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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