tD> .^'V IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) A {/ 1.0 I.I 1.25 5'MIIIIM 1112,5 m 1.4 M M 1.6 VQ <^ n ■^/ w i-> o ^;. / / / /A Hiotographic Sciences Corporation ^ iV #> :\ ^ \ o^ n, 23 WEST M':n street WEBSTER, NY. MS80 (716) 872-4503 ^^' ^ :<^ w" | " " !■ mim THE NEW PARTY. | of those scandals, though at the election of 1878 they returned to their party, some of them for the sake of tke so-called National Policy, and some of them under the hope that, after having been for five years out of office, their party leaders would have been improved. There was disappointment in both reeulta. The National Policy has not accomplished for the country what they had been led to expect, and they have found deterioration in other respects where they had hoped for improvement. Since, they have been indignant at the attempt of the Dominion Oov- emmcnt and Dominion Parliament to deprive our Province of half its territory, and at the avowed policy of compelling the Ontario Qovemment to abandon the territory, law or po law. They have disapproved of the attacks made on Provincial rights by the dig- allowance, year after year, of the Streams Act, in the interests of an influential partisan ; and by other measures of the Dominion Government or Dominion Parliament in the ^.time direction. They were aghast at the callous neglect^ delay and mismanagement which drove the Half breeds and Indians of the North-west into rebellion ; causing the loss of hundreds of lives, and frightful suffering by women and children, and by missionaries and minis- ters of the Gospel of peace and goodwill ; causing also the ex- penditure of hundreds of thousands of dollars of public money in the suppression of the outbreak ; and causing the postpone- mei r for years of the development and settlement of the territory. They have been SHOCKED AT THE BRIBERY. from t'me to time of individuals, the bribery of constituencies, and the bribery of a Province, at the expense of public property and the public interests. They have been alarmed at the use for these bad purposen of blind shares ; of contractors' gifts ; of tim- ber limits, cattle ranches and coal Lands, belonging to the public ; of railway grants not in the public interest ; and of a system of better terms to one Province or another, to the disadvantage al- ways of the Province of Ontario. They were shocked to learn that in two years 115 Orders in Council had been granted by the Dominion Government for timber limits without public competi- tion, and tor trifling considerations as compared with the magni- ficent sums whicli the Ontario Government had from 1872 until the present time obtained for timber limits in this Province by pursuing a different policy. They disapprove of the extravagant expenditure of the Dominion Government and the Dominion Par- liament, and i\\Q enormous increase which has taken place in the public debt of the Dominion. They disapprove of the expensive, 9 THE NEW PARTY. unjust, troublesome, indefensiblo, Franchise Act, coating the Do- minion exchequer some half-a- million of dollars for the prepara- tion of unnecessary voters' lists, and costing large sums besides to the Conservatives and Reformers of every constituency. They were indignant at the infamous gerrymanclering of the Ontario Constituencies for the undenied and undeniable purpose of weak- ening opponents, though the existing arrangements were already unjust to them. They felt resentful at the disallowance of the Manitoba Railway Acts for building at the expense of the Pro- vince itself railways needed for the development and prosperity of that Province. They have been indignant at the commission of all these and other iniquities by their Dominion leaders, and at the defence of them by their Provincial leaders, and by. the organs of their party. They have wholly disapproved of the aid and countenance given by their Provincial leaders and representatives to the Dominion authorities in the attacks made from time to time on the rights and interests of their own Province. They have greatly disliked, in view of all these things, to see these Provincial leaders content TO POSE AS LIEUTENANTS of the Dominion authorities; content to adopt their policy with- out reference to Provincial interests ; more than content to get into power by the stren<:fth of the jmrty of the Dominion. They have deplored so many acts of wrong-doing by their party until, in regard to some of these acts, not to speak of all, they have long been saying to themselves in the words of an eminent divine, whose personal leanings, like their own, are or were towards the same party : — " We must choke bribery or be choked. Pacific scandals, the insolent purchase of a Province with the intent to purchase the country, local railways to purchase counties in de- tail, blind shares for the purchase of members ot Parliament, have all bee« defended. As well defend Sodom." Still, most of these Conservatives have hitherto stood by their party, and have done so because it is their party. To some of them the " New Party" may be a relief. They can join it with- out surrendering, or seeming to be surrendering, to their old poli- tical opponents. So far as the new organization draws off from the Conservative party a few of its disgusted men, clerical or lay, the organization may, from our point of view, be doing a good ' work ; and this is the only way in which the New Party is going to do any good as a party. You and I believe that in the coun- try's interest a man had better belong to this New Party than to THE NEW PARTY. the present Conservative party of this Province. But all experi- ence is against the expectation that any large number of Conser- vatives will leave their party for any reason. Reformers are in this position : All that is good and ripe for action in the platform of the New Party is ALREADY IN THE PLATFORM of the Reform party, and always has been. For example, with respect to " Righteousness and truth in our public affairs," I am as anxious f^r this to be so as the Rev. President of the New Party can be ; and the Reform party as a body hold to that prin- ciple quite as firmly as any of the New Party can. So also, in re- gard to " Equal Rights for all." There is no good and true sense in which that plank can be taken that the principle does not find a home in the Liberal party of this Province. Every intelligent Reformer knows this. The Reform party when in power has exemplified these prin- ciples as thoroughly as any party, however pure it purpose, could do. The Hon. Alexander Mackenzie was the leader of a Reform Government in the Dominion from 1873 to 1878; Reformers point with pride to the purity of his administration all that time ; and its character in this respect is very generally admitted now-a-days by intelligent and fair-minded Conservatives also. In fact, Canadians generally feel a pride in the uprightness of the Canadian Administration during those five years ; and, unless where it is politically inexpedient to make the admission, and where political expediency rules, they are heard speaking in that spirit. It was the devotion of Mr. Mackenzie and his Govern- ment to what they believed " righteousness and truth " that caused their defeat in 1878. The people were in considerable distress at that time from causes which were beyond Government control. Whether Protection and a high tariff would relievo the distress and be a good thing otherwise, was a question as to which men might honestly differ, and did difter. Neither Con- servatives nor Reformers had previously been Protectionists, or advocates of a tarifi* higher than was necessary for revenue pur- poses. The Conservative leaders were still in bad odor from the discoveries which had led to their defeat in 1873. As the Gen- eral elections of 1878 were approaching, they looked around for a Cry to help them out of the mire, and, fortunately for themselves, they hit upon THE CRY OF PROTECTION, though at the time as a kind of forlorn hope. Mr. Mackenzie and his colleagues did not believe that Protection was a good 8 THK NEW PARTf. thing, or that any advances in the tariff would be a good thing ; they therefore declined to favor any advance ; and the elections went against them. It has since been commonly thought and said that, if they had consented to a comparatively small inoreose in the taritt', the Reformers who left them at the election of 1878 would lijive been content, and would have supported them as be- fore. But tlie Government preferred defeat to a policy which, according to their view of truth and righteousness, they could not honestly adopt. Then, as for the Reform party in Provincial aflfairs, its record has been so satisfactory to Reformers and others that, at every general election during the ei<|hteen years which have