Patrons of Industry -- a 19th Century Farmer association in the Edmonton area

Patrons of Industry 1890?-1902? ================================= Patrons of Industry Farmers Advocate CIHM 6505 Patrons of Industry The group's platform, as adopted in 1891, included:

- absolute independence of Parliament

- simplification of the laws

- abolition of the Senate

- preparation of Dominion and provincial voters lists by municipal officers (instead of Dominion officers removed from local accountability)

- "Conformity of electoral districts to county boundaries, as constituted for municipal purposes as far as the principle of representation by population will allow....

the Dominion government alone has gerrymandered the country by departing from county boundaries in the carving out of electoral districts to strengthen its supporters at the polls."

proposed planks included Initiative and referendum and cumulative voting: involves the grouping of districts for electoral purposes and giving to each voter as many votes as there are districts united, such votes to be distributed or centered upon one candidate as may be chosen... it would secure to important minorities a fair representation in legislative halls.... [local branches are to discuss this]"

(Farmer's Advocate and Home Magazine, July 20, 1893. CIHM 6505)

(The Patrons, An Answer to the Annexationist Campaign Writer in the "Canada Farmers Sun" [1894?], p. 1, 8. CIHM 11800 (I read it but no mention of pro-rep)

suggests that readjusting of constituencies should be left to a non-partisan commission judges or others (Hand-book introducing facts and figures in support of Patron platform, 1895 CIHM 11956)

PofI of Newdale (Manitoba) renting out its store building to general store operator. (The Commercial [newspaper], Dec. 4, 1893 CIHM 4957

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Patrons of Industry founded in 1890 [Weinrich has 1890 as earliest date for the group] it followed in footsteps of the Grange but unlike that group, PIA engaged in direct politics with some success.

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Duncan Marshall, later a cabinet minister in Rutherford's Liberal government Duncan Marshall was one of its early organizers, doing much work especially in PEI

later was one of the MLAs who, accompanied by Premier Rutherford, attended a joint meeting of the Clover Bar and the East Clover Bar branches of the AFA. Marshall spoke relating his experience as a P of I organizer and testified to the public service that a farmers' organization could render and the value to them of a well-conducted official organ (newspaper or newsletter). Among the audience was Strathcona Mayor N.D. Mills, O. Bush of Strathcona and Provincial Librarian John Blue. (Sat. News, Feb. 8, 1908) [This meeting is described in fuller detail elsewhere]

More on Duncan Marshall and the P of I including 1893 by-election victory in Bruce, Ontario in the Edmonton Bulletin, Oct. 20, 1909)

Duncan Marshall was named a cabinet minster in Rutherford's Liberal government. Duncan Marshall was one of the early organizers of the Patrons of Industry, which had caused the powers that be much annoyance in the early 1890s. But that was long before and in the eyes of at least some of his constituents, he had become part of the establishment.

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PofI newspapers In Ontario Goldwin Smith published the Weekly Sun, established by the Patrons of Industry. Smith worked with Duncan Marshall 1896-1900 (EB, Oct. 20, 1909)

Canada Farmers' Sun (a Patron publication) was published by George Wrigley

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Patrons electoral history

x1893 Duncan Marshall and the P of I including 1893 by-election victory in Bruce, Ontario (Edmonton Bulletin, Oct. 20, 1909) 1893 by-election in Bruce North -- election of Daniel McNaughton as PofI (according to Charles Humphries, "Honest enough to be Bold." Life and Times of Sir James Pliny Whitney, p. 24) North Bruce by-election win mentioned in Moose Jaw Herald, Oct. 12, 1894

x1894 E.A. Partridge on Legislation committee of PIA (Brandon Mail, Jan. 25, 1894

1894 NWT Assembly election. PofI ran Daniel Maloney and he was elected to the Territorial Assembly. (Edmonton Bulletin, May 21, 1894)

1894 Ontario prov election elected 17 PofI

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Ontario elections relevant to PofI study

(1894 according to Wikipedia: Liberal elected 45 seats; Conservative 23 seats, 16 PIA (including 1 Cons-PIA and 12 Liberal-PIA), 9 Protestant Protective Association (including 6 Cons-PPA and 1 Liberal-PPA), 1 Ind. = 94 seats.)

1894 according to Randall White Ontario 1610-1965 states: Liberal Reformers took 46 seats, Conservative 28, Patrons of Industry 17; a short-lived minor party called the Protestant Protective Association took two*; and one independent. (Total 94 seats] Randal White said Patrons' success was due to the Panic of 1893 which had just happened. They were never again to win seats. (White, p. 175)

* cannot find identity of these two - they are simply listed as Conservatives in Parliamentary Guides of the period. Peel's PP also yielded nothing. 1894 3 PIA MLAs plus 13 others -- [only 15 listed here] [Randall says there were 17]

James Tucker West Wellington (farmer, Ind. Conservative (PG, 1898/9, p. 141); P on page 146 in Parl Guide 1897, p. 256 described as Patron, formerly a Liberal)

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 (Liberal-Patron)

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. Comp., p.256)

(unsuccessful Patrons candidates in 1894 Ontario election included J.K. McInnis Assiniboia West (Moose Jaw Herald Times, March 1, 1895)

Reformers

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

For a short time there were three (or four?) significant parties in the Ontario Legislature, an unusual occurrence in Canada political chambers at that time.

MP Cartwright said the Patrons helped split the Liberals and bring about their replacement by a Conservative government

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Manitoba:

1894 Patrons candidate (John Forsyth) won a provincial by-election (Meanwhile, although the Patrons of Industry's elected representatives were pushing farmers demands in the chambers of power with some success, the movement fell apart. Forsythe was found to be using a railway pass and was asked to resign but he refused and was expelled from Patrons. (GGG, March 1, 1916) x1895

1895 Frank Oliver federal candidate in 1895 F Oliver having been nominated by Liberals of Calgary but assured of strong support from the Patrons of Industry of north Alberta issued statement to electors of Alberta (EB, April 18, 1895)

New Brunswick (following 1895 election) two Patrons of Industry are in the chamber, says 1898/9 Parl. Guide, p. 208 Charles Smith - Carleton Liberal but local head of PIA (1898-99 Parl. Guide, p. 208) (Canadian Parliamentary Companion 1897, p. 341-2) but can't find the other one

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x1896 1896 Manitoba Posthlewaite chosen as candidate coalition with Liberals beaten off, history of Patrons founding of Patron lodge in City of Brandon (Brandon Mail, March 12, 1896, p. 1)

1896 Manitoba general election won two of the seven districts it contested - Watson Crosby and William Sirett ran two candidates in two 1896 prov by-elections - both unsuccessful

1896 NWT Assembly election Matt McCauley elected with PIA backing in 1896 NWT election (EB, Aug. 13, 1896, p. 3)

PEI -- ran one candidate in 1896 prov. by-election (Best, The Long Road to Modernization, 2002 thesis (on-line))

1896 F election Eastern Assiniboia and Liberals jointly nominated Mr. J.M. Douglas of Moosomin for federal election (Edmonton Bulletin, May 7, 1896) [not James McCrie Douglas] PIA fielded 31 candidates, Ontario: 27: William McGuire (Norfolk North)... only four outside Ontario: [actually five so it seems 32 in total]

three in Manitoba Postlethwaite (Brandon), Braithwaite (Macdonald), Marshall (Marquette), [1896 F three PIA candidates in Manitoba Braithwaite, Crosby and Sirett) none elected] one in NWT James Moffat Douglas one in Quebec Wellard PIA elected 2 according to one source said but it seems elected several: [other version: 3 PIA, 2 Independents elected (Canadian Parl. Comp. 1897, p. 103)]

