Clifford Sifton, II: The Lonely Eminence 1901–1929 by D.J. Hall (review)

116 THE CANADIAN HISTORICAL REVIEW CliffordSifton,•: TheLonely Eminence •9o•-•9•9. r•.j. •ni•i•. Vancouver: University of BritishColumbiaPress•985. Pp.459, illus. Thesecond volume ofDavidHall'sbiography ofCanada's mostsuccessful but also highly controversial minister oftheinteriortakes upthestory in •9ø•. The majorthemes dealtwitharethecontroversial andpatronage-riddled administration oftheYukonTerritory,theorganization anduseoftheLiberalparty 'machine,' Sifton'srole in the AlaskaBoundaryDispute,the policyand administrative arrangementswithin the Department of the Interior which facilitated massive western immigration andsettlement, Sifton's controversial resignation fromthecabinet in •9o5andhissubsequent political forays inthe •9• • reciprocity debate,theconscription anduniongovernment measure of •9•7, andaschairmanof theConservation Commission. Readers will be particularly interested to read Hall'sinterpretation of Sifton's resignation from thecabinetin •9o5. He clearlydemonstrates thata basic difference of opinionovertheschool clauses oftheAutonomy billswas indeedthe immediatereasonfor the resignation. He carefullytracesthe history ofthatissue, andbothSifton's andLaurier's positions, notwithstanding laterself-serving primeministerial explanations. He quiteproperlymentions, but payslittle further attentionto, the rumourscirculating in Ottawaand published byBobEdwards oftheCalgary Eyeopener charging thatcorruption or sexualscandals werethe real causeof the resignation. Edwards regularly exploredthe outerlimitsof Canada's libellaws,and Siftonwasan inviting targetwhoneversued.Edwards providedentertainment andtitillationin his time,and morerecentlyfodderfor pop historians like PierreBerton,but factualaccuracy wasnot the distinguishing featureof the Eyeopener. Hall's scholarly judgment onthissubject issimple. 'Nothing hadbeenproven and... such (sexual) behaviour fromSiftonwasunlikely.'(•8o). Sifton's relations withLaurierandJ.W.Dafoeareoutlined withgreatcare and skill.Thesewere strongand self-confident men who respected each other and entered into vigorousdiscussions. Dafoe clearlywasnot the syncophant PierreBertonportrays, but he did receivecarefulanddetailed instructions, and disagreement over reciprocityin •9 • • took a week of intensive discussion andnumerous letters beforethetwomenfinallyagreed to disagree. The brilliance of PrimeMinisterLaurier,aswellastherot,corruption , and internal divisionsof the administration were all well knownto Sifton, whocametoregardLaurierasanoftensickly combination of Machiavelli and Sir Galahad. Sifton's role in the •9• • reciprocity debateis fairly wellknown,but his actions in the •9•7 conscription anduniongovernment discussions appear contradictory anddifficulttoexplain.Hall provides alltheavailable evidence andoffersan explanation whichiscertainly notheroic,but seems plausible REVIEWS 117 enoughwhenconsidering that SiftonregardedbothLaurier and Bordenas dubious andprobablyincompetent administrators. Hall has written an excellent,well-documentedand carefully argued politicalbiography.Siftonwas,however,alsoa businessman who acquired greatwealth.Hewassecretive abouthisbusiness ventures, andleftfewrelevant private business papers. Hall provides anumberof tantalizing bitsandpieces of informationaboutSifton'sbusiness activities, but no comprehensive or authoritative pictureemerges.In part this is certainlydue to the limited information available. Oneobviously cannotfaultanhistorianfor refusingto gowherehissources failhim.Somecriticism isnevertheless possible. Hall has notexaminedcollections of companydocuments pertainingto industries in which Sifton was known to be active. The facts of Sifton's involvement in the controversial GeorgianBay Canalproject,for example,are given,but the largerandmorecomplexissues surroundinghydroelectric developments in the •92osaresummarized in a rathercursory manner.This stands in sharp contrast tothecomprehensive treatmentof issues suchastheschool clauses. Similarly, Siftoninvested inwestern lands,butnocomprehensive treatmentof western landspeculation isprovided.It isnotlikely,however, thatadditional historical information on the businessesthat Sifton became involved in would providea comprehensive pictureof hisfinances, butit mighthelpreadersto understand betterhowmoneywasin factmadein thosedays. Asapolitical biography thevolume isexcellent. The research isexceptionally thorough,and presented in a balanced andcomprehensive manner.This biographycertainlyincreasesour knowledgeand understandingof an exceptionally importantpoliticianin a periodof veryrapid nationalgrowth and development. ProfessorHall hassucceeded brilliantlyin a difficult and challenging task. TEO REGEI•R University ofSaskatchewan Frederick Haultain: Frontier Statesman ofthe Canadian Northwest. GRANT MACEWAN. Saskatoon: Western Producer PrairieBooks•985. Pp.viii, •98. $•2.95 'GrantMacEwan,'states the blurb on the cover,'isat hisbestwhenrescuing frontierpersonalities from undeserved obscurity.' The latest'lost'persontobe sorescued isSirFrederickHaultain(•857-•94•), thedominantfigurein the politicsof the North-West Territories before •9o5, first leader of the opposition inSaskatchewan (to•9••), chiefjustice ofSaskatchewan (• 9••-38), andchancellor of the Universityof Saskatchewan (•9•7-38). MacEwanisat least acapable raconteur andretailerof themythology of western history, and thebookisapleasant introduction tothebasic knownfacts of Haultain's life. For those familiar with the literature, however, there is little that is new. ...