elapsed since Mr. Blake took omce as the first Ontario Reform Premier, a decided majority of the Government candidates have been re- turned by the people. When no election is near you hear even Conservatives, lair-minded and intelligent Conservatives, frankly admitting that they have nothing to say against the Ontario Government; and a sprinkling of them almost everywhere have always voted for our candidates. Outside of Ontario, and in all the Provinces of the Dominion, it is well known that Ontario has long been regarded as the model Province in regard both to legis- lation and to the administration of public affairs. Conservative iouruals in the other Provinces, not being interested in our defeat, have repeatedly given expression to the same view. The latest of these is The Richmond Guardian, a Quebec Conservative jour- nal. That journal lately said : — " Ontario has always been eco- nomically and wisely governed, which is more than can be said for Quebec, past or present ; and we re^gard it as morally and pa- triotically bad policy to keep hounding ^at Mr. Mowat in the fashion common with the Federal Government partisans. Let Mowat alone and attend to your own business." THE FLATPORM ADOPTED BY THE NEW PARTY has nine planks, of which I have mentioned three. Of the re- maining six, three relate to Dominion matters, not to Provincial — ^an Elective Senate ; Manhood Suffrage (in elections to the Legislative Assembly we have Manhood Suffrage now) ; and " Retrenchment and Economy in public expenditure, with a view to reducing our enormous national debt." The debt certainly is enormous, and has since Confederation made fearful leaps up- wards under Conservative Administrations, until in 1888 the net debt had reached no lees a sum than $234,531,358, according to Dominion Sessional Paper No. 2, 1889. Three other of the planks THE NEW PAUTY. 9 may perhaps refer to Provincial as well as Dominion matters : the Extension of the Franchise to Women ; Civil Service Refoi m — what specially is meant by this 1 have not observed any delinite explanation ; and " a national sentiment, a national literature, and in all matters of public policy our country first" — to which few of any party are opposed. For carrying out the platform, the present announced policy, as set forth by the new organ, is, not to support candidates for the next Ontario Lcsgislative Assembly nonunated by either Con- servatives or Reformers, even when the candidates so nominated announce themselves as favorable to one or more planks of their platform. The New Party are e/ery where to select can- didates of their own. They are told that the opinions of a can- didate of any other party " cannot change either the constitution or the leadership of his party," and that the tt ly of all friends of the New Party is to stand by their own platform, and their own candidate. Whether this policy will be carried out when the ;» elections come on we shall see. PBOUIBITION is made the most prominent at present of all the planks, and a chief objection made by the organ to the Reform party is, that that party is not, as a party, for Prohibition. I am not going to discuss Prohibition here. The Reform party consists both of Re- formers who believe in Prohibition, and of Reformers who do not. And there are a multitude of the strongest reasons why, in the interest of Prohibition and good government, at the coming Pro- vincial elections Reformers who are Prohibitionists should not consent to withdraw from the Reform party, or to withhold their votes from Reform candidates, as the organisers and leaders of this New Party urge on them to do. First of all, Prohibition is not a matter with which the Ontario Assembly has to deal. It belongs to the Doniinion Parliament It is a Dominion issue, not a Provincial issue. No man who does not desire the defeat of the Reform Government of Ontario for other reasons than Prohibition can intelligently desire their de- feat at the next General Election because of all the party not being Prohibitionists. Then, it is perfectly certain that for the term which the -new Provincial AsFcmbly is to last the question is, not whether the Provincial Government shall be in the hands of the New Party or of Prohibitionists, but whether it shall be in the hands of Reform- erR or Conservatives, of one or the other. Let no Reformer permit ,^f T«,w»«.i^»fwwai^ 10 THE NEW PARTY. himself to be deceived as to this. It is perfectly certain that Pro- bibitionists are not yet numerous enough to win a majority of the Ontario constituencies; and without a majority they cannot possess themselves of the Government. By running candidates of their own the New Party may contribute to the victory of one or other of the two existing parties, but they are not likely to win a single constituency for a candidate of their own. The recent election IN WEST LAMBTON is an illustration of this. West Lambton is a strong Temperance constituency. The county carried the Scott Act by a majority of over 3,000, though Lambton, like Oxford, has since reversed this vote. The agitation wriich the Jesuit Estates Act created had also been taken up in Lambton by many local leaders and pro- minent citizens of both the Reform and Conservative parties, aud had great influence with the whole Protestant population of the riding; and this also helped the New Party. During the recent contest the public were told by The Bulletin, then the organ of the New Party, that "West Lambton was one of the first constituencies organise on the basis of the new platform." The party chose a candidate whose antecedents as a well known Conservative were expected to make him acceptable to Orange and other Conserva- tives ; and Iw was in the field before either the Reformers or Conservatives had nominated a candidate. The eloquent Presi- dent, and other influential gentlemen of the party, made speeches at public meetings during the campaign. The greatest possible activity was displayed by the local leaders ; and the organ said that great enthusiam for the party was manifested. But the result was that their candidate received only 775 votes, while the Reform candidate received 2,502, and the Conservative 1,842 ; and many Reformers, while withholding their votes fiom the Reform candidate for personal or local reasons, did so on the avowed ground that the loss of one supporter in the Legislative Assembly was of no consequence to us, and that at the general election they meant to be as active as ever in favor of the Reform candidate, whoever he showld be. Some other Reformers voted for the New Party candidg,te because of pledges inconsiderately given and regretted. The New Party journal now announces great satisfaction with the number of votes which Mr. McRae, their candidate, received. The New Party now imagine that the vote was all they expected, or more than all. Their organ says that their candidate led the forlorn hope of his party, and intimates that his candidature bad t^^. i THE NEW PAUTY". 11 to other purposes than the expectation of his being elected. As the Reform candidate, Mr. Charles MacKenzie, having been suc- oessful, it is now said that " there was nothing surprising about this. Even with tvso candidates in the field, it (the success of the New Party candidate) would have been a difficult task, while with three it was impossible." But the facts as to their expectation of success, and as to the expected effect of there being three can- didates, were far otherwise — if the public assurance of the New Party organ during the contest were conceived in ti-uth and righteousness. When their candidate was nominated tiie public were told that " the enthusiasm of the Convention was unbound- ed " ; that "it will be a stiff, uphill tight, but with thorough organization and earnest efforts a splendid victory may be gained." A meeting held the following evening was declared to have "overflowed with enthusiasm." In subsequent numbers their candidate's prospects were announced to be so bright as to have excited " the thorough alarm of the Liberal leaders," and even their " positive consternation." It was declared that " staunch Liberals all over the riding refuse to support the Liberal nominee, and are voluntarily offering to support Mr. McRae"; and that *' the New Party is growing rapidly every da}' in West Lambton, and the conviction grows thet it is going to win." In the August number of The Bulletin it was announced in large type : — " Lamb- ton bids good-bye to the old parties ; a battle to be fought ; and we are going to win." A letter was copied from another journal affirming that " the prospects are that West Lambton will on the da^ of election roll up a majority for Mr. McRae." The editors themselves asserted that " the electors of West Lambton will vindicate the cause of right