1896 federal election: 1896F three (or four) MPs elected in Ontario: David Rogers - Frontenac (elected by acclamation) Liberal but nominated by PIA as Independent (1898/9 Parl. Guide, p. 76) (Canadian Parliamentary Companion 1897, p. 179) William Pettet -- Prince Edward (Ontario). (1898/9 Parl. Guide, p. 73)

John Tolmie (West Bruce) Liberal elected as Patron (1898-99 Parl. Guide, p. 80)

Frank Oliver elected in 1896 with PofI support (Rennie, Rise of Agrarian Democracy, p. 17) one PIA candidate elected in NWT: James Moffat Douglas - East Assiniboia, NWT (Canadian Parliamentary Companion 1897, p. 193)

1897 Parl Guide, p. 193) (Canadian Parliamentary Companion 1897, p. 130-31) x1897 x1898 Patrons of Industry in session in Brandon and have decided to drop the word Patrons (Edmonton Bulletin, Jan 27, 1898) Assiniboia Patrons reject the proposal to adopt a new platform and a new name "Industrial Independent", instead retaining the name "Patrons", but it was decided to drop "all the signs, passwords and ritual" that had been in use and to drop the county councils, instead to use an organizing body in each of the electoral divisions of the Territories for Territorial election purposes, but regarding Dominion politics each member to be in direct communication with the central authority. (Moose Jaw Herald Times, March 4, 1898) (new platform listed in Moose Jaw Herald Times, Feb. 25, 1898)

(1898 Ontario election one Patron of Industry candidate elected and Russell 1898 Ontario election (March 1, 1898)

Liberal majority of only a few (6) seats Conservative polled a slightly larger number of votes than Liberals 1898 zero PIA elected [except for James Tucker in Wellington West] [more on this election below]

(George Murray -- premier of NS, 1896-1923, more than 26 years, the longest unbroken premiership in Can. pol. history. (Bent, The Long Road to Modernization: Transforming Agriculture in NS, 1867-1960 (2002 thesis), p. 70)) [seems no PIA candidates ran in elections after 1899]

1900F zero PIA MPs elected anywhere Causes of decline "The Patrons of Industry were strong in 1894 [in Ontario] and elected several MPPs. but they know not what to do nor how to do it, and the result was they were almost forgotten as a dream. It is no use to put farmers into office if they do not know what is wanted, what is wrong, what needs making right and how it is to be made right. Farmers complain just about the burden of federal taxation being put on them, but did they ever stop to see how crooked their municipal taxation is?" (Red Deer News, Nov. 13, 1907)

P of I fell apart due to one executive member being pro-Liberal and another being Conservative during 1898 campaign and only three P of I were elected. Patrons of Industry, of Ontario, formally disbanded at the annual convention Sept. 7, but leaving "a standing committee to watch legislation and sound the alarm when danger threatens." (Edmonton Bulletin, Sept. 19, 1898)

(Laurier Liberal's 1896 victory took wind out of patrons' sails as the liberals endorse Reciprocity. and were against the National Policy and its high tariffs. (Bent, The Long Road to Modernization: Transforming Agriculture in NS, 1867-1960 (2002 thesis), p. 70)

(1897: Its leader, Braithwaite, met with personal financial disaster - he lost his crop to fire and anyway he was undertaking a bigger farm than he could handle. He sold out, and then to keep him in the service of the PIM, the organization tried to pay him a salary but money was short and he finally accepted a position in the Manitoba government and that about finished us." (Braithwaite stepped down as leader in Jan. 1897, effectively ending the organization.) ...the Patrons of Industry, who failed through dissension and treachery in their officers.... (Oliver King, of Wawanesa, GGG, Aug. 7, 1909)

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Liberal government did accede to PofI demands [this was high point for PofI, no one ran as PofI candidate after 1896 and the movement collapsed outside Alberta as well. The financial picture for farmers improved at this time. And the Liberal government gave in to PofI demands by passing the Crow's Nest Pass Agreement and the Fielding tariff-cut bill of 1897, which reduced duties on farm articles. But only under pressure from the PofI did the government push for and get important concessions from the CPR that partially satisfied farmers. These early successes helped set a pattern of hard-won but important successes against the powers-that-be. (Embree referenced in Rennie, Rise of Agrarian Democracy, p. 17)

In 1897, the CPR decreed that it would no longer accept grain deliveries from flat warehouses at centres with grain elevators. James Douglas, MP of Assinobia, who had been elected with PofI support (not to be confused with James Douglas, MP of Strathcona 1909-1921), introduced a bill forcing railways to accept grain from flat warehouses and farmers' vehicles. The CPR agreed to accept grain from vehicles, and Douglas dropped his bill. The next year he brought in a new one, this time calling for a chief inspector to supervise the grain-shipment industry and for the railway to accept shipments from flat warehouses. The Bill was sent to committee, which voted to leave out the flat warehouse clause and passed the bill only to allow the appointment of a inspector.

Oliver and Douglas raised such a to-do about this, that the government instituted a Royal Commission on the Shipment and Transportation of Grain. There was low turn-out to the Edmonton hearings, but those presenting briefs did say the time allowed to load grain into railway cars was not enough and the CPR did lengthen somewhat the time requirement. The Commission's report formed the basis of the Manitoba Grain Act of 1900 which allowed for the erection of flat warehouses and loading platforms, apart from the privately-owned elevators. Still the CPR fought opening access to its transportation services and farmers conceived of the notion that producer-owned elevators were required to counter the power of the private railway. and the Territorial Grain Growers Association was born.

(Rennie, Rise of Agrarian Democracy, p. 18)

[another campaign was waged to final victory by Alberta farmers in 1901-2] -

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From the start of his involvement in the organized farmers movement in Alberta, Rice Sheppard was cognizant of the dangers posed by an entrenched leadership.

[For example, in Manitoba, the Patrons of Industry, a farmer-based movement, had collapsed in 1899 when its leader stepped down, after he had served as the group's leader since its start in 1891.]

[Rice Sheppard arriving in Edmonton in 1896? had missed the wave of activity of the Patrons of Industry.]

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last known mention of PofI in Peel's PP:

PofI ball at Okotoks (CH, Jan. 26, 1899) [other than recollections of the old group]

last known mention of PofI in Weinrich #265 1896 James Douglas campaign

[Peel's PP search: [I performed this thinking PofI had changed name but wrong!] Industrial and Independent and Association [found nothing relevant but they are all common words individually]

could not find anything even just using industrial and independent in 1900 [found nothing relevant]

=================================

but the movement did not end:

James Speakman was active in PofI in Penhold and went on to be president of the UFA.

George Wrigley was Pofi organizer. toured prairies in last year of PofI activities.

Prominent Canadian socialist George Wrigley (1847-1907) publisher of the Canada Farmers' Sun (a Patron publication) and Social justice. worked with T. Phillips Thompson and others in Toronto, later published Citizen and Country reform newspaper.

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Patrons movement was still remembered years later:

Much results for "Patrons of Industry" search in Peel's PP 1909 to 1915 [I did not have time to get to them, including this gem:]

1890s James Speakman settled on farm near Penhold in 1891 and "was one of the early supporters of the Patrons of Industry. In 1907 he linked up with the AFA" (GGG, Dec. 29, 1915)

He went on to be president of the UFA.

