Macdonald and Beyond

1. Macdonald and Beyond

2. MACDONALD IN 1887 • MACDONALD WON ANOTHER ELECTION IN 1887 BY A COUNT OF 123-92 • HE WAS IN JEOPARDY HEADING INTO THE ELECTION • VILIFIED IN QUEBEC FOR KILLING RIEL • NATIONAL POLICY WAS NOT HELPING THE ECONOMY IN THE MARITIMES

3. CONT… • EVEN IN ONTARIO THERE WAS SOME ANTI MACDONALD SENTIMENT • WANTED SPECIAL RIGHTS BECAUSE IT WAS THE “MOST IMPORTANT” PROVINCE • ALMOST EVERY PROVINCE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT BEFORE THE ELECTION OF 1887 • BUT MACDONALD STILL WON

4. BLAKE AND LIBERALS • MACDONALD’S WIN CAN LARGELY BE ATTRIBUTED TO EDWARD BLAKE’S INABILITY TO UNITE THE LIBERALS • BLAKE BECAME LIBERAL LEADER AFTER THE RESIGNATION OF ALEXANDER MACKENZIE IN 1880

5. EDWARD BLAKE LIBERAL LEADER BUT NEVER ELECTED PM

6. BLAKE & LIBS. CONT… • THE LIBERAL PARTY REALLY DOES NOT EXIST AT THIS POINT • MACKENZIE ALLIED A GROUP OF NON CONSERVATIVES TO SECURE VICTORY AFTER THE PACIFIC SCANDAL • SINCE THEN THE LIBERALS ARE A LOOSE COALITION OF PARTIES THAT DO NOT UNITE FULLY ON ALL ISSUES • THIS KILLS THEM IN THE ELECTIONS OF 1882 AND 1887

7. LIBERALS SQUABBALING • SOME LIBERALS FAVOURED RECIPROCITY TO THE US, OTHERS IMPERIAL UNIONS WITH THE BRITISH COMMONWEALTH • THUS THERE WAS NO SET POLICY THAT OPPOSED THE CONSERVATIVE NATIONAL POLICY • IN THE MATTER OF RIEL, MANY LIBERALS VOTED TO HANG LOUIS RIEL INCLUDING BLAKE HIMSELF • THIS ROBBED THE LIBERALS OF BEING THE VOICE FOR QUEBEC

8. BLAKE’S MISTAKES • AFTER THE RIEL EXECUTION, THE HOUSE HAD A MOTION BEFORE IT TO EXPRESS REGRET THAT RIEL HAD BEEN EXECUTED • IT WAS A FREE VOTE, SO MANY CONSERVATIVES FROM QUEBEC VOTED IN FAVOUR, MANY ENGLISH LIBERALS VOTED AGAINST IT. • THIS SHOWS BLAKE’S INABILITY TO WIN SUPPORT FROM A CRISIS FACING THE CONSERVATIVES. HE SHOULD HAVE PLAYED THIS TO THE HILT • INSTEAD HE VOTES WITH THE “KILLERS OF RIEL”

9. LAURIER STANDS UP • ONE YOUNG LIBERAL HOWEVER DID RISE, GAVE AN IMPASSIONED SPEECH, CONDEMNING MACDONALD AND ENGLISH CANADA • IN THIS SPEECH HE SAID THAT MACDONALD HAD USED THE RIEL NORTH WEST REBELLION TO DRAW ATTENTION TO THE NEED FOR THE RAILWAY • HE WENT ON TO SAY THAT THE GOV’T OF MACDONALD FOSTERED THE REBELLION BY YEARS OF NEGLECT. • THIS MAN SPOKE SO ELOQUENTLY THAT MANY IN THE LIBERAL CAUCUS ESPECIALLY FROM QUEBEC SAW HIM AS THEIR FUTURE. • THIS MAN WAS WILFRID LAURIER

11. LAURIER CONT… • BLAKE HAS NOW LOST TWO ELECTIONS AND THE LIBERALS LOOK FOR A NEW LEADER • BLAKE HIMSELF SEES THE FUTURE OF THE LIBERAL PARTY IN LAURIER • LAURIER IS PICKED TO REPLACE THE AGING AND NOW THE TWICE DEFEATED EDWARD BLAKE AND ASSUMES THE MANTLE OF LEADERSHIP IN 1887