and truth, and do honour to them- selves by retur^ng Mr. McRae at the head of the poll." With respect to the effect of there being THREE CANDIDATES, the organ announced to the public when the third, the Conserva- tive, Mr. Fleck, was nominated, that his nomination would " not change the situation so far as the New Party is concerned, but it clears the atmosphere of misapprehensions. . . Lambton is to have a three-cornered contest, which is all the better for the New Party." The organ directors never changed their minds as to this, in October the public were told that '' prospects in West Lambton are decidedly good. Meetings have been held all over the Riding, and new adhesions to the i)arty are of frequent «>c- currcuce." In an editorial there was the following statement : 12 THE NBW PARTY. " Don't be misled by timid and chicken-hearted men. They will say you can't succeed. » • ♦ ♦ The answer is plain. You can succeed. There are enough Prohibitionists alone to secure a victory if true to their principles." In another article the Prohi- bitionists were told : " You can elect him if you will." In th.e November number the public were again told of the holding ol meetings in the riding ; and that the " tide of popular feeling for McRae is rising every day." It had not diminished since previ- ous numbers announced with confidence an expected victor}-. On the contrary, in another paragraph of the same number ad- dressed to the electors of West Lambton a long question is put, in substance whethtr they will send McKae or one of his oppon- ents to the Legislative Assembly, and then follows this : " We trust that you will answer it with a majority for McRae like that with which you carried the Scott Act in 1884." The Scott Act was carried by upwards of 3,000 over the two Ridings of Lamb- ton. The New Party would not be content with mere victory for their candidate ; they insisted at the very eve of the election that not only would there be victory, but victory by an enormous majority. What are we to think of the New Party, claiming as they do superiority in truth and righteousness over all others, when in the face of these statements, we find them after the election intimat- ing to us that a vote of 775 was all they expected, or more ? And that, there having been three candidates, " success was impossi- ble ? " Were all the statements of the organ to the contrary mere matter of election tactics, and neither true nor righteous ? Does the special party of truth and righteousness recognize the legiti- macy of dishonesty of this kind in elections ? I am quite sure manv of its members do not. But does not the uge of such tactics show that the whole organization is a mistake ?" That it is not through this New Party, or any new party, that the cause of truth and righteousness in public affairs is to be advanced ? That that object in to be best attained by good men of the two existing parties taking an active part in public affairs as electors and candidates, and bringing their love of what is good to bear on the methods and operations of their party ? Is not the idea Quixotic, of promoting truth and righteousness by isolating good men from the two great historic parties, and leaving these parties to be manipulated without check by the less scrupulous of their mem- bers ? Is not such a plan plainly unpracticai for real good, and injurious instead of helpful to the cause of righteousness and truth ? THE NEW PAlvTT. 18 TORONTO MAYORALTY. The West Lambton election is one illustration of the useless- ness of tlie New party. The Toronto election to the Mayoralty is another illustration. One of the candidates for the ToBonto Mayoralty, Mr. McMillan, had been prominent in the Equal Rights agitation, and thereby made many new friends, and his candida- ture had the active support of the New Party. One of the leading editorials in the first number of their new organ was devoted to hirt praises, and to obtaining for him the votes of Liberals. It truly said of him that his " record, both public and private, iss above reproach." He had likewise the advantage of being an Orangeman, and of dividing the Orange Conservative vote with Mr. Clarke, his opponent. He had also been an active Reformer; and though, irrespective of politics, The Olohe favored the election of Mr. Clarke for another year, and recommended the postpone- ment of Mr. McMillan's candidature until next year, yet the President of the Toronto Reform Association and most of its active members were in Mr. McMillan's favor and voted for him, as did a majority of the Reformers generally. These constituted a large addition to the " New Party " vote. On the other hand, his opponent, Mr. Clarke, had been twice Mayor already, and there was a prejudice against any one standing for a third term. What was still more important, he had estranged from himself those of his former Orange and other Conservative supporters who had been excited by the Equal Rights agitation, and many of them worked energetically against him throughout the contest. The New Party voted for Mr. McMillan to a man, and worked for him enthusiastically ; and yet, with all the advantages of the ad- ditional support he had from other quarters, he was defeated by a majority of 1,804, at the very centre of the New Party move- ment. THE SCHEME. Though the leadei-s of the New Party hoped to carry West Lambton, or at all events uheir organ pretended they did, 1 have not observed that they profess to expect a r :ajority of successful candidates of their own at the general election. Sometimes, I understand, they frankly admit that they have no such expecta- tion. Their very platform shows that they cannot have. It con- tains so many planks, and some of these of such a nature, that but a small minority of the electors of the Province can possibly be expected to adopt them all for many years to come, if they ever do. The plank " Prohibition " excludes all but Prohibitionists ; and it 14 THE NEW PARTY. is unquestionable that Prohibitionists are yet a minority of the electorate. But even many Prohibitionists are excluded, for a member of the party must not only be a Prohibitionist, but must be prepared to insist also on an Elective Senate, Woman Suffrage at Parliamentary elections, and other measures, on which Prohi- bitionists are far from being agreed. So also I find in the organs denunciations of Unrestricted Reciprocity and its advocates, quite in the line of The Empire and other Conservative newspapers. Many Conservatives believe in Unrestricted Reciprocity', and re- gard it of great importance to the country. Opposition to Unre- stricted Reciprocity has nothing to do with the nine planks, but it makes the New Party somewhat nearer to the great body of Conservatives, who as a party are against that measure. Their hope evidently is that in some constituencies in which Prohibi- tionists are numerous, and Conservatives are not strong enough to elect a Conservative, they may refrain from putting a candi- date into the field, and may prefer voting for a New Party candi- date (a Conservative otherwise, as Mr. McRae in Lambton was), in order to defeat the Reform candidate. When elected, such a candidate will sit and vote every day with other Conservatives, and may not have occasion to air his New Party views once during a whole session. In like manner their organs adopt as their own, without a pretence of examination, the false and refuted charges made by the Opposition press against the Ontario Government. They eulogise the Opposition leader as with all his faults even "too good" a man for his party. Most Prohibitionists who are earnest Reformers perceive what all this means. I hope that before it is too late all will do so. I shall be surprised if they do not. AGAINST THE BEFORM PARTY. While it is perfectly certain that the New Party will not and cannot, as the result of the coming election, take the place of the Reform party in governing the province, the only possible eftect of its operations is to weaken one of the old parties more than the other ; and the hope of those (whoever they are) that really direct the policy of the party evidently is, that the party so weakened will be the Reform party. If any of the leaders of the New Party do not perceive this, I must say that these are being made use of by those who do perceive it. The harm which in any constituency the New Party may do to the Reform party is, by withdrawing from us, where a constituency is close, the votes of more Reformers than they withdraw of Conserva- tives from the Conservative candidate. If earnest Reformers are MM THE NEW PARTY. 