[Speakman mentioned in Red Lodge chapter]

Horse Hills schoolhouse reminiscences [below]

"The New Grange" by W.L. Smith (GGG, Dec. 6, 1911)

article described the old Grange of the 1870s - its decline caused by various factors (extravagance on the part of the heads of the organization, people growing weary of co-operative buying after co-operative buying had forced country stores to lower prices to a more reasonable level; misfortunes and dissatisfaction attendant upon the attempt to sell barley in a co-operative way, etc. furthered by the incoming Patrons of Industry but although it did not do much, it did not die and after the PI movement died, the New Grange sprang from the fairly-dead Grange movement

Clay, publisher of the Patron's Advocate, tried to keep the paper going but money ran out and he passed his printing press onto his printers to pay wages owing. after death of the PofI in Manitoba, Mr. Clay went to the State of Washington and got involved in The Grange movement, which he said was largely responsible for the securing of the efficient parcel post that is now in operation throughout the U.S. Looking back at Canada, he said "with the supply of cheap feed that is available in Canada, eggs can be produced much more cheaply in western Canada than in the U.S."

He said he was very enthusiastic as to the future that would be in store for western Canadian poultry raisers and dairymen if an efficient parcel post such as they now have in the U.S. were established in this country.

======== end of PofI electoral history ===========================

1894 Ontario Provincial election

1894 PofI and the Protestant Protective Association ran candidates in the 1894 Ontario Provincial election. The Patrons of Industry elected 17 representatives while the PPA elected two. The formation and measurable success of these two new political parties was immediately recognized as a significant development, "in Ontario where party lines have been so firmly and clearly drawn for so many years." (EB, July 12, 1894)

("Protestantism in Politics" Brandon Mail, May 24, 1894 reported that Orangeman Mr. McConnell was touring Manitoba for the cause of rabid anti-catholicism. His statements on the power and power-hunger of the Catholic church was countered in a pamphlet somewhat craftily entitled "The PPA in Ontario. History and Principles of the Organization..." )

1898 Ontario election Patrons of Industry ran 9 candidates. These districts had three-cornered contests or had Patrons of Industry candidates.

In 3 districts Patrons and Liberal split anti-Conservative vote

Bruce Centre Liberal 1850 votes; P candidate 1616

Frontenac C 1936; P 1667

Glengarry C 1905; P 1439; Liberal 679

Patrons/Liberals split anti-Cons. vote

Grey South C 2248; L 1716; P 792 Patrons/Liberals split anti-Cons. vote

Perth South L 2357; C 2354; P 88

Prince Edward C 2387; P 2030; L 7

Simcoe Centre C 1761; L 1704; P 569 Patrons/Liberals split anti-Cons. vote

Wellington South L 2341; C 1942; P 407

Wellington West P [James Tucker sometimes called an Independent Conservative] 1912; L 1632 - the one Patrons of Industry victory variation of number of votes represented by each winner Liberal low: Wellington East 1476 high:

Perth North 3396 Conservative low:

Wentworth North 1700 high:

Toronto South 4464

As well, Ottawa City was a multi-member district (two seats). Liberals won one and Conservative won one, each with the highest totals in the province (due to the double of number of votes produced by Block Voting: Liberal - 4793; Conservatives - 4548) Districts where winner elected with small majorities: Conservatives elected

Dundas 126

Durham West 119

Elgin East 29

Elgin West 1 only one vote

Huron West 1 only one vote

Middlesex East 95

Ontario South 96 (MLA soon unseated)

Simcoe Centre 57

Simcoe East 69

Toronto North 34

Victoria West 72 Waterloo North 65

Waterloo South 109 Liberal Brant North 102

Essex North 95

Haldimand 102

Halton 123

Lambton East 40

Hastings East 128

Lennox 43

Middlesex North 92

Muskoka 74

Nipissing 61

Norfolk South 34

Perth South 4 York West 35 (Parliamentary Guide 1898/99 p. 125-

[much on Patrons of industry and Ontario politics in Fred Landon, Western Ontario and the American Frontier esp 258] [percentages of party totals not provided in Wikipedia]

1902 Ontario Liberal re-elected but with razor-thin majority in the legislature. Cartwright (Reminiscences) blames the Patrons for taking support from the Liberals. he might have been referring to developments at the federal level. perhaps in particular regarding the 1896 election.

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Ontario Richard J. Cartwright's Reminiscences (p. 337-339) gives history of PofI saying first big accomplishment was election of 17 or 18 MPPs in 1894 Ontario provincial election. This put Liberal government, although re-elected, into a minority position. There was thought that the government would not have been re-elected if it had been forced to resign. The Pof I being on an upward trend. The Conservative party was rendered leaderless at the time. and PofI made truce with Liberals, which its MPPs and members leaned toward anyway. So the Pof I propped up the Liberal government. The farmers movement split many voters from that party.

The next election saw Liberal again in minority position.

Cartwright observed that in 1894 and 1898 we had the very unusual spectacle for Canada of three distinct parties in the Ontario Legislature.

Cartwright said the PofI weakened the Liberal party, which he admitted had been in power for too long anyway, having held power since 1871, with the result that when Conservative party finally got organized, it took power in 1905, a result the PofI were very much against.

[Wikipedia does not give vote number so not able to see effect of PofI on Liberal vote counts.]

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PofI had strong stand against extreme partyism: PofI emphasized attack on the party system in the 1890s. At the time the policies of the two large parties varied little. It was not until the famous farmers' "March on Parliament" in 1909? that the Liberal party got behind a solution to the main farmers grievance - being over-charged as consumers to pay for the great Canadian project Protective tariff supporting Canadian factories. (But in 1911 the Liberals did not win when they ran on a pro-Reciprocity (free trade) platform.) A decade after this defeat the farmers movement embarked in direct politics a generation later than the Pof I's peak.

in 1898 the Patrons of Industry proudly claimed credit for being "a powerful factor in opening the eyes of the people to the folly of extreme partyism." General farmers' distrust of the two main parties (and the extreme partyism they engaged in) led those in the PofI group to re-assess their name. It always had been an unusual name, but latterly sentiment had been centring increasingly on the group's stand in favour of "independent" political action. (Moose Jaw Herald, Feb. 4, 1898, p. 5)

This came out in the 1898 convention held in Brandon. J.K. McInnis, a Grand president of the NWT Pof I, attended on purpose later saying it had been his duty to go there and then bring back news of the proceedings because the "farmers and labourers of the Territories have common cause with their brethren in Manitoba." He said "... the necessity for united political action on the part of those who put country before party was never more urgent that at present. Popular reforms could not be expected from either party so long as the Government of the day, be it Grit or Tory dominated over Parliament instead of parliament controlling the government and directing its policy. The Patrons had been a powerful factor in opening the eyes of the people to the folly of extreme partyism." He reported that some pushed for a new name for the organization. They pointed out that the name "Patron" had no political significance. Instead many voiced approval of a new name "Independents" and put forward good reasons for the retention of the name. McInnis thought he had found a solution to adopt the name "Industrial Independents" This, he pointed out, was not a more difficult name to pronounce or write than "Liberal Conservative", the appellation of a sub-group of the two main parties at the time. It was also decided to get away from "rituals, signs, passwords and 'goat-riding,' which "savoured too much of secrecy and created prejudices" against the group. "We must remove all unnecessary adjuncts - especially those that in any measure deprive us of the sympathy and co-operation of desirable allies."

