John A. Macdonald’s Greatest Triumph

GORDON STEWART John A. Macdonald's Greatest Triumph INJULY1885 Prime MinisterJohn A. Macdonaldwrote to Charles Tupper: 'I considerthe passage of the FranchiseBill the greatest triumphof mylife." Thiswasacurious choice indeed,giventhemany andcomplexpoliticalvictories he had gainedin overforty yearsof politics. Macdonald's frankadmission toTupperabout thesignificance of the 1885franchiselegislation may,however,clarifysomeof our viewsof Macdonald'scareer. After all, he was not a young and inexperienced politician butrathera partyleaderandprimeminister steeled bymanyyearsof partisan battles andtemperedbymanymajor policycrises. It is,therefore,reasonable to suppose that he did not maketheobservation withoutgivingsomethoughtto it. In Macdonald 's mindthefranchise legislation waslinkedwithhistwomajorpolicy initiatives, the nationalpolicyand the buildingof the GPR, both of whichwerein difficulties and requiredtimeto provethemselves. In 1881he had written that his'remainingambitionis to seethat our policyisnotreversedandthat theNationalPolicyandthe Canadian Pacific Railroadaresafefrom 1883to 1888. '• In September 1885he madetheconnection moreexplicit: 'WiththeCanadian Pacific Railway finished andmyFranchise Billbecome law,'hetoldLordCarnarvon, 'I feel that I havedone my work and can singmy nuncdimittis. '• To protect thesepolicies, to givethemtimeto mature,meant,of course, keeping theLiberal-Conservative partyin power.Oneareabecoming increasingly vulnerable bythemid 188o's waselectoral management. Macdonald toCharles Tupper,•7 July1885,in DonaldG.Creighton, John A.Macdonald : theOldChieftain (Toronto 1955),4e7 Ibid., 313 Macdonald toCarnarvon, 8 Sept.1885,inJoseph Pope,Memoirs ofthe Rt.Hon. SirJohn A.Macdonald (Toronto•9e•), 6•6 Canadian Historical Review, LXIII, 1, 198e OOO83755 /8•/O3OO-OOO3 $O 1,25/O¸UniversityofTorontoPress 4 THE CANADIAN HISTORICAL REVIEW The voters' lists used in federal elections, under the terms of the Confederationsettlement,were composedand validatedby the provincial governments. By thistime the MowatLiberals werewell entrenchedin the pivotal electoralprovinceof Ontario, where Mowat'spatronagenetworkwasextendinga comprehensive influence .Macdonald,relyingon the 'sheetanchor'of Quebec,always regardedOntarioasthekeybattleground in federalelections. 4The more influencethe provincialLiberal administrationhad over the voters'lists,the more difficult it would be for the federal Conservatives to hold their own in Ontario. Macdonald understood thesignificance ofinfluence overthevoters' lists,particularlywhen it wasnot a questionof sweeping all the constituencies butofholdingontoenoughseats toallowthephalanx of Quebec•a•'s to keepthepartyin power.Majorities in elections of the •88osweresmallbymorerecentstandards, withfewerthan•ooof a majoritybeingcommonand over •oo considered safe.Temporary disfranchisement, delaysin validatingnamesfor technical reasons (insufficient proofof ageor identityor mistakes in completing the forms)questionable qualifications (aswith Indian votersin several Ontarioridings) couldhaveanimpact inmanyconstituencies. • Control of the listswould certainlyhelp in underminingthe moraleand organization of theopposition. Underthetermsof thefranchise bill, uniformlistsfor federalelections weretobedrawnup,andweretobe validatedby federally-appointed officerswho were to be county judges, juniorcounty judges, or,failingthose options, local barristers. Thispolicygavetheappearance of impartialitybutsince therevising officers werealltobeappointed byMacdonald, theLiberalopposition reacted vehemently, charging thatthewholeexercise was designed to give the Conservatives undue influenceover the lists.Both sides regarded theissue assocritical thatthedebate intheCommons became 4 'Ontarioasusualwillbethebattleground.' Macdonald toJohnRose, Ottawa,5 March•872, inJoseph Pope,Correspondence ofSirJohn Macdonald (Toronto•92•), •3•-3; J.K.Johnson, 'John A. Macdonald,' inJ.M.S.Careless, ed.,The PreConfederation Premiers: Ontario Government Leaders •84•- •867(Toronto•98o),• •9 5 In the •886parliamentary session theLiberals broughtforwardspecific charges which, theyalleged, proved thatrevising officers appointed under thelegislation hadmanipulated thelists. Theunquestioned acceptance of Indianvoters was a particularly sore point withtheLiberals. Theyalso cited thecase ofarevising officer who,uponreceiving 'theLiberal list...called intohisoffice theleading Conservatives ofthelocality andconsulted withthemuponthesubject.' SeeCanada, House ofCommons, Debates, xxI, •886,43-54;XXII,1886,1749--5 •' Thefactthateach party worked uptheirownlists made theroleoftherevising officer acritical one. MACDONALD'S GREATEST TRIUMPH 5 thelongest andmost bittersince Confederation. 6Bothparties were convinced thatthelegislation wouldhaveameasurable impact ontheir abilityto holdor winpowerin Ottawa. Because the legislation wasof suchbasic importance, Macdonald tookpainsto ensurethattheappointment of revising officers would meettheneeds of theConservative party.He conducted anextensive correspondence with Conservative •a•,s and nationalandlocalparty notables tocheck onthecredentials ofpotentialappointees. In Ontario county,for instance,he askedFrank Madill, a locallyprominent Conservative barrister,to report on the situation.After consulting partyactivists, MadillinformedMacdonald that'ourfriendsthinkthe honours should be divided in this case.' For West Ontario he recommended N.J.Patterson, Qc,ratherthanthelocal judge.7W.H. Gibbs,the former Conservative •a•,,addedhissupportfor Patterson, warning Macdonald 'entrenous...nottoappoint JudgeBurhamwhoI feelsure isnotwithus. 'sIn thecase of Brome county, Quebec, the revisingofficerwasappointedafter Macdonaldhad consulted R.J. White, managingeditor of the MontrealGazette. White in turn had talked to H.S. Foster,'probablyour strongest, certainlythe most personally popularmanin Brome.'The appointment of theWhiteFoster nominee (J.M.Lefebvre), WhitetoldMacdonald, 'willgivethe utmostsatisfaction.' Lefebvrewasappointedin October1885.9Even beforethe1885parliamentary session hadendedMacdonald hadbeen asking •a•,s whotheywouldlike'tohaveappointed asRevising Officer' fortheirridings.•ø Information also came to Macdonald direct from leaders of local party associations. In...