15 not on their gtiard they may thus be used to defeat their own party, and to place in office their opponents, the Conservativea, and without anything: b*»ing gained for Prohibition or any other good thing. That result, I venture to say, every Prohibitionist Reformer would regard with the greatest possible aversion. The President refers to this matter, in another connection and in ex- aggerated terms, averring that the party leaders whom he opposes are " convinced that there is a new factor in the political problem of sufficient value to turn the scale in any constituency, as its weight may oe thrown to the one side or the other." But its weight may be thrown to one side or against the other, not merely by obtaining votes for the candidate of one side, but also by with- drawing to a candidate of their own, whom they cannot elect, votes which would otherwise go to the other side, and, in a close constituency, would give to the other side a majority ; and that is the evident purpose in view. Any special danger to the Reform party lies in the fact of there being in most consti- tuencies more Reformers than Conservatives who favor an Elec- tive Senate, Woman's Suffrage, and other planks of the New Party platfonn. It being quite certain that Prohibitionists cannot hope, and do not hope, that this New Party will obtain a majority, or take the place of EITHER OF THE EXISTING PARTIES, what is its formation to effect beyond what would be accom- plished by its members occupying themselves, as individuals and otherwise, in leavening both parties with their views ? The "forma- tion of a separate party means for Reformers that they are to become indiflerent to everj'thing else in legislation or government which they have heretofore contended for. Because they cannot iiet Prohibition, thev are asked to do their best, not to make law and government in other respects better, but to allow all to go as wrong and as li^d as may be. They are asked to say that until they get Prohibition some years hence, if ever, they would just as soon have meanwhile a Government so bad that you could no more defend it than yon could defend Sodom, as to have in the meantime a Government of pure-minded, patriotic men. Thej are asked to say that for thorn, williont Prohibition, there is no difference between goo: the Conservative ticket in Canada" is " throwing the vote away " ; on the other hand, " a vote for the Reform party, from a moral standpoint is worse than thrown away." Wherever there is an acknowledged difference between the two parties, the Reformers arc always asserted to be decided- ly the worse party, and the Conservatives the better party. Thus this language is used : — "" The only rcapect in which they (the Conservatives) differ from the Liberals is in their opposition to Commercial Union" ; and elsewhere the same organ says, " Com- mercial Union means political union — annexation to the United States, and is an annexation fad." Some no doubt think so, and some think the reverse. Many Conservatives favor Unrestricted * Reciprocity, as most Reformers do, and they do not think, as 1 do not, that it involves Annexation, to which all of us are opposea. As for Unrestricted Reciprocity being the only difference between the two parties, intelligent Reformers know that there are many . other grave differences between the Reform party and the Con- servative party besides Unrestricted Reciprocity. Time will not permit oi my giving to-day some further illus- trations which I had noted of the true character and aims of those, whoever they are, that are directing the policy and proceedings of this New Party ; but what I have said is surely sufficient with- out more to demonstrate that the party is under DECIDEDLY CONSERVATIVE INFLUF.NCES, however this has come about, and has decidedly Conservative aims ; that its proceedings are not governed by its professed principles ; that the party has no chance, and its leading director ; have no expectation, of success for the part}'^ for many years if ever, and that unless those Reformers who sympathise more or less with its platform ov some of its planks, are wide awake, they are going to be used in the interest of the Conservative party at the coming elections, and without advancing, but on the contrary prejudicing, the objects for which Reformers join th6 party. I am glad to know that the Reformers of North Oxford are already alive to all this, and are ready to do, each according to his opportunities, what he can to make others alive to it also. le siclo party, ire ex- mada" )te for ihrown etween ecided- . Thus ey (the Ltion to " Com- United so, and jstricted ik, as 1 opposed, between re many ,he Con- her illus- of those, ledings of ent with- s"cr:pi=>XjEDN^En^T iservative proiessed director ; ars if ever, r less with r are going ihe coming jrejudicing, stm glad to alive to all [lities, what X Mr. Mowat mentioned at the close of his speech at Tavistock as to the New Party,(January 15), that he had noted other illus- trations of his subject besides those mentioned in his speech. A desire having been intimated that Ho should give to the public what remains, either in a speech somewhere or otherwise, he has partly written and partly dictated the following memorandum* by way of supplement to his speech : — Besides what I had time to mention in my speech at Tavistock, there are still other reasons why Reformers will not attach much importance to the nominal platform of this New Party. Take for example, the, first plank, " Righteousness and Truth." I do not doubt that this plank has attracted to the party some God-fearing men, clergymen and laymen ; but political parties, and even re- ligious societies, do not consist wholly of men who really appre- ciate and practically illustrate the principles of the party or society. The New Party will nol be so absurd as to claim to be an exception. How have the organs of the New Party illustrated the principle of " Righteousness and Truth ? " I gave some ex- amples in my speech. I may select a few more. PROHIBITION. 9 The organ for September said that " The Ontario Government has connnitted itself squarely against Prohibition and Equal Rights." Yet this is absolutely untruo. The Ontario Govern- ment has not " committed itself squarely," or at all, against either Prohibition or Equal Rights. As to Prohibition, the Ontario Legislature, as I have already said, has not even jurisdiction. Prohibition belongs to the Dominion. The Ontario Government has had no occasion to "commit itself" on the subject. It is false also to speak of the Government as *' hostile to Prohibition," as has also been done. Several members of the Government are friends of Prohibition; some of them have so expressed themselves on various public occasions. All the members of the Government are alive to the evils of intemperance, and are personally friendly to Temperance measures ; but some at least are of opinion that 19 \ '-0!%;* iit"H '-iL'JttCtrv- .'^!t.j./j l- '"- ! ■^^iliiE^ c >.-'.-...>.-^vi--- *'T3c:; "TlTlrx.:."r-r.-- 20 THE NEW I'AUTY. public sentiment in most parts of the Province is not strong enough in favor of either the Scott Act or Prohibition to make jiossible the adequate enforcement of either by any Constitutional Qovernnient, and that, without a stronger public sentiment in support of either lav.^, its premature ado[)tion may do more harm than good. The popular vote on the question may be misleading. In most municipal counties, even wnere the majority for the adoption of the Scott Act was large, the electors could not after- wards be got to vote at the municipal elections in sympathy with the Act. Other local questions, and personal preferences for this or the other candidate, outweighed from the first the interest which the people felt in 'enforcing the Act their votes had brought into force. They elected Municipal Councils that were adverse to the Act, and would do nothing for its enforcement. I believe all the members of the Government feel that the advocacy of the Act and of Temperance measures generally, the statistics collected, the facts brought to light, the attention aroused to the enormous evils of intemperance, all these things do good, and pre- pare public opinion for whatever legislative measures may be in the interest of morality and religion. I myself as an elector and ratepayer have voted for the Scott Act (which is the nearest ap- proach to Prohibition that we have had),and I have never voted in an opposite way. I have also been for many years a willing contributor to the funds of Temperance Associations which favor Prohibition. EQUAL RIGHTS AND FRENCH SCHOOLS. As to the Ontario Government having committed itself "square- ly " against Equal Rights, that also is quite incorrect. Curiously ewough, the organ professed to found the statement on the report of the Commissioners recently appointed to investigate the sub- ject of French Schools. No other ground is pretended. Because it appears from the Report