(Moose Jaw Herald, Feb. 4, 1898, p. 5)

It was reported that the organization did adopt the name Industrial Independent Association, bu there is no record of the group being active politically after the name change. (Calgary Herald, Feb. 3, 1898, p. 5)

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"How the Senate is Reformed" [newspaper article on how Cartwright pushed the PofI in early 1890s to adopt resolution in favour of reform or abolition of the Senate, little was done, and now Cartwright has been appointed to the Senate]

Liberal MP and party leader Sir Richard Cartwright, in his address to the Patrons of Industry, in early 1890s, endorsed Abolition of the Senate.

Speaking on the first plank of the P of I platform, the abolition of the Senate, he said "the vast majority of Ontario Liberals agree with the Patrons. The existence of such a body in its present shape is absolutely indefensible and a most manifest blot on representative government." The PofI passed a resolution, a resolution as murky as all the other resolutions passed by that body, according to the writer, that the Senate "should be so amended as to bring it into harmony with the principle of popular government." Sir Wilfred [Laurier?] by his own admission was in favour of abolition until 1899, then switched to its reform, and then Cartwright himself, belying his earlier statement of opinion, was appointed to the Senate in 1904. The little that had been done between 1893 and 1908 was abolition of the Senate chaplain to save money, doubling the annual salary of Senators (for what reason is unknown) and imposition of a rule that Senators would be appointed from among former MPs. [Now obviously this rule is no longer in practice, judging by appointment of Alberta Senators Tony Banks and Paula Simon].

(Red Deer News, Aug. 19, 1908 reprinted from the Toronto Mail and Empire 1908)

1895 PofI handbook (CIHM 11956)

p. 3 advocates a root and branch retrenchment in the interest of purer politics...

Purity and Independence of Parliament p. 2

Need for Economy 3-14

p. 12 called for abolition of Senate

Tariff Question 15- 43

p. 37 work of combines [cannot find any patrons publication that included pro-rep]

but did find in CIHM:

Toronto World 1893 described demonstration election held in Toronto managed by "Miss Spence of South Australia" (Catherine Helen Spence) Toronto World, Aug. 18, 1893, p. 2 (CIHM, 00367 18930818) London Advertiser July 3, 1893-De. 30, 1893

Proportional Representation Spence addressed the Grand Board of the PofI. They listened to her with greatest of attention. but no news on their decision

[the write-up i think was used for her essay for the Fleming Essays book]

[I have Cartwright's book Reminiscences.]

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[Peel's PP search for patrons and representation 1890 to 1910:

nothing on pro-rep] Other history of PofI [1884 Farmers' Institutes first established in Ontario, after a travelling school inspector (J.H. Smith) got idea that a system of school for farmers could be established. This powerful movement, unlike the earlier Grange or the Patrons of Industry, succeeded in having the farmers' situation brought to such prominence that the government established a Department of Agriculture. (Gleichen Call, Sept. 29, 1910)]

x1890 PofI founded in 1890

x1891

x1892 PofI planning to establish a twine factory in Toronto. (Brandon Mail, March 3, 1892)

King Oliver (GGG) mentions twine factory said it failed due to wrong people in charge and lack of patronage by farmers.

x1893 Patrons of Industry Brandon Mail, March 17, 1892

x1894 1894 Alberta farmers were elected to go as delegates to the annual convention of the Patrons of Manitoba and North-West. Among the delegates was E. Holleston, Alberta. (Brandon Mail, Jan. 25, 1894, May 10, 1894. Correspondence was published showing Charles Braithwaite as speaking on behalf of the farmers of North-West as well as those of Manitoba.) grand president of the PofI of Manitoba and the Territories in 1895 Braithwaite called for loyalty to a better Canada, saying "Let 'Canada for the Canadians' be our highest aim." (Brandon Mail, Jan. 25, 1894)

He corresponded with Cornelius Van Horne who responded that the railway could not amend its rates due to poor commodity prices. (Brandon Mail, Jan. 25, 1894)

A MP (Mr. Martin [prob. Joseph Martin, Winnipeg MP) described an anti-tariff resolution passed at the recent convention of the Patrons and said the recent cuts to the tariff made by the government were inadequate to address the farmers' concerns. (Brandon Mail, May 10, 1894)

PIM platform (Brandon Mail Jan. 25, 1894, p. 1. p. 4) has the Mail's position concerning the platform which was generally supportive)

x1895 "The Patrons had been organized to devise ways and means to better the condition of the people. ..the problem is to secure legislation that will be just and equitable for all classes... equal rights for every citizen" Charles Braithwaite, grand president of the PofI of Manitoba and the Territories, officiated at a Patrons rally at Moose Jaw in honour of federal candidate Jno. K. McInnis, Western Assiniboia [former Conservative]. Braithwaite said the poor prices paid for agricultural products and high prices paid for farm necessities is not due to retailers, wholesalers or manufacturers - it is due to interest having to be paid to banks... The system is bolstered up by rings, monopolies, trusts, combines, which do not scruple to enter politics. Patrons might fight outside politics until doomsday without affecting a particle of benefit.... Agriculture and labour represent from 75 to 80 percent of our population and produce 75 to 80 percent of our wealth. What representation have they? Among the 715 lawmakers of Canada there is not a baker's dozen of farmers or labourers... It is time we had third parties. In no other country are they without them. Germany has eight or ten parties, France had four or five. Britain has many; even the U.S. has three. Show me that the old parties have done justice to all classes and I will go with you and follow them. .. [there are many] manly members of the House - they recognized the wrongs in their parties but there was no alternative they could see no benefit in flopping over to the other party. The Patron movement is these men's opportunity. They will be glad to help on the changes of purification. The Patrons being free from both parties are, as it might be likened to, sitting on the fence. They can get down and assist any party that struggles for the right...."

Braithwaite pointed to the governor general and lieutenant-governors and the many government officials, who cost much money every year, McInnis took the podium saying he had been on Regina Board of Trade [it seems he was a newspaper man] and had been an Conservative but had turned from the party when it refused to force the CPR to lower its high transportation prices to haul farm produce. (Moose Jaw Herald Times, March 1, 1895)

x1896

x1897

x1898

x1899 George Wrigley, Ontario Socialist and Patrons of Industry organizer, travelled across Prairies in summer of 1899 and decided to move west to BC [see Wrigley bio below]

========================

From Allen, Canadian Fringe Parties, p. 29 to 31:

During the mid-1890s, numerous Canadian farmers became resentful of Macdonald's National Policy. While recognizing that the government could not protect them boom a cycle of drought, poor yields and Low world prices, the farmers criticized the National Policy for failing to address their concerns. Farmers condemned the CPR freight rates and policies which they felt reflected al1theevils of monopoly; the tariff that forced them to pay more for their balers, binders, hayricks, and boots; and the corruption of traditional politics.*

As a result, thousands of men joined the militant Patrons of Industry. The Patrons of Lndustry, a united farm organization, appeared fiist in Ontario in 1889, where it had spread ikom Michigan. Connections with the United States body were severed in 1891, and entering politics, the Patrons of Industry enjoyed some fleeting successes between 1894 and 1896. The basis of the Patrons was the protection of farmers' interests, thought to be neglected by both the Liberals and the Conservatives. Their most notable achievement was the election of seventeen MPPs to the Ontario legislature in 1894.~In Ex Uno Hures, Garth Stevenson indicates that the sudden rise of the Patrons was rural Ontario's response to the threat of urbanization? Although the Patrons made modest gains in Manitoba and in the federal election of 1896, they subsequently collapsed. Nevertheless,

* Desmond Morton, A Short History of Canada,2nd ed. (Toronto: McCleiiand and Stewart, 1994), 123.