12. MACDONALD’S REIGN • MACDONALD FACES MANY PROBLEMS THIS TIME • THE ECONOMY IS STILL SLOW SO HE BEGINS TO CONSIDER LETTING GO OF THE NATIONAL POLICY IN FAVOUR OF FREE TRADE • HOWEVER THE U.S.A. STILL DOESN’T AGREE SO MACDONALD REVERTS BACK TO THE NATIONAL POLICY

13. 1888: THE JESUIT ESTATES ACT • JESUITS HAD LARGE LAND GRANTS • AFTER THE FALL OF NEW FRANCE THE LAND WAS TAKEN BY THE BRITISH • OVER 400,000 DOLLARS WAS TO BE DISTRIBUTED IN VARIOUS MANNERS TO COMPENSATE THE JESUITS

14. J.E.A. CONT… • ONTARIO OPPOSES THIS ACT AND CALL FOR MACDONALD TO DISALLOW IT • MACDONALD DID NOT WANT TO FURTHER ANTAGONIZE QUE AND ROMAN CATHOLICS SO IN THE END HE ALLOWED THE ACT TO STAND

15. J.E.A. EFFECTS • ONTAIRO: • ANGRY WITH MACDONALD FOR LETTING THE ACT PASS • QUEBEC: • SEES THAT IT HAS NO FRIENDS IN ONT. OR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT • THIS REKINDLES THE DEMAND FOR A DISTINCT SOCIETY

16. MACDONALD’S REIGN CONT… • OTHER THAN THESE HURDLES (RECIPROCITY FAILURE AND JESUIT ESTATES ACT) LITTLE HAPPENS IN 1887-1891 • THERE IS THE MANITOBA SCHOOL’S ACT, BUT IT HOLDS LITTLE SWAY IN THE 1892 ELECTION

17. 1891 ELECTION • LIBERALS HAVE NEW LEADER, SO THERE WILL BE A REAL ELECTION FOR THE FIRST TIME BETWEEN TWO UNIFIED POLITICAL PARTIES. • WHILE LIBS WIN IN QUE, THEY FAIL TO UNIFY THE COUNTRY AGAINST MACDONALD

18. 1891 CONT… • BY THIS TIME MACDONALD HAS BEEN IN POWER SINCE 1878 A PERIOD OF 13 YEARS. BEFORE THAT HE WAS IN POWER FROM 1867-1873 • MACDONALD WAS 75 YEARS OLD, AND CAMPAIGNED ON THE SLOGAN THE OLD MAN, THE OLD FLAG, AND THE OLD POLICY

20. PLATFORMS • LAURIER HAD ESPOUSED CLOSER TIES TO U.S.A. AND FREE TRADE. • MACDONALD SAID CLOSER TIES MEANT ANNEXATION SO PLAYED THE LOYALTY TO BRITAIN AND FEAR OF U.S.A. CARD • HE EQUATED LAURIER TO SOMEONE WHO WOULD SELL OUT THE INTERESTS OF THE NATION TO THE AMERICANS

21. 1891 RESULTS • IN END CONSERVATIVES WIN 123-92 • LAURIER LEARNED A VALUABLE LESSON THAT DAY: • NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF THE LOBBY OF BIG BUSINESS • AND THAT THE COUNTRY WAS STILL LEARY OF MOVING TOWARD THE USA

22. MACDONALD PASSES • MACDONALD SERVES LITTLE OF HIS MANDATE • HE IS OLD AND THE CAMPAIGN WORE HIM OUT • WITHIN WEEKS OF HIS VICTORY HE SUFFERS A SERIES OF STROKES • HE DIES 3 MONTHS AFTER ELECTION

23. SCENE FROM MACDONALD’S FUNERAL

24. CONSERVATIVE LEADERSHIP? • WHO TO LEAD? • D’ALTON MCCARTHY? • NOPE- TOO CONTROVERSIAL • JOHN THOMPSON? • NOPE- TOO CATHOLIC • JOHN ABBOTT? • SURE, WHY NOT?

