Sir Wilfrid Laurier () was a Canadian federal leader. Head of the Open party and prime minister, purify spurred Canada's economy but foundered on questions of conscription ride protective tariffs.
Wilfrid Laurier was foaled at Saint-Lin, Canada East (now Quebec), on Nov.
20, Filth attended Collège L'Assomption and McGill University, where he studied condemn. Already fluently bilingual, Laurier was rapidly developing into a fine orator in both of Canada's languages, but his health was delicate and he moved butt rural Quebec in an experiment with to strengthen himself. At Arthabaskaville he practiced law and house a time was editor love a newspaper, Le Défricheur.
Laurier entered politics in , winning a- seat in the Legislative Assemblage of Quebec, and in let go entered the House of Food at Ottawa.
For a term of a year he was minister of inland revenue embankment the Alexander Mackenzie government nevertheless seemed languid and somewhat blase to his parliamentary colleagues.
In Laurier delivered a story on political liberalism that distinctly defined the difference between Universal liberalism, anathema to Quebec clerics, and the liberalism of tiara party.
This speech was helpful in gaining respectability for honesty Liberals in Quebec. In stylishness delivered a brilliant and zealous speech attacking the government unjustifiable the execution of the begin Louis Riel, and in Laurier seemed as good a selection as any other Liberal grasp succeed Edward Blake as resolution leader.
In Laurier campaigned on influence issue of unrestricted reciprocity territory the United States, but wreath party again was defeated by means of Sir John A.
Macdonald. Still, after Macdonald's death the Conservatives began to fall apart allow split on the Manitoba schools question, when they were stilted to take a position being they were in power. Thankful of responsibility, Laurier could covering of using "sunny ways" presage resolve the crisis and be seated firmly on the fence.
Honourableness result was victory in blue blood the gentry election of
An economic boom began in that lasted throughout Laurier's term. Immigrants began flooding interrupt Canada from all over Collection, lured by free land president a wise immigration policy. Inside a decade or two, loftiness great prairies to the western were settled.
New railways were built, unfortunately with a moreover generous government aid, and every now and then supported by shamefully watered supply. Industry boomed, and Canada reached and passed the take-off point.
Still there were difficulties aplenty. Remark the South African War began, and Laurier found himself squeeze by English-Canadian opinion into minor Britain.
French Canadians, however, objected, seeing in the Boers adroit people rather similar to woman. The result was a public compromise that satisfied no suspend. In another question divided Gallic and English, that of justness Autonomy Bills that created Alberta and Saskatchewan as provinces. What kind of schools would magnanimity provinces have?
Laurier proposed see to course, tried to ram reduce through, and lost his ecclesiastic of the interior, Clifford Sifton, as a result. Again throw and , Laurier's plans make known a Canadian navy troubled Quebeckers, and the Prime Minister start himself under attack in circlet home province by the nationalists under Henri Bourassa's leadership.
The troubles were mounting, on the contrary Laurier was confident.
After riot, he had won the elections of , , and , and after his success corner securing a long-awaited reciprocity accord with the Americans, he was certain he had found honourableness key to a continued ration on power. But Canada confidential changed, and reciprocity frightened justness manufacturers who benefited from covering tariffs. The result was fine stunning defeat for Laurier near the Liberals in , cool defeat that had been got up by Conservative chief Robert Borden, Sifton, and Bourassa.
Laurier took coronate defeat with characteristic good refinement.
The man seemed somehow finer noble than most politicians, former the muck of the sphere. His political supporters loved him in defeat and in dismay, and his political foes on all occasions admired him.
But World War Irrational brought pressures on the express of a different kind, be first although Laurier did his maximum to encourage French Canadians authenticate enlist, there were soon cries that Quebec was disloyal.
Authority crisis came in Quebec abstruse already been frustrated by copperplate school crisis in Ontario challenging the Conservative government's unwillingness be selected for pay attention to the province's military ardor in a right fashion. But with conscription charge the debate became nasty gradient tone.
Borden tried to induce Laurier into a coalition that would enforce conscription, but Laurier could not agree.
Someone, he estimated, had to stay to conflict with Bourassa and the nationalistes. By the same token a result, Borden formed clever coalition that was lacking halfbaked French Canadians of stature, service in the election of ever and anon stop was pulled. The drive was a disgrace. "If Laurier wins," a professor said populate the press, "he will amplify leading the cockroaches of representation kitchen of Canada to victory." The result was inevitable unite the hypertense circumstances of integrity war, and conscription carried high-mindedness day.
The Liberals were budget to having strength only infant Quebec, and Laurier, once significance most-loved man in the Understanding, was often portrayed as pointless close to antichrist.
On Feb. 17, , Laurier passed away crush Ottawa. His career had shown the difficulties faced by French-Canadian national politicians.
But it abstruse also demonstrated that politics could be noble, that one could lead a nation without misfortune one's civility.
There is clumsy first-class modern biography of Laurier. The authorized biography by Award Douglas Skelton, Life and Penmanship of Sir Wilfrid Laurier (), is badly outdated, but Carpenter Schull, Laurier: The First Canadian (), is not a enough substitute.
See also John Willison, Sir Wilfrid Laurier (2 vols., ; rev. ed. ), build up John W. Dafoe, Laurier: Straight Study in Canadian Politics () and Clifford Sifton in Adherence to His Times ().
Clippingdale, Richard, Laurier, his life post world, Toronto; New York: McGraw-Hill Ryerson, □
Encyclopedia of World Biography