* Frederick Engelmannand Mildred Schwartz, Canadian Political Parties: Origin, Character, impact (Scarborough: Prentice-Hail, 1975), 30. 24

Garth Stevenson, Er Uno Hures (Montreal: McGili-Queen's University Press, 1993), 52.

many of their grievances survived - the tariff, rural depopulation, a weak bargaining position, and disrespect for the nation's farming population.

In 1884, a branch of the British-bom Imperial Federal League was formed in Toronto. D'Alton McCarthy, a young Tory politician, became one of the league's most outspoken members. According to McCarthy, national unity demanded complete assimilation of the French. "The French must learn to cherish, not merely our institutions," said McCarthy, "but our glorious past and to look fornard with us to a still more glorious hit~re."~ In 1888, the Equal Rights League of Ontario was formed. McCarthy immediately joined the league, which supported a single language, English, and a single system of public schools. The following year, while on tour in Western Canada, McCarthy openly opposed French language rights in the Northwest Territories and the funding of separate schools in Manitoba. During this tour, McCarthy proposed that it was the people of the Northwest Territories who must decide on the official use of English and French.

"If the ballot did not decide such questions in this generation," said McCarthy, "bayonets would supply the answer in the ~ e x t . "Later on, while touring Portage la Prairie, McCarthy criticized funding to separate schools. Crowds cheered him when he claimed that Westerners had the power "to make this a British country in fact as in na~ne."~'

2~ Colin Campbell and William Christian, Parties, Leaders and Ideologies in Canada (Toronto:McGraw-HU Ryerson,1996),167. Beck, 59.

In November 1892, when Thompson became prime minister, McCarthy left the Conservative Party. By this time, the Equai Rights Movement had collapsed and was replaced by an American-based organization, a more sinister Protestant Protective Association. McCarthy would have nothing to do with the P.P.A., but he remained no less adamant on separate schools and the use of the French language. "Nations grew fiom common expenences and language," insisted McCarthy. "Canada must be British or French, Protestant or Catholic. The decision must be made finally and s o o n .

" ~ ~ Thousands of Canadians, paaicularly in Ontario and Manitoba, agreed with him. With the passage of time, McCarthy's arguments gained rnomentum. Histonan Desmond Morton suggests that McCarthy appealed to English-speaking Canadians who felt that the issue was long ago settled on the Plains of Abraham.

On June23, 1896, these Canadians expressed their support at the polls. McCarthyites contested ten ridings and won in three of them; McCarthy was also elected. There was also a Patrons of Industry elected in Manitoba and one in Ontario.

From (Myrna J. Allen, "Outside Looking In - A Study of Canadian Fringe Parties," M.A. thesis, Dalhousie University, Halifax, N.S., 1997 (available on-line))

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

LEFT OVERVIEW 1890s

“The many farmers’ parties and labour parties in the Dominion in the 1890s [such as the Knights of Labor, the Toronto Trades and Labour Council and Patrons of Industry] were certainly “not red” but they had within them stalwarts of a different social and political order. The organizational form and ideological content of first formation socialism were deeply related. Socialism might be accelerated or impeded by a party, but in this formation it could hardly be constructed by one. Only the working class taking ownership of what was rightfully its own, could construct socialism. To seize power either through parliamentary or extraparliamentary means, was not really in these parties’ job description. They were much more like association or clubs than they were either “fighting weapons of the working class” aiming to achieve dictatorship of the proletariat, or “broad alliances of progressives” hoping to win parliamentary power.” Canadian left parties, unlike European parties of the time, engaged more in education than bureaucratic decision-making. (McKay, Reasoning Otherwise, p. 128-129, 552)

Prior to the First World War, there was very little socialist activity in Canada at all. So a “Red West” to a “conservative east” dichotomy does not stand up. However, all the socialists elected to legislatures in Canada before 1914 were elected in the West. Co-operatives were very important on the Prairies in the pre-war years. Its supporters believed co-ops were: 1. an aid to specific groups or classes such as fruit-growers of Nova Scotia 2. a way to address a particular abuse of injustice (such as retail stores established on the Rochdale basis to cut out monopolists and middlemen) 3. a way to “undertake the complete reformation of society.”

(MacPherson, Each for All, p. 8, 46)

(McKay, Reasoning Otherwise, p. 199)

co-operation see GGG, October 18, 1911

====================================

Patrons of Industry in Alberta xalberta unsorted: Edmonton area Patrons Patrons of Industry appeared in Alberta in early 1890s. 1896 appears to be the high point of the organizations' activity here with a co-operative store (the first known co-operative in the Edmonton area) and the election of its favoured candidate to the Territorial Assembly and to the House of Commons.

=============================================================

Much results for "Patrons of Industry" search in Peel's PP 1909 to 1915

did not have time to get to them, including this gem:

1890s James Speakman settled on farm near Penhold in 1891 and "was one of the early supporters of the Patrons of Industry. In 1907 he linked up with the AFA" (GGG, Dec. 29, 1915) He went on to be president of the UFA.

[Speakman mentioned in my Red Lodge notes]

from candidates vol 1:

Speakman, James. (1849-Dec. 21, 1915)

Born in England; spent childhood in Germany, learned German, Italian and French; returned to England in 1866, where he became foreign correspondence for jute manufacturer, moved to Scotland, in business. Fathered Alfred Speakman (above); 1891 came to Canada to homestead near Penhold; became active in Patrons of Industry x1891 December 1891 George Long, an EAS leader (and future UFA leader), organized meeting near Sturgeon River, just north of Edmonton, considered establishing a farmers' union to improve farm production, lower tariffs and secure better prices by finding new markets. After due consideration of different forms of organization they organized a a branch of the Patrons of Industry in 1892. (Rennie, Rise of Agrarian Democracy, p. 15-16)

x1892 Patrons of Industry EB, Dec. 12, 1892 Many other PofI branches followed around Edmonton. (by 1894 many PofI branches were formed along C&E Railway. [see 1894] (Rennie, Rise of Agrarian Democracy, p. 16)

At Poplar Lake the P of I had a threshing machine. (Edmonton Bulletin, Dec. 12, 1892)

x1893 Edmonton Bulletin endorsed the sentiment of the call by the people of Kinkella, Manitoba for a government that would control railway rates, and how unfair it was that Canadian farmers "should pay double rates so that the CPR, built with the people's money, can carry U.S. freight at half-rates." (Edmonton Bulletin, Jan. 4, 1893)

Patrons of Industry picnic Edmonton Bulletin, June 22, 1893

other lodges mentioned Sturgeon River lodge Little Mountain lodge at Jas. Price's farm Edmonton South Edmonton county association (by 1894) [see below]

P.C. Hamilton of Clover Bar (of Beaver Hills, says Edmonton Bulletin, March 2, 1893) to attend PofI convention at Brandon. Mr. Hamilton represents the Edmonton county lodge at the convention. (Edmonton Bulletin, Feb. 20, 1893)

East Edmonton schoolhouse meeting held April 25, 1893 [maybe also April 27, 1893] under the auspices of the P of I discussed starting creamery. R. McKernan, Leander Fulton among those in attendance. decided to get things in shape to have a creamery running for the summer of 1894. the location was set as near the Northwest corner of Section 25, township 52, Range 24, W4, the creamery district to run from Old Man's Creek to the Blackmud. (Edmonton Bulletin, April 27, 1893) M. McKinlay of Sturgeon settlement, has been appointed purchasing agent of the P of I for the northside of the river, and R. Dinwoodie* for the south side. (Edmonton Bulletin, July 10, 1893) [he would die a grisly death in 1906, as we shall see.]