that, as the organ said, " in some of these schools French is taught almost to the exclusion of English, while in others the Catholic Catechism is taught as part of the daily exercises," it is inferred that the leaders of the Liberal party have " deliberately adopted the policy of conceding to the Cnurch of Rome whatever she chooses to demand." The charge is quite false. As to the teaching of French " almost to the exclusion of English," or as to the teaching of the Catholic Catechism, the Report does not contain the slightest ground for saying that these practices were introduced by us or in our time, or even had been continued without actior on our part after our attention had been called to them. Quite the contrary. The report expressly states, THE NEW PARTT. / tl rong iiake ional »t in harm ,ding. r the Bifter- witb r this torest 9 had b were nb. I vocacy itistica to the nd pre- y be in tor and rest ap- >r voted willing jh favor "square- Juriously le report the sub- Because I some of ■ English, xvi of the jral party le Onurch [e is quite elusion of chism, the that these , had been n had been •,ssly states, that for many years the Fiench people had been allowed to con- duct their schools in their own way, no exception beini,' taken either by the Education Department or by the public. Speaking of a period long before our time, it was stated iu the Report that special provision had been made to secure French teachers for their schools ; and that French text books had been authorized ibr them. The Report says, that as far back as 18.51 it was ordered by the Council of Public Instruction, "in regard to teach- ers of French, that a knowledge of French grammar be substituted for a knowledge of English gramiriRr, and that the certificate to the teacher be expressly limited iccordingly ; " and that by re- solution of the Council of Public Instruction, dated April ^iOth, 18G8, the French text books herein specified were authorised for use in French Schools in Ontario. The same ref)ort further bays :— There can be no (jMosiion as to the fact that in all the French Schooln in the several counties visited, notwithstaiiding particular cases of backward- ness or inefficiency, an effort is being made to impart a knowledge of the English language ; and not only so, but this work is receiving a larger amount uf attention at present than in former years. There are some of those schools in which English has been well taught for many years, no that they are practically Engliah Schools. There are also some, as will be seen from the statistical statement forming part of *he report, in which the Eng- lish language is largely used in the work of the school. This is the case more particularly in the Counties of Essex and Kent. There are some schools in which the time given ''o English and the use of that language in the schools are too limited ; but even in these more atten- tion is paid to English than formerly, and the use of it in the work of in- ptruction is greater than it was a few years ago. In recent speeches to my constituents. I gave further details as to how the matter really stood. I showed from documentary evi- dence, that the teaching of French '' almost to the exclusion of English " had been deliberately permitted by the educational authorities for more than 20 years before our time, and without objection ; that the subject had been brought before the Chief Superintendent of Education, the Rev. Dr. Ryerson, officially, as early at least as 1851 ; that he did not then or afterwards see his way to any governmental or departmental interference ; and that the principle involved was before the Council of Public In- struction repeatedly between that date and the year 1876, with- out the Council procuring or recommending a change to be made. I showed that those present at the meetings of the Council were all Protestant clergymen of different denominations, and Protestant laymen. not in political life. I showed that as far back as 185G, Pr. Ryerson sanctioned the use in these schools of books recom- 22 Tni NEW PARTY. mended by the French dignitaries of the Ohuich of Rome, and de scribed as " exclusively devoted to the teaching of the peculiar dogmas of that Church." He did not think that any interference would be useful where all or most of the pupils were Roman Catholics ; and neither he nor the Council of rublic Instruction took any different course in regard to such books during Dr. Ryerson's time. On the other hand, as far back as 1885 the Qovemment had BEGUN ACTIVE MfSASURES for having more English taught in these schools ; and this dis- tinctly appears from the very report referred to by the New Party organ. The report sets forth, among other things, a tircular which the Eklucation Department issued in September, 1885, giving special instructions with a view '* to secure a better knowledge of the English language." To further promote that object, the Com- missioners made certain recommendations, which have been ap- proved of everywhere, and have been carried out by the Educa- tion Department ir every particular in which the action of the Legislature beforehand is not needed. As to the interval between Dr. Ryerson's incumbency and the year .1885, all that can be said is, that Mr. Crooks, his successor did not disturb the practice for so many years sanctioned by Dr., Ryerson and the Council of Public Instruction, acquiesced in by tht public, and being the accepted policy of the Province ; the matter not havinjj been brought to the attention of the Govern- ment, and perhaps not to Mr. Crooks himself, from any quarter whatever. The continuance of this policy was not the result of any " demand " on the part of the Church of Rome, as falsely asserted. There had not only been no demand, but there had not been even any communication on the subject. It was thus Dr. Ryerson, not the Ontario Government, that adopted the policy of permitting " almost exclusive " French teach- ing, and his Council during its existence of 30 years or more did not interfere with the Roman Catholic teaching. "Would it be a fair inference from the practices so permitted, that the Rev. Dr. Ryerson and his Council of distinguished Protestant clergy- men and laymen " had adopted the policy of conceding to the Church of Rome whatever she chooses to demand ?" I presume the New Party organs or leaders will not say so. But as against the Liberal party that is what is said ; while it is falsely assumed that the Ontario Government are the authors of the state of things condemned. This single fact must d^monstri^te tQ every thought- ful Reformer ti » ^ri TBI WIW PABTT. 28 OnOSS POLITICAL PARTISANSHIP as'WeM as the political unfairness, of those who are directing the policy of the New Party. They have taken their supposed facts from the Opposition press without even reading the report they refer to as their evidence. Or if they did read the report, to much the worse ; for in that case their partisanship made tnem wholly blind to every statement in it which tended to disprove the charges they were determined to make against the Govern- ment. The blindness still continues, for their organ refers to Mr. Ross's speeches in West Lambton in this way : — " Mr. Ross un- dertook to defend his notorious French school policv." This is said after it had been demonstrated, that Mr. Ross's policy was to have more English taught, and to remove what nad been other- wise objectionable in the French Schools before his time ; that he initiated a policy which has received the approval of all disinter- ested and intelligent men who have taken ine trouble to learn the facts. The same organ continues from number to number bo refer to the subject as if the facts were quite otherwise. Thus in the last number there i^ this statement : — " The recent disclosures of the shameful evasions of the School Law in certain sections of the Province, and the extent to which, under a winking Govern- ment, they have been made mere training schools for the acquisi- tion of a foreign language and in the doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church, are too fresh in the public mind to need any reiteration." Was the policy of Dr. Ryerson and che Council of Public Instruction for 33 years " a shameful evasion of the School Law ? " It was Dr. Ryerson and the Council of Public Instruc- tion who were guilty, if any one was. Our part was, taking steps to change what is complained of, as soon as the facts came to the knowledge of any of us. There is not the shadow of ground for the pretence that it was in the time of this Govern- ment, if ever, that any of the schools referred to had been " made mere training schools " for the purposes mentioned. The editor or controller of the Nation, whoever he is, seems to accept as very gospel whatever he finds in