25. JOHN ABBOTT: 1891-1892 • HE IS A SENATOR SO COULD NOT EVEN ENTER THE HOUSE • HIS ADMINISTRATION WAS ONLY TEMPORARY, AND HE REALLY DID NOT WANT THE JOB • ABBOTT HIMSELF STATED THAT THE ONLY REASON HE WAS HERE WAS BECAUSE HE WAS PARTICULARLY OBNOXIOUS TO NO ONE

26. JOHN ABBOTT

27. JOHN ABBOTT CONT… • WHILE PM FOR ONLY 17 MONTHS HE DID REFORM THE CIVIL SERVICE MAKING IT A MORE PROFESSIONAL GROUP WITH LESS PATRONAGE • HE WAS LESS SUCCESSFUL BRIDGING THE GAP OVER THE MANITOBA SCHOOLS QUESTION • HIS ABILITY CAN BEST BE SUMMED UP BY THE FACT THAT DURING HIS SHORT REIGN THE CONSERVATIVE PARTY WON 42 OF 52 BYE ELECTIONS

28. JOHN THOMPSON: 1892-1894 • WITHIN A YEAR AND A HALF ABBOTT HAD RESIGNED CITING ILL HEALTH IN 1892 • AT THIS POINT THE CONSERVATIVES STILL HAVE NO ONE, SO THEY GO TO THOMPSON DESPITE HIS CATHOLICISM • THOMPSON HAD REALLY BEEN RUNNING THE SHOW SINCE 1891 ANYWAY, SO THEY GAVE HIM THE MANTLE OF PM

29. JOHN THOMPSON

30. THOMPSON CONT… • HE WAS ONLY 47 AND WAS FIRST MARITIMER TO BE PM • FROM HALIFAX THOMPSON HAD BEEN A FORMER SUPREME COURT JUDGE AND WAS HAND PICKED BY MACDONALD TO BE CABINET MINISTER • HE PASSED THE CRIMINAL CODE OF CANADA ACT ESTABLISHING FOR THE FIRST TIME A CODIFIED SYSTEM OF LAWS IN THE COUNTRY

31. MACKENZIE BOWELL: 1894-1896 • THOMSON DIES OF A HEART ATTACK WHILE BEING KNIGHTED IN ENGLAND • NOW WHO WILL BE PM? • G.G. WANTED BOWELL, BUT HE WAS A SENATOR • CONSERVATIVES WANTED TUPPER • BOWELL WAS CHOSEN

32. MACKENZIE BOWELL

33. THE BOWELL MOVEMENT • BECAUSE HE WAS FROM THE SENATE, AND NOT THE CHOICE OF THE PARTY HIS LEADERSHIP WAS NEVER SUPPORTED • WHEN THAT HAPPENS YOUR LEADERSHIP CANNOT SURVIVE • IN FACT HIS CABINET REVOLTED OVER THE MANITOBA SCHOOLS QUESTION • BOWELL WAS OUSTED IN 1896

34. CHARLES TUPPER: 1896 • 1896 SIR CHARLES TUPPER RETURNS FROM LONDON POSTING TO ASSUME ROLE OF PM • HE IS FATHER OF CONFEDERATION AND MARITIMER BUT OLD AND WITH NO TIME TO PREPARE BEFORE THE ELECTION IN 1896 • IN FACT TUPPER SERVES AS PM FOR ONLY 10 WEEKS THE SHORTEST TERM IN HISTORY

35. CHARLES TUPPER

36. 1896 ELECTIONS • AS THE 1896 ELECTION COMES ABOUT, THE CONSERVATIVES HAVE GONE THROUGH 5 LEADERS IN 5 YEARS • NO LONGER CAN THEY BE CALLED A UNITED PARTY, NOR CAN THEY CALL ON LOYALTY TO THEIR FOUNDER • BY NOW LAURIER HAS UNITED THE LIBERALS

37. LAURIER WINS! • IN END THE LIBERALS GET THEIR FIRST ELECTION VICTORY SINCE MACKENZIE’S OF 1874 • NOW WILFRID LAURIER TAKES OVER THE REINS OF THE PRIME MINISTER’S OFFICE • LAURIER’S FIRST TEST WILL BE THE MANITOBA SCHOOLS QUESTION