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Farmers meet with government official August 1893 P.C. Hamilton, of Beaver Hills, secretary of Edmonton area PIA addressed townhall meeting where Daly, minister of the interior, was present :

"Public meeting" to hear from and talk to Thomas Mayne Daly, Minister of the Interior at Ottawa. P.C. Hamilton, as secretary of the P of I, R. on the need of farmers for cheap barbed wire, etc. R. McKernan and Daniel Maloney called for an experimental farm in Edmonton area, A character described as "Irishman from Utah" made an intervention on the unfairness of making him go out into the wilderness while good land close in was not available due to an Indian reserve. F. Fraser Tims called for a land office at Beaver Lake and how the CPR by its huge tract of lands had prevented the construction of the North West Central Railway while doing little to open up the country. Frank Oliver talked of the forthcoming construction of a bridge, to be used by both railway and traffic, across the North Saskatchewan River. Dr. Wilson called for the government to build the bridge without any assistance from Edmonton as the government had overlooked demanding the C&E Co. build a bridge when it issued its grant to the company. and speaking of the two towns - Strathcona and Edmonton - he said he thought the time had come when by erecting government buildings in one or the other, the question of which was to be the capital of northern Alberta should be finally settled. and with others called for the splitting of the over-large judicial district and the building of a courthouse in Edmonton, after the need for a bridge was satisfied. Daly responded that the high prices mentioned by P of I secretary Hamilton were known by the government and he advised Hamilton and others concerned to present their problems to the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Agriculture, both of which were soon to tour the West. He said a courthouse had not been built in Edmonton due to uncertainty where the railway would go and where railway settlements would be established as the government had learned the folly of building in one place when the railway might skip it and go to another place.

Responding to the remarks of the "Irishman from Utah" concerning the Papaschase Reserve, Daly said the reserve - although uninhabited as the Indians "had been induced to go to another reserve - still belonged to the Indians and the government were only agents in the matter and, as agents, sold the land and funded the money for the benefit of the Indians." A sale had been held last year, but due to poor weather it had not been very successful, and another sale would be held in autumn, when the land would be sold on the same terms as the CPR - one-tenth down and the rest in nine equal payments, with interest at 6 percent. (Edmonton Bulletin, Aug. 14, 1893)

---------------------------------------

x1894 T.G. Hutchings, of Poplar Lake, and D. Maloney, of St. Albert, have been appointed organizers for the Patrons of Industry in the district and will go south in a short time to organize lodges in settlements along the C&E line. (Edmonton Bulletin, Feb. 15, 1894)

a convention of delegates from the sub-associations of the P of I in northern Alberta met in the town council chamber. Thos. Hutchings was president. convention passed resolution, moved by D. Maloney and D.B. Wilson, calling for federal government to build a bridge across the North Sask. without aid from the town (Edmonton Bulletin, March 12, 1894)

entertainment held at Sturgeon Schoolhouse on March 16, 1894. "speeches, readings and recitation alternately occupied the evening til 11:30." (Edmonton Bulletin, March19, 1894)

A large meeting of the Patrons of Industry residing south of the river was held at Bro. Thomas Daly's Clover Bar on Tuesday for the purpose of forming a county association and the election of necessary officers. president R. Dinwoodie v-p. W. Keith sec-treas. T. Hyslop sentinel Mr. Bell guide D.S. Fulton organizer P. Ottewell the new county assoc. is to be named South Edmonton. passed resolution against proposed granting of 35,000 acres of land in the area to the town or a private corporation that would take on construction of the bridge, as "all public lands held by the government should be given to actual settlers only" and that the NWT should bring in an "absolute exemption" law similar to the one in place in Manitoba. (Edmonton Bulletin, April 9, 1894)

Patrons of Industry had brought in a carload of binder twine (Edmonton Bulletin, May 3, 1894)

xco-operatives

a meeting of the P of I of South Edmonton county association was held in Wilkie and Dickson's real estate office, South Edmonton on 12th. called for division of the Alberta electoral district into two - Northern Alberta and Southern Alberta - and described the different kind of farming most suitable for each. and criticized the petty reductions in the tariff and said the still-high tariff on machinery, etc., was making profitable farming difficult - "the government has placed a prohibitory tariff on the reading matter that we enjoy in winter and on the light [coal oil] to read it by, in short, the government seems to be afraid of our intellectual development." (Edmonton Bulletin, May 21, 1894)

[The issue of trusts and combines were intertwined with the issue of tariff, for as a farmer speaker, future MP D.W. Warner, would point out in 1905 the manufacturers with their monopolist power and political pull, had persuaded the Canadian government to set up a tariff wall against U.S. imports, thus ensuring a captive and profitable market for their products.]

1894 Alberta farmers were elected to go as delegates to the annual convention of the Patrons of Manitoba and North-West. Among the delegates was E. Holleston, Alberta. (Brandon Mail, Jan. 25, 1894, May 10, 1894. Correspondence was published showing Braithwaite as speaking on behalf of the farmers of North-West as well as those of Manitoba.) many branches of PofI formed along C&E Railway line.

REPEAT? Edmonton PofI called for construction of a bridge across North Saskatchewan and threatened to elect candidates to the Territorial Assembly in support of a demand for an Edmonton Normal School. They did run Daniel Maloney and elected him to the Territorial Assembly. (Ed. Bull., May 21, 1894 [not seen by me]; Embree referenced in Rennie, Rise of Agrarian Democracy, p. 16)

[next electoral victory is 1896 election of Frank Oliver]

1894 NWT Assembly election did run Daniel Maloney and elected him to the Territorial Assembly. (Ed. Bull., May 21, 1894) What did he stand for? his successes?

Also, a Patron county association called for division of Alberta into two federal ridings to give northern Alberta farmers fair representation against the southern ranchers' power block. (Ed. Bull., May 21, 1894 [see below]; Embree referenced in Rennie, Rise of Agrarian Democracy, p. 16)

Winnipeg Tribune calling on the final arbiter of policy - the people who vote - to force the CPR to lower rates especially after the wealth of the country has been lavished on the corporation to satisfy its stockholders (Ed. Bull., May 10, 1894, p. 3)

1894 Moose Jaw J.E. Annable to run against J.H Ross for seat on NWT assembly (Moose Jaw Herald, Oct. 5, 1894)

T.G. Hutchings president of the PIA called for government to build bridge without requiring townspeople from pay for it. also said northern Alberta deserved representation, a seat in house of Commons and a delegation should go there and demand it. (EB, March 5, 1894)

R. Dinwoodie said farmers of southside needed bridge [see dinwoodie bio below]

PIA big on dividing electoral district of Alberta because northern Alberta had practically no representation in the HofC (EB, May 21, 1894)

Malcolm McKinley sec of Edmonton county lodge of PIA, circulated resolution of PIA that the electoral district of Alberta should be divided so as to give the northern portion representation in the federal parliament EB, June 4, 1894 1894 NWT Council election meetings to be held in St. Albert June 30 and Fort Sask July 7 to nominate candidate to run in St. Albert and Edmonton respectively (EB, June 28, 1894)