an Opposition journal that may tell against the Ontario Government with those who can be got to believe it; and many may be expected to believe, without fur ther inquiry, what they read in a journal supposed to be under close clerical direction and supervision, aiid to be the special representative of a party consisting 2i THE NEW PARTT. EXCLUSIVELY OF RIGHTEOUS MEN. Many other illustrations of the way in which truth and righte- ousness are practised by the organs of the New Party are to be found. Take this paragraph : — " The Canada Presbyterian has enjoyed some fat Government printing, and is always ready to use his paper in defence of his employers." This also has the unmistakable ring of the Tory journals in their attacks on us. May not a public journal have confidence in us, and honestly, in the country's interest, desire our success ? Does the cause of truth and righteousness require that an unworthy motive bo as- cribed to a religious journal because it manifests a leaning to the Reform party or some of its leaders ? Then as to the facts. The Ontario Government are not employers of the Canadian, Pres- byterian. It is not employed by us for Government printing or for anything else. The proprietor had for one term the contract for Government printing, because his tender was the lowest of all the tenders 3ent in after the advertisement for tenders. His contract came to an end some years ago, and the work went to others for the next term, the tenders of these others being the lowest lor the new term. The contract is now with a printing company wJiose principal partners are not in political sympathy with us. These facts are well known to all connected with the tiade here, and probably elsewhere; but there may be many readers oi the Nation who do not know them. The paragra))h is for these. Take another paragraph. The organ gave this' sentence from the Globe: — " Fancy the figure Mr. Meredith would cut in accept- ing the leadership of Dr. Sutherland, and committing his his friends inextricably to pjo. impossible programme of Prohibi- tion, No-Popery, and Truth and Righteousness ! " This evidently refers to the impossibility of Mr. Meredith getting into power by uniting with the New Party. But the comment of the organ is this : — " Observe ! Prohibition, iruth and righteousness, and re- sistance to Jesuit aggression, constitute from the Globe's point of view ' an impossible programme.' This shows what the country L.vs to expect from the great Libeial party." Here the organ chooses to interpret the paragraph as showing the Globe to be against Prohibition, which the Globe has not been ; and as being against " truth and righteousness and resistance to Jesuit aggres- sion," while the Globe manager, in his anxiety that what he tho"ght Jesuit aggression should be resisted, actually took a posi- tion of emphatic antagonism to the Reform representatives in the aim THE NEW PARTY. 25 Dominion House of Commons who should vote against the dis- allowance of the Jesuit Estates Act. Then, misrepresenting in this way the position of the Globe, the organ further assumes that the Olohe is identical with the Liberal party, and says : — " This shows what the country has to expect from the great Liberal party." Is all this honest ? The paragraph was evidently intended for the edification of Reformers attracted by the New Party platform and by the clerical element in its management. It meant to tell them, " Your party has no claim upon you ; it is against not only Prohibition, but against truth and righteousness also, and any re- sistance to Jesuit aggression." But intelligent Reformers know the contrary. Their party is not only for truth and righteous- ncsc, but is against either Jesuit aggression or any other aggres- sion on the publfc rights and interests. i One word here as to the Reformers who are amongst the 188 that voted against the disallowance of the Quebec Act RSSPECTING THE JESUIT ESTATES. Wa ought not to overlook the fact, that the Ottawa Government had committed itself and its party against . the disallowance of the Act ; that if all the Ontario Reformers had voted for the motion it would still have been defeated, thouj^h by a smaller majority. Their votes would have been a protest against the Act, and would have been in accordance with the feelings of many Protestants, but would have had no effect on the action of the government or Parliament. Further, it is quite certain that our friends voted as thej^ did, not because they favored the Jesuits, but because, like Hon. Mr. Jol}^ the Protestant ex-Premier of Quebec, they did not read the Act as implying what others re- garded it as implying ; and because they had for some years been contending, in the light of recent experience, that it was in the general interest of their own Province of Ontario and of the Do- minion, that Provincial Acts within the jurisdiction of a Provin- cial I;3gis]ature should not be interfered with. An Act like the Jesuit Estates Act may be thought by others to have been an exceptional Act not falling within the principle so contended for, without impugning the honesty or the motives of the Reform members who took a different view. Take another paragraph from the Canadian Nation: "A Lamb- ton Liberal wrote to a friend, ' wfl have knocked truth and righteousness into a cocked hat.' " Even this ironical description of the new party of " truth and righteousness " in a private letter from we don't know whom, is pressed into service against the 26 THE NEW PARTY. whole Reform party, as if it proved that the Liberals were against truth and righteousness, and were rejoicing at the defeat of those virtues, instead of rejoicing that, the party which wishes to be the exclusive depository of truth and righteousness had been "knocked into a cocked hat." It is plain from these specimens, which might be multiplied, that, however pure the purpose of the clerical or other leaders, the New Party has already fallen into evil ways ; and that when its organs want to discredit the Reform party or defeat a Reform candidate, resort is freely had to the very means which earnest clergymen who have been induced to speak at the New Party meetings justly condemned, and hoped that the New Party would drive out of politics. I am far from ascribing to Dr. Sutherland personally all that I find in the accredited organs of his party ; though, as these jour- nals are the official organs of the party, he is in a sense respon- sible for what they have been permitted to state. But of Dr. Sutherland personally I "would not say one unkind word. He ia a distinguished minister of his church, and has, I doubt not, as such rendered good service to the cause of religion. But some- how he has allowed personal feeling of some kind to mislead him in this whole matter. I am sure that, in the midst of his mission- ary and ministerial labors, he has not had time or inclmation to investigate for himself the matters to which I have referred, nor the charges repeated from Opposition journals against the Pro- vincial Government and Provincial leaders. The Bulletin said of him : — " Dr. Sutherland was a staunch and consistent Liberal until the leaders by their course on the Riel question, and the Prohibition question, drove him (and thousands more) from the party." This would be curious, if true. The Riel question and the Prohibition question were Dominion questions, not Provincial ; and yet they are represented as having turned the good Doctor against the whole Reform party, in Provincial as well as Do- minion affairs. AS TO THE RIEL QUESTION, the Dominion Government are the parties responsible for Riel's execution. The Reform members of the House of Commons were divided. Mr. Mackenzie, Sir Richard Cartwright and others agreed with the Government that the sentence should have been carried into execution. Mr. Blake, for reasons which he stated with great power, was of a difierent opinion. On the vote the Ontario Reformers were about equally divided. There were like differences outside. Principal Grant, for example, who belongs w ; iwwMMWi i mlW tHJ i lWHW Il HMPHW THE NEW PARTT. 