. Since the Act has been in force about tifteen thousand licenses have been issued or renewed to Conservatives, and among all these in all that time there have been but half a dozen com- plaints, and those were found to be unwarranted. It is a very good proof of its working in the right direction that the Methodist Conference voted for its continuance. I consider this Act and its results alone should secure Mr. Mowat the support of every one who wishes to see the sale of liquor properly con- ducted. I am no Prohibitionist, but I like to see the sale of liquor con- ducted respectably and legally. It is so now ; those who desire to retrace the step shou^ ' '^t get your votes. A cry ha m raised that this Act is unjust centralization — that power has been unfairly taken from the municipalities, to their weakening and injury. Why, not a single municipality has petitioned to have the power back again. They do not want it. When they had it, it worked a double evil to evei-y one of them — an inferior class of tavern-keepers — \ • ■» -^111 illHIM— J>| » «|||| J M and *i class of uuliceused Ii(juor sollerK— workt-d hard at elections to jjet in municipal officials who would grant theni licenses — or shield them in selling without. Now, the Ottawa Uovernnient, by the mouth of Mr. Meredith, distinctly declare their intention to bring back all the old evils upon us. Here is what he said lately at 8t. Thomas : — "' What we pro- pose to do is to give back to the municipalities the rights of which they have been deprivet" to give them the control of the liquor tratfic, and the right to say who shall receive licenses, and to whom shall be entrusted the power of carrying on the trade." THE STREAMS ACT. The Dominion (jrovernment possesses a veto. By law, it had the power to disallow the above Act ; but to do so was the most deliberate act of tyranny — of determined party ism — ever attempted in Canada. A rich lumberman — an influential Conservative — had improved a stream to float logs down. Above him another owned logs —cut on Crown Lands, under licenses for which he had paid — he wished to float down, but co'ild not, of course, without using the improvements below. He oflf'^ o pay for the use of these, but the owner refused. The timber of the man above was worthless if he could not get it out ; and he applied to the Ontario Government. They, not for his sak»>■ .a*wwfc r —.«»~.* f. 13 doing that work — well, earnestly and Buccessfully. I do not direct your attention to the great mass of ordinary legislative or executive work, but I look to the other — the special work, the creative work, the work which tells whether Government are aiding us or no. Let us look first to the work done by the Agricultural Commission. Here were Commissioners sent through all the land to find information. It is published in large volumes, and in them is to be found the experi- ence and practice of the most esteemed and successful farmers in every part of the Province, in every branch of agriculture. Does the farmer wish to know what breeds of cattle are best t Here are the statements of the men who have tried them. Does he wi.sh to know about ploughing, draining, building, reaping, feeding — anything in his line — the quality of land, water, wood, everywhere in the Province ? Here is the information distributed through his own township, free of charge. I know what has been done in Britain and the States, and I am sure we have, for our means, far outstripped them in this one work — a work the most valu- able to farmers, and therefore to towns as well, ever done in Canada. Then the drainage. See what a vast acreage — half a million acres — Government have advanced means to secure to our food-growing area. Then the Bureau of Industries, a most valuable one, giving regular statis- tics of them all. Then the Inspection of Insurance Companies ; I am sure, all who had experience of the old insecure mode, will heartily praise the new. Then there is the Agricultural College, doing a very valuable work in educating and experimenting for farmers. I know myself that, had there been such when I was farming, some of their experiments would have saved me thousands of dollars. Then there is another excellent work — the provid- ing of Reformatories for women and children. All who know how much money is saved, and what better results secured in trying to reform these than in the old way of just sending them to gaol, must be glad to see this. I ask you also to look what a valuable work has V)een just started — a matter concerning the actual bread and butter of the people — the creameries. It was grumbled at long, that our butter was largely bad, that it spoiled be- fore being marketed, that it sold in Europe for grease or little better, that our cities here paid high for fair butter, while farmers far back got next to nothing for it, and had no encouragement to make it good. Government, instead of thinking the matter beneath it, came to the front and has estab- lished a number of creameries. Here the quality, the packing, the keeping, the sale, the transit — all will be seen to ; the best methods taught without fee or charge to all who choose to learn them ; and what is done there the 'f u country at large will imitate. I consider it a work worth niillionH. I think a word ought also be said of the School of Practical Science, which gives free instructions to citizens in classes — a very valuable thing to have in the chief city ; for these men go all over the land, and improve, invent, and assist in many ways to make useful articles otherwise necessarily brought from abroad. Another valuable movement is the establishing of the Provincial Board of Health, which is already doing much, and will, when it gets thoroughly into the harness, do a great deal more. So far w«i have been giving ourselves rheumatisms with inferior houses, full of draughts, and poisonous with bad drainage ; in spending our inoney on adulterated trash instead of wholesome food. Many other things of the same sort have com- bined to shorten our lives. It is not that cities and counties have not been willing to move to better these matters, but they have not known how. This Board will spread information ; it will be acted upon in laws, and as a result, we shall get better value for our money, longer lives, and better health. Now, what I have called your attention to all this for, is to show you that the Mowat Government is really using its powers to benefit the people ; looking round for openings to assist us in our different trades and businesses; helping to develop the resources of the country in field and village, town and city, not entrenching itself behind the mere duties of jurisdiction, but working in a hundred ways for the good of the people all over the Province. Is it likely the Opposition, if returned to power, would do as well ] Would they do these things at all ? If you go back to their record you will find — and all of you who have read the papers know — that they have opposed them at every step. But did they ever bring forward plans and policies of their own '? Did they ever lay down a plan on which they would work if in power '/ I know of none. I believe simply they would just go, like good children, and ask Sir John what to do. I was talking to one of their best men last year, and said to him, " If you wish the people to place you in power, you should get a provincial policy drawn up, and if we like it better than what this Government are doing we will put you in." He answered doubtfully, " Ah, I think the chiefs of ^tho party always do that." There is the whole story for you, and it gives you the fact — you would think it incredible if you did not know that Ontario was tied, hand and foot, in the very same way for many years before Confederation — that Mr. Meredith would do what Sir John told^him, and that Sir John would 15 bn induced to do what would please l.ia French supporters. It appeara to me that, for this reason above, Mr. Mowat should he stron^dy sustained. Now, think that, for all the carefully planned and l,eneticial works I Have mentio.xed, and all the .reat system of jurisdiction and legislation besides, presorvincr lif,., property and order throughout the whole Province, co.sts, out of Provincial funds, hut seventy-Hve cents a year for each of us' and consider first, whether Local Governments are not valual.le, when well managed, whether we are not cheaply served hy ours, and last, having one evidently well managed and u.seful, directed hy our own citizens, whether we liad not h.^tt^r take care it does not fall into the hands of.Mr. Mere- dith, to be managed at French (Canadian caprice. /