St. Albert: Malcolm McKinley (of Sturgeon River) nominated to run in St. Albert (EB, July 5, 1894) but apparently did not run in the end, according to Mardon election book Edmonton: [July 9, 1894. July 12, July 16 EB has nothing on the Ft. Sask. meeting]

x1895

x1896 Patrons of Industry of the Edmonton district have made arrangements to open a grocery, flour and feed store in town and have taken the stand occupied by D. Evans. At a meeting of the shareholders, Evans was appointed manager. T.G. Hutchings, of Poplar Lake, and William McAdam, town, are to be pres and v-p respectively. (Edmonton Bulletin, April 2, 1896)

xco-operative (may be first organized business co-op, other than shared use of farm machinery Patron Store selling tickets for St. George's dinner (Edmonton Bulletin, April 23, 1896) "Patron's Co-operative Society solicits the support of the general public in their new Grocery, Flour and Feed store, Evans' Stand, Main Street, D. Evans, manager." (Edmonton Bulletin, May 14, July 13, 1896, Feb. 27., March 4, 1897 box ad.) [March 4 is last known box ad for the store so believe it closed about that time.] 1896 "The Edmonton County Lodge, Patrons of Industry are calling a convention to select a candidate for the election to the NW Assembly" (Edmonton Bulletin, July 13, 1896. The box ad advertizing the event said "the electors of each town and settlement in the Electoral District of Edmonton are requested to appoint two delegates to this Convention.") No report found of this meeting, but Matt McCauley, who was elected in the election, had support of the Patrons, according to Regina Standard quoted in Edmonton Bulletin, Aug. 13, 1896 1896 election on August 4th. (Edmonton Bulletin, Aug. 6, 1896) McCauley versus Rutherford McCauley won. Rutherford got the most votes in South Edmonton, Leduc, Sandy Lake but was behind McCauley in all the other polls. ------------------------------------

Frank Oliver elected in 1896 with PofI support (Rennie, Rise of Agrarian Democracy, p. 17)

x1896 Territorial Election 1896 Matt McCauley elected with official Patron backing in Edmonton, in the 1896 North-West Territorial Assembly election. (Edmonton Bulletin, August 13, 1896, page 3) Edmonton Bulletin, Jan. 23, 1896[?] farmer's union breaking apart PIM? x1897 At the regular monthly meeting of the P of I in Dec. it was decided to set aside an evening for a Patrons supper. ...but all present could not but feel that the Patrons have lost some of their old-time enthusiasm. (Edmonton Bulletin, Jan. 18, 1897) ====================================================================

PofI, "which raised so much disturbance among the old-time politicians in Ontario in the early '90s." (Sat. News, Oct. 23, 1909)

Even as early as it was, the Patrons of Industry was not the first farmers organization - The Farmers' Union had briefly flourished in the 1880s [no mention in Edmonton or Territorial newspapers?] , and after the Patrons of Industry in the West, were the Grain Growers of eastern Assiniboia (1902), the Territorial Grain Growers Association (1903), the Manitoba Grain Growers Association (1903), the Canadian Society of Equity, the Alberta Farmers Association, and then finally the United Farmers movement, with the United Farmers of Alberta, after being government for 14 years, still surviving as a farm co-operative store chain, after politically melding with the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation party in 1938[?]) (Farmers Movement in Canada website) The Patrons were well established in the Edmonton area in 1893, with several branches.

----------- end of Patrons of Industry ------------- -------------

Dinwoodie bio -------------

*Richard Dinwoodie 1906 (44 yoa) feared dead when did not arrive home after getting off train at the Fort bridge to catch another train he had lived several years in Strathcona and Edmonton. (Edmonton Bulletin, Ap. 20, 1906)

(Edmonton Bulletin, May 7, 1906; Edmonton Bulletin, May 18, 1906): ca. May 7, 1906, his body found eight miles downstream from Fort Sask. 1862 born in Scotland, shepherd boy, emigrated to Canada when about 20 yoa [ca. 1882] homesteaded on site of Brandon 1894 moved to the southside of the North Sask River at Edmonton and at once became a factor in the upbuilding of South Edmonton (later Strathcona) and the adjoining town of Edmonton. He was ever on the alert for opportunities to improve the conditions of life of the settlers, especially Galician settlers took a prominent part in the work of the Strathcona Agricultural Society. president of the local Patrons of Industry in 1894 farmed N1/2 - 5-52-13-W4 and was postmaster. The area took its name from his post office. (After his death in 1906, the village was re-named Lavoy.) was instrumental in the formation of a school district and a local improvement district. 1903 conceived of idea of forming an Agricultural Society in that district. - the Vermilion Valley and Beaver Lake Agricultural Society quickly took shape due to his energy and knowledge from working with the equivalent Strathcona group. (Edmonton Bulletin, May 18, 1906)

namesake of Dinwoodie, Alberta gave his name to the post office of Dinwoodie [north of Lavoy] acting as postmaster. He left a wife and eight children. Edmonton Bulletin, Feb. 26, 1906; Sat. News, May 12, 1906)

1910 suit laid against the CNR for not taking sufficient care of Dinwoodie as a passenger. The Fort Saskatchewan bridge being impassable to trains, passengers were told to walk across a section of the bridge on planks. and while the conductors was escorting some of the passengers, Dinwoodie, left behind asleep in a drunken stupor, apparently woke up sufficiently enough to attempt the walk and fell from the 30-metre-tall bridge. The suit was thrown out. (Edmonton Bulletin, Oc. 27, 1910)

--------- end of Dinwoodie's bio -------

memory of Pofi was shared later:

an obituary of sorts for the Patrons of Industry was written in 1903 in an account of reminiscences of the old log Horse Hills schoolhouse.

"The Patrons of Industry held their meetings there while the order existed, and at one time looked as if they would make the crooked straight. Many fiery speeches were made denouncing trusts and combines by speakers who declared that the Patrons would reign until all their enemies were put under their feet. But disagreements took place and the order - alas! - collapsed." xtrusts In a humorous vein, the writer then turned to election meetings held old log Horse Hills schoolhouse that drew crowds of farmers, who "listened with 'arms akimbo and mouths a-gog' to the stories of the wily politicians." (Edmonton Bulletin, March 7, 1903)

(this write-up also described how in the old schoolhouse, young lads were shown "Ten Nights in A Bar-room" with what future effect is still unknown.)

(Edmonton Bulletin, March 7, 1903)

--------------------------------------

George Wrigley

George Wrigley, Ontario Socialist and Patrons of Industry organizer, travelled across Prairies in summer of 1899 and decided to move west to BC --------Wrigley ---------- George Wrigley (1847-1907)

publisher of the Canada Farmers' Sun (a Patron publication) and Social justice worked with T. Phillips Thompson and others in Toronto said farmers and workers must stand together had conviction that "the tillers and the toilers are in perfect harmony" (DCB George Wrigley website)

after being pushed out of the Sun, he published Citizen and Country whose themes were Single Tax, land nationalization, equal suffrage, 8-hour day, opposition to militarism, including Canada's participation in the Boer War. Christian Socialism

summer of 1899 travelled across Prairies and decided to move west

1902 established on Vancouver Island. died in 1907

(DCB George Wrigley)

[see Wrigley State of Socialism computer file]

--------end of Wrigley -------- -----------------------

Overview

"Co-operation will only go so far, but leaves the reins of power with the capitalist, who then controls the means of production and distribution." Same as for tariffs - "Britain has free trade, but the exploitation of the masses there goes merrily on." ... If you study the forces of economic determinism, you would see that the the robbery of farmers and workers is at the point of production. The Grain Growers [in 1910] were just where the Grange had been 40 years before. Forty years ago, Farmers belonging to the Grange attended meetings then went to stores and realized nothing had changed so they started their own stores. They tried to stop the exploitation at the point of consumption instead of the point of production. If co-operation will stop the robbery of the workers, why is it that residents of Germany, Sweden and Denmark largely belong to the Socialist Party?