27 to no party, agrees with Mr. Blake. He said : — " I think to hang Kiel would be criminal on our part; for, although Iftw sanciions it,* the most enlightened sentiment of the nineteenth century is against it." Which of the two opposite views disgusted Dr. Sutherland, the organ did not state. Are we to understand that he was disgusted because all the Reform leaders did not approve of the hanging, or was it because all did not disapprove of it ? The want of unanimity one way or the other in such a matter would be a strange ground for changing any man's political leanings. As for the other of the two grounds — the course of the Liberal leaders on the Prohibition question — the Reform Government passed the Scott Act, and that Act at the time of its being passed gave satisfaction to Temperance advocates. When experience disclosed defects in it, most of the Reform members of the House of Commons voted for their removal, and most of the Conserva- tive members voted the other way. So, on the motions in the House of Commons respecting Prohibition, most of the Ontario Reformers voted for Prohibition and most of the Conservatives the other way. What particular step of the Liberal leaders with respect to the Prohibition question drove the Doctor from the Reform party the organ did not say. The Doctor is strongly opposed to the TEDERATION OF VICIORIA COLLEGE with the Provincial University, and is the leader in the opposi- tion to such federation. Referring to federation, it was said by the new organ, that "the Ontario government captured the Methodist General Conference in regard to its University." This extraordinary statement as to capturing the Methodist Confer- ence shows the hostility of the writer (whoever he is) to the majority in the General Conference, whom he describes as being " captured," as well as to the Ontario government, who did the capturing. Such a statement indicates a state of mind which may account for any amount of aberration as to political parties or otherwise. I do not believe that any government or any ex- ternal power could capture that great ecclesiastical body. What has led to such an amazing assertion ? The Ontario government thought that it would be for the general good that all the Colleges connected with the Churches should unite with the Provincial University, so far as relates to as many as may be of the subjects of learning which are common to all. We thought, rightly or wrongly, that such a union would be for the advantage of the 28 THE NEW PARTY. Colleges and their supporters, as well as of the Provincial Univer- sity ; that federation would enable the resources of the Colleges to be utilised to the greatest possible advantage ; that it womd also be of great advantage to the young men of all Churches to associate in University education, as well as in our High and Public Schools, and would bring to bear on the Provincial institu- tion the Christian influence of the Churches in a larger degree than is otherwise practicable. Dr. Nelles, the able and greatly lamented Chancellor of Victoria University, took in the first in- stance the same view, was a warm advocate of Federation, and rendered important service in framing a basis of union ; though he afterwards thought that he had been wrong in all this, and had the courage to say so. The heads of all the other Colleges also were favorably disposetl, and in the first instance aided in the work ; at least all who, as in the case of the Provincial Univer- sity, carried on their work in Toronto. Coafederation always seemed to me to stand on stronger ground in their case than (for local and exceptional reasons) in that of Queen's University at Kingston. Our. endeavor was with the assistance of representa- tive men from all the Colleges to get a basis of union settled that should be reasonably satisfactory to the friends of all the Col- leges ; and such a basis was at length agreed to provisionally. The Ontario Legislature thereupon, at the instance of the Gov- ernment, passed an Act unanimously which enabled Victoria University and other Universities to unite for certain purposes with the Provincial University, if they chose to do so. It was an enabling Act — nothing more. But so far from having captured the Conference, as absurdly asserted, or from having tried to cap- ture it, we never thought ot undertaking so Herculean a task. We did not try to influence a single member of the Conference, and I do not suppose we could have influenced one if. we had tried. The question is wholly for the Methodists themselves, and it would have been as impertinent as useless for us to attempt to influence them in such a matter. On public grounds I should be glad if Victoria would unite with the Provincial University. All Methodists do not share that desire, but these do not on that ac- count leave the Reform party, of which Methodists have always constituted an essential portion. Our polfcy in this matter can- not have had anything to do with Dr. Sutherland's opposition to the Reform party, as he took that position publicly in 1886, and our policy was not entered upon, I think, until subsequently. THE PROVINCIAL LEADEBS. I referred in my speech at Tavistock to the way the New Party n ntum THE NEW PARir. S9 oi'gan speaks of Mr. Meredith, the Conservative leader. Alluding to the call of the Hamilton Spectator some time ago for another leader, the organ gave this as the New Party view : — " No one has ventured to accuse the present leader of any lack of ability, of honesty, of industry, or of any of those qualities which go to make up a succesi^ful statesman." Again : — " The gist of the Spectators article is that Mr. Meredith is a good man but not a good leader. Read between the lines, and the cause of this seems to be that he is too good." Again, it ia intimated that the objection of some of his party to him is his " overscrupulousness." All this is mani- festly said in the INTEREST artinent for the enforce- men of the Act contained, amongst other things, the direction following: — "It is the duty of the Inspectors to see that the several provisions of the Canada Temperance Act, 1878, are en- 34 THE NEW PARTY, forced in their districts. Thoy shall ho specially vigilant in the prosecution of offenders for infractions of the Act, not waiting for others to make complaints Necessary detective service required to properly discharge their duty they must not hesitate to per- form." Where the Inspector seemed from the returns or from other information to be lax, increased diligence was by corres- pondence and personal communications insisted on, and the Inspector was warned : — " The future must show much greater efficiency on your part if you continue to act as inspector." Com- plaints were sometimes made of the Inspectors. Officers cannot be dismissed on mere complaint, but when dereliction of duty was brought home to them after official investigation, we appointed in their places others, named as a rule by tlie Temperance people themselves. In a word, we did our best by both Legislation and i^ecutive action to meet the difficulty arising from the inaction, or worse than inaction," of the Dominion government. The Act, where adopted, was found to involve some business inconveniences which do not appear to have been appreciated at the time of the Act being adopted ; popular hostility to the Act was developed in some quarters ; popular indifference in other quarters to the enforcement of the Act became common ; and the result was, that anything like complete enforcement was impossible. To ascribe the failure to the Ontario government is unjust ; and to make its failure a reason for supporting the Conservative party, whose leaders in the Dominion did nothing whatever for the en- forcement of this Dominion law, is surely most illogical and absurd. Early in 1886 a special officer was employed to see to the ex- ecution of the laws, both in districts in which the Crooks Act was in force, and in districts where the Scott Act had been adopted. The gentleman selected for the office, the Rev. J. W. Manning, had oeen a Baptist minister, and an active and zealous Temper- ance worker all his life ; had long been in the habit of taking a leading part in Temperance Conventions ; was well known throughout the Province for his interest in Temperance work ; and stood high in the confidence of Temperance people. THE MCCULLY LETTER. Having mentioned Mr. Manning's name, I may take the oppor- tunity of referring to a letter of his which is habitually misinter- preted by the Opposition press, and, so misinterpreted, is frequently mentioned in their attacks on the Ontario government, a sub- THE NEW PARTY. 