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Tom Monto

Farmer movement faltered in 1890s but never died

The Patrons of Industry elected the third largest group of Members of the Provincial Parliament (MLAs) in the 1894 Ontario election. The next election they did not do so well.


But the farmers movement, under a new name the United Farmers of Ontario, were elected to lead a UFO-Labour coalition government a generation later, in 1919.

(Part of its platform in 1919 was adoption of proportional representation (Single Transferable Voting) but the minority government never put the plan into effect. )


The Patrons of Industry were natural supporters of electoral reform, see blog of April 26, 2020 for information on their stand in favour of change from the extreme partyism that they saw imposing a straitjacket on Canadian democracy.


Here is some research material on the 1894 election:

PIA = Patrons of Industry


(The 1894 election according to Wikipedia, saw

45 Liberals elected;

23 Conservatives

16 Patrons of Industry (including 1 Cons-PIA and 12 Liberal-PIA),

9 Protestant Protective Association (including 6 Cons-PPA and 1 Liberal-PPA), and

1 Independent Total = 94 seats.)

But 1897 Parliamentary Companion, p. 250-256) lists 91 MPPs. This included:15 Patrons of Industry (although a couple others have connections to the organized farmers movement), five Reformers and two Independents.


1894 3 PIA MLAs plus 13 others -- [only 15 listed here]

James Tucker West Wellington

William Shore East Middlesex

John Bennett Stormont

John Caven Prince Edward

Archibald Currie West Simcoe

William Dynes Dufferin

Thomas J.P. Gamey Grey, C.R.

Joseph Longford Haycock Frontenac

John Stevenson McDonald Centre Bruce

George Nelson Kidd Carleton (p. 247)

Alexander McLaren Hastings East

David Mcpherson Glengarry

David McNichol South Grey John McNeil South Perth

James Middleton East Hamilton Liberal (secretary of the Agricultural Society and president of the South Wentworth Reform Association)

Thomas Pardo West Kent Liberal/Patron (1897 Parl. Companion, p. -256)


Reformers ( earlier a potent force against the status quo but latterly replaced in that regard by the Patrons of Industry.)

Robert Paton Centre Simcoe elected in 1890, re-elected 1894

George William Ross Reformer (also Prohibitionist) (MP 1872-1883 elected MPP 1883 (by-el?), (re-elected as MPP in 1886, 1890 1894

James Conmer West Algoma (elected 1885, re-elected 1890, 1894)

William Andrew Charlton South Norfolk 1890, re-elected 1894

Edwin Carpenter North Norfolk


Independents

Peter McCallum East Lambton Independent

James Haggerty North Hastings



[I tried to mention this information in the Talk section of the Wikipedia page Patrons of Industry in early 2020 but was denied that privilege.]

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