Then came the Patrons of Industry. Their economics were faulty, and they dealt with the effects rather than the cause and died by fighting with the capitalist.

Then came the Populists and they lost their identity as the PI had done.

Then came the Sons [Societies?] of Equity of the old school of economics. They died with the dry rot.

"Then the Grain Growers' Association [which] thinks it expresses the economic expression of the farmers. But keeps out of politics, lets the capitalist shackle the masses more strongly. Begging on your knees of the powers in office. It deals with the effects, instead of the cause, of your exploitation as its predecessors did, while leaving the reins of government in the hands of the exploiting class. The Grain Growers cannot afford to ignore the philosophy of Socialism. Socialism is only the producing class expressing their interest scientifically as the hand writing on the wall, steadily educating the masses."

(Thos. Fowlston, of Eyebrow, Saskatchewan, GGG, Dec. 7, 1910, p. 16, 17)

=====

LEFT OVERVIEW 1890s “The many farmers’ parties and labour parties in the Dominion in the 1890s [such as the Knights of Labor, the Toronto Trades and Labour Council and Patrons of Industry] were certainly “not red” but they had within them stalwarts of a different social and political order. The organizational form and ideological content of first formation socialism were deeply related. Socialism might be accelerated or impeded by a party, but in this formation it could hardly be constructed by one. Only the working class taking ownership of what was rightfully its own, could construct socialism. To seize power either through parliamentary or extra-parliamentary means, was not really in these parties’ job description. They were much more like association or clubs than they were either “fighting weapons of the working class” aiming to achieve dictatorship of the proletariat, or “broad alliances of progressives” hoping to win parliamentary power.” Canadian left parties, unlike European parties of the time, engaged more in education than bureaucratic decision-making. (McKay, Reasoning Otherwise, p. 128-129, 552)

Prior to the First World War, there was very little socialist activity in Canada at all. So a “Red West” to a “conservative east” dichotomy does not stand up. However, all the socialists elected to legislatures in Canada before 1914 were elected in the West. Co-operatives were very important on the Prairies in the pre-war years. The supporters of co-operatives believed co-ops were: 1. an aid to specific groups or classes such as fruit-growers of Nova Scotia 2. a way to address a particular abuse of injustice (retail stores established on the Rochdale basis would cut out monopolists and middlemen) 3. a way to “undertake the complete reformation of society.”

(MacPherson, Each for All, p. 8, 46) (McKay, Reasoning Otherwise, p. 199)

====

Henry Wrixon

in his 1896 book Socialism - Being Notes on a Journey, noted that the Canadian people seemed to be of "solid, industrious, self-respecting type, self-reliant, and not apt to be carried away by delusions and vain cries. Perhaps the long winter, compelling as it does, individual foresight, energetic industry during the time of the year available for outdoor work and home life, partly explains it. Snow, it is said, is essential to civilization."

Touching on the issue of abolition of the Senate, Wrixon observed that democracies were tiring of the numerous legislatures and officials, with the related expenses and elections and feeling liberty to be secure, turn rather towards some central single authority that would do the work necessary for the State and leave them alone...Some of the provinces here have dispensed with the Upper house.. and are in the position that whoever gets a majority in the one chamber [the provincial legislative assembly, for example] can carry directly anything he pleases within the limits of legislation, allowed by the constitution. There is no independent executive to check it, as in the U.S. [presidential veto].

..This would seem to carry the danger of abuse as it eliminated constitutional opposition and that delay that has been said to be the essence of the British constitution.. [A Canadian businessman was consulted and affirmed the system, saying] "Once you give everyone the vote, then it is idle to talk of checks. Delay only irritates the majority and relieves them of the sense of responsibility for what is done. You cannot permanently stop them, by modifying and delaying you only share responsibility with them. Let them do what they think best, and learn from experience. The more you stop them, the more determined they become to get on."

Wrixon noted that "the feeling of absolutism is bad for any man or assembly and perhaps not every community may be strong enough to afford the experiment."

"...Turning now to the social aspects of Canada, we observe that the basic conditions of democracies in our time are the same...wherever power passes into the hands of the people, they naturally use it so as to ameliorate their lot. Hence general education, labour legislation broadening into Socialistic lines, taxation imposed at the expense of the classes in the interest of the masses, and a common straining upward from the conditions of mere labour mark all democratic communities wherever situated. These also prevail in Canada, but not to the same extent as they do in poorer countries or countries with a more impetuous class of people. They still depend more on private enterprise than on the State,... yet at Winnipeg recently there was a deputation of the unemployed to the city authorities.. And I observed a candidate call for a eight-hour day for labour in all government and municipal works to be set by law. In some of the large cities there are branches of the Knights of Labour and also other Socialist bodies, who use the same watchwords as in other lands as the wrong of capital and the injustice of wealth.

One pamphlet I saw in Toronto was addressed to the 'Workers of Canada' and spoke of 'The Wealth Producers, Wealth Wasters and Wealth Robbers of Canada.' And how 'the workers are ground down and made the slaves of the capitalist class', 'the capitalist is the robber of wealth, and the land and water grabber is the robber of the community or state, and the politicians who aid and abet are accomplices of the thieves.'

The remedy it proposed was wealth should belong to those who create it, and the natural objects without which man cannot live should be the property of the community or state.'..There had been an election in Ontario at which 13 "patrons of labour" [sic Patrons of Industry] or semi-Socialists had been elected to the local legislatures out of some 40 candidates who had stood for office in their interest. But...these views had in no part of Canada the same support from the working class they have in every part of Europe.

And Quebec, Wrixon said, was an island almost medieval in tone and free from discontent. He recalled that "in 1791, when England gave to Canada a new constitution, Burke asked the British government 'not to ship off for Canada a cargo of the rights of man'. Such a consignment was never sent to Quebec... I never met in any community so much willing deference paid to the authority of religion as here...

The peasantry in this province do not envy others for being better off than they are, and they struggle on with the difficulties of this life with a patience that springs from a belief in another... As far as I could learn or see there was no socialism in Quebec. The Roman Catholic Church undoubtedly condemns it; although the concern it always expresses for the poor and its denunciations of the selfishness of the rich has led some people to question that fact...[But] it represses any socialist tendencies and preaches contentment under the troubles of this life and to live in the hope of a better. ...

The new [socialist] order may learn something from the old - that there are principles active in human nature that powerfully influence human conduct, which do not centre all in the enjoyments of this life; that to ignore these in any scheme of human government is to ignore a large part of man, and that there may be a contentment, even under privations, that no amount of the goods of this life will alone secure, as the discontent and unhappiness of many of the rich among us abundantly proves."

(Wrixon, Socialism - Being Notes on a Journey, p. 49-64 (U of A Library CIHM microfiche/internet))

============================

1904 Alberta Farmers of Alberta founded

The Society of Equity also had branches in the Edmonton area from about 1900 to 1909.

=================