85 sequent letter of his explaining; the facts being habitually ij^nored. The facts are these : Dr. McCully, a Refonner (as was .supposed) wrot3 complaining of the lax enforcement of the Scott Act in Ridgotown, in the County of Kent. Mr. Manning imniediately wrote to the Inspector there, calling his attention to the coniplaint. The Inspector replied that he was unaware that li(pior was being openly sold in Ridgetown, that no complaints had been made to him, and that he had received no assistance froni the 'J'emperance people in the prosecutions which he had instituted. Before the letter was answered, a gentleman from Ridgetown called on Mr. Manning and expressed to him the opinion tliat a more vigorous enforcement of the Act in that locality would injure the govern- ment. To this suggestion Mr. Manning paid no attention, know- ing that it was our wish, as it was his own, that the Act should be enforced, whatever eflect the enforcement might have upon our political interests, and^ in his reply to the Inspector, he said amongst other things : — " Whilst it is very desirable you should have the assistance of the friends of the law, there is no obligation on them (that can be enforced) to render such assistance, but there is an obligation on you to take such energetic aption as will put a stop to proceedings that are described as a ' disgrace to the government.' " Dr. McCully sent to the newspaper his correspondence with Mr. Manning, and the Opposition press pretended to understand it as showing that the policy of the Government was to postpone the enforcement of the Act to political considerations. Mr. Maiming therefore wrote a letter, which was published, giving the facts, and this letter is systematically ignored by our opponents vvlicn they refer to the matter. This was the letter : — To TUB Editor : — An effort has been made to torture the meaninf^ of an unofficial letter written by me to Dr. McCully on the 14th inst., m reply to a communication sent by him to me, into a reflection upon the Goyernment. The letter in question was, from force of habit, inadvertently signed by me AS chi^f officer, though on its face it purports to be (what it was) a private communication. In the letter in question I called attention to the fact that the Ontario government is the only Provincial government that has made any effort to enforce the Scott Act. In Dr. McCully's letter, doubt as to the gOTemment's sympathy ' with the enforcement of the Act and tho gravest suspicion as to its administration were expressed. I declined to go into any controversy with him as to these matters, and concluded my letter by refer- ring to the well-known fact that while on the one hand the government are found fault with by some for not more strictly enforcing the provisions of the Canadian Temperance Act, others complain of its too vigorous enforcement The instructions given to me as chief officer of the Canada Temperance Act Division are to require a strict enforcement of the Act, and those instructions I endeavor to have carried out by the local officers, as far as in my power. I 86 THE NKW PARTY. b»vo never boon influenced or controlled to any other courae bv the govorn- ment or any member theruof, or any ono else in authority, nor has any effort been made to so iuflaence or control mo, and any inaiuuation to that oft'eot ia quite unwarranted by the facts. Tho facts therefore are, that when the coiny)laint with respect to Ri of all public houses*" ; " The abolition of steam-boat licenses," &c., &c. These are all very important questions, and it becomes our duty to consider into whose hands we shall place the power of carrying them out. At election times many will come forward asking for the suffi-ages of Temj»erance men and promising all sorts of things if only elected. But we must look to their record. It is very easy to place a law on the statute books, but another thing to m«ike 40 I THE MOWAT QOVEBNMENT. 41 the machine to enforce the same, and meet the requirements of •the times by amendments as actual working shows their necessity. Witness the Scott Act, the very best local option act ever passed, and yet our government at Ottawa refused, time and again, to pass amendments asked for by temperance men to make the Act workable. Now the time is coming to remind the members, that they did not represent the sentiments of the Temperance people but the liquor traffic, and relegate them to stay at home for the future. We have headed this article " The Mowat Government," as w© are under the impression that the Provincial Legislators will V>e the first to come before the electors. It is not necessary to make any remarks about the personel of that government, they are known to most of our readers ; but we may be allowed to mention the names of two, who we are interested in as members of the Order, and who hold no mean place in the Cabinet, viz.: the Hon. G. W. Ross, LL.D., Minister of Education, and the Hon. Mr. Drury, the Minister of Agriculture, Both of these gentlemen are no figure-head Temperance men, but were active members of our Order before entering the ministry and are so still. In trying to carry out the laws for the restriction of the liquor traffic, we might also mention that the ministry cannot be accused of putting their enforcement into the hands of the liquor party, when we re- member that they intrusted the enforcement to J. W. Manning:. P.G.W^.P., of the Sons of Temperance, and also for many } eai » Bro. T. W. Casey, P.O. Secretary of our Order was engaged in the same duty. Mr. Mowat's government have always shown a desire to meet the wants and desires of Temperance men in pas- sing 'legislation favorable to Temperance Reform, and on no occa- sion, that we are aware of, liave they ever refused to make any amendements to our laws that were deemed necessary. It there- fore becomes our duty to do all in our power to strengthen their hands, and not to be carried away by wordy politicians, who are full of promises at election timeo. Actions are what we want, and the following record of the Mowat government speaks for itseli : — They passed Acts which, with their amendments, (1) Removed th» power exercised over Municipal Councils by the liquor interest that had formerly virtually controlled the Councils ; (2) Created Boards of Commissioners and Inspectors free from local control or interference, with special iustiuctions to enforce the stringent provisions of the License Act ; ^ ""F 42 THE MOWAT GOVERNMENT. (3) Reduced the number of licenses to be issued, and limited tljkeir issue to a population basis ; (4) Gave power to Municipal Councils by by-law, or to the Board of Commissioners by regulation, to still further reduce the number ; (5) Gave authority to any ten electors of any polling sub-divi- sion by petition to object to any licenses being issued within the sub division and to be heard in its support, and power to Board to grant the petition ; ((5) Q-ave the majority of electors in polling sub-divisions the power by petition to prohibit altogether the granting of any license in any sub-division ; (7) Prohibited the issue of licenses or the sale of liquors in agricultural or fair grounds ; (8) Prohibited the sale of liquors on Saturday nights and Sun- days ; (9) Prohibited sales on election days, Parliamentary and mun- icipal ; (10) Prohibited sales on ferry boats and vessels in port ; (11) Improved the accommodation of all taverns and imposed penalties for drunkenness and disorderly conduct therein ; (12) Separated the sale of liquors in shops from the sale of groceries and other goods ; (13) Prohibited, under penalties, loitering in bar-rooms on Saturday nights and Sundays ; (14) Prohibited the organization of clubs with the object or purpose of selling liquors, and thereby defeating the provisions of the License Act restricting sales ; (15) Provided for the punishment of the purchasers of liquors as well as the sellers on Sundays, or from unlicensed persons ; (16) Increased the facilities by civil remedy against tavern- keepers for selling liquors to those who drink to excess ; (17) Provided for restriction and prohibition of sales to such persons ; (18) Provided for the appointment of Commissioners and In- spectors to enforce the provisions of the Canada Temperance Act and the Temperance Act of 1864. The Dominion Act makes special provision for its enforcement by Dominion officers, who, notwithstanding, refused to enforce the Act.* No other Govern- ment except Ontario passed lav/s or appointed officers to enforce the Act in any sense ; (19) Provided, by statute, for the appointment of Police Magis- trates for the enforcement of tlie Scott Act, upon request of the County Councils. ' lited the ! the the any THE MOW AT/ GOVERNMENT. 48 Mr. Mowat's government also recommended to the Legislature a compulsory measure by which these Magistrates could be ap- pointed, and the Councils be compelled to pay their salaries, either out of the fines collected or out of general funds. The power of the Provincial Legislature to control the liquor traffic was saved by the determined action of Mr. Mowat in con- testing two great constitutional questions as to : — (1) The power of the Local Legislatures to appoint Commis- sioners, and their power to pass restrictive regulations respecting licensed taverns. (Queen v. Hodge.) (2) The authority of the Dominion government and Legislature to override Provincial law and to interfere in the local queption of granting licenses. such • , In- Act akes svho, - ■ ' 1 em- - orce igis- the ' • ^ ^ ■"■■•■•■•""''■■•■fc " '^'^'^'U'-,,t^r^'i^\^'>'t^'^,'i\>ii»ts.^3i'^>^^^'iij.~mj>^^