Arthur Meighen
QC | |
---|---|
9th Prime Minister of Canada | |
In office June 29, 1926 – September 25, 1926 | |
Monarch | George V |
Governor General | The Lord Byng of Vimy |
Preceded by | W. L. Mackenzie King |
Succeeded by | W. L. Mackenzie King |
In office July 10, 1920 – December 29, 1921 | |
Monarch | George V |
Governors General |
|
Preceded by | Superintendent-General of Indian Affairs |
In office October 12, 1917 – July 10, 1920 | |
Prime Minister | Robert Borden |
Preceded by | William James Roche |
Succeeded by | James Alexander Lougheed |
Solicitor General of Canada | |
In office June 26, 1913 – October 3, 1917 | |
Prime Minister | Robert Borden |
Preceded by | vacant |
Succeeded by | Hugh Guthrie (acting) |
Member of the House of Commons of Canada | |
In office January 26, 1922 – September 14, 1926 | |
In office October 26, 1908 – December 6, 1921 | |
Personal details | |
Born | Anderson, Ontario, Canada | June 16, 1874
Died | August 5, 1960 Toronto, Ontario, Canada | (aged 86)
Resting place | St. Marys Cemetery, St. Marys, Ontario |
Political party | Conservative (1908–1917, 1922–1942) Unionist (1917–1922) Progressive Conservative (1942–1960) |
Spouse |
Jessie Isabel Cox (m. 1904) |
Children | Theodore Meighen Maxwell Meighen Lillian Meighen Wright |
Relatives | Michael Meighen (grandson) |
Education | University College, Toronto (BA) |
Signature | |
Arthur Meighen
Meighen was born in St. Marys, Ontario. His family came from County Londonderry, Ireland. He studied mathematics at the University of Toronto, and then trained to be a lawyer. After qualifying to practise law, he moved to Portage la Prairie, Manitoba. Meighen entered the House of Commons of Canada in 1908, and in 1913 was appointed to the Cabinet of Prime Minister Robert Borden. Meighen prominently served as solicitor general, minister of the interior, and superintendent-general of Indian affairs.
In July 1920, Meighen succeeded Borden as Conservative leader and prime minister – the first born after
After losing the 1926 election, Meighen resigned as party leader and quit politics to return to his law practice. He was appointed to the
Early life
Meighen was born on a farm near the hamlet of Anderson in Blanshard Township, Ontario, to Joseph Meighen and Mary Jane Bell. He attended primary school at Blanshard public school in Anderson, where, in addition to being the grandson of the village's first schoolmaster, he was an exemplary student.
In 1892, during his final high school year at St. Marys Collegiate Institute, which later became North Ward Public School in St. Marys (now known as Arthur Meighen Public School) Meighen was elected secretary of the literary society and was an expert debater in the school debating society in an era when debating was in high repute. He took first class honours in mathematics, English, and Latin.[1]
Meighen then attended
Marriage
Meighen married Jessie Isabel Cox (April 18, 1882 – September 6, 1985) in 1904. She was born in Granby, Quebec, They had two sons and one daughter:
- Theodore Roosevelt Meighen (1905–1979), whose son Michael Meighen is a Canadian former senator, lawyer and cultural patron
- Maxwell Charles Gordon Meighen (1908–1992)
- Lillian Meighen Wright(1910–1993)
Isabel Meighen died at the age of 103 and was interred next to her husband in the St. Marys Cemetery in the town of St. Marys, Ontario.
Early professional career
Meighen moved to Manitoba shortly after finishing his LLB at
Early political career (1908–1913)
Meighen was first elected to the House of Commons of Canada in 1908, at the age of 34,
Cabinet minister (1913–1920)
Meighen served as solicitor general from June 26, 1913, until August 25, 1917, when he was appointed
Meighen was re-elected in the December 1917 federal election, in which Prime Minister Robert Borden's Unionist (wartime coalition) government defeated the opposition Laurier Liberals over the conscription issue.
As minister of the interior, Meighen steered through Parliament the legislation to consolidate several insolvent railways into the Canadian National Railway Company, which continues today.[6]
In 1919, as acting
Meighen was re-appointed Minister of Mines on the last day of 1920.
Prime Minister (1920–1921)
Meighen became leader of the
Economy
Meighen's government combatted the Depression of 1920–1921. His government cut spending, resisted regulation, and minimally intervened in the economy and employers.[9][10]
In April 1921, Meighen's government established a royal commission to investigate the grain trade, partially responding to calls from farmers to restore the Canadian Wheat Board that was dissolved the year previously.[8]
Foreign policy
Believing that the economic power of the United States was the main threat to Canada's existence as a nation, Meighen advocated for protective tariffs.[11]
At the 1921 Imperial Conference, Meighen successfully campaigned against the renewal of the Anglo-Japanese Alliance by citing that the alliance would alienate the United States and negatively affect Canada's relationship with the United States, which Canada depended upon for its security.[12][8]
1921 election
Meighen fought the
Opposition (1921–1926)
Meighen continued to lead the Conservative Party (which reverted to its traditional name), and was returned to Parliament in 1922, after winning a by-election in the eastern
Despite his party finishing in third place, Meighen became Leader of the Opposition after the Progressives declined the opportunity to become the Official Opposition. Unlike the situation with Laurier and Borden, who had a generally respectful personal relationship despite their clear ideological differences, there existed between Meighen and King a very deep personal distrust and animosity. Meighen looked down upon King, whom he called "Rex" (King's old University nickname), and considered him unprincipled. King viewed Meighen as an unreconstructed High Tory who would destroy the nation's social peace after the traumatic domestic events of World War I. The bitter and unrelenting rivalry between the two party leaders was probably the nastiest in the history of Canadian politics.[2]
Meighen's term as opposition leader was most marked by his response to the
The Liberal government of Mackenzie King was soon beset with scandal. While the uneven performance of the government and disorganization of the Progressive movement created some opportunity for the Conservatives, Meighen generally refused to change from his general philosophy of restoring the pre-war social order and returning to National Policy level tariffs. His strategy in Quebec consisted of granting Esioff-Léon Patenaude general autonomy to run a full campaign without any interference from Conservative headquarters.
Meighen and the Tories won a plurality of seats in the inconclusive election of 1925. King, as the already sitting prime minister, opted to retain confidence in the house through an informal alliance with the Progressives. Meighen denounced King as holding onto office like a "lobster with lockjaw."
Prime Minister (June–September 1926)
After a scandal was revealed in the Customs Department, King was on the verge of losing a vote in the Commons on a motion censuring the government. King, before the vote, asked the Governor General,
Byng, believing that the request was inappropriate considering the length of time since the election, Meighen's larger seat count, and King's uncertain control of confidence of the chamber, used his reserve power to refuse the request. King duly resigned as prime minister. Meighen, having secured a measure of support from the opposition Progressives, was invited by Byng to form a government, which Meighen accepted.
Because of the possibility of losing a vote in the Commons, Meighen advised Byng to appoint the ministers of the Crown in an "acting" capacity only, to avoid triggering the automatic by-elections Ministers faced when accepting their appointments at the time. King used the technique to mock the government and further his accusation that Meighen had acted irresponsibly by accepting Byng's appointment, attracting Progressive support to take down the fledgling government. The government lost a motion regarding the "acting" Ministers by one vote three days after Meighen's appointment. With no other parliamentary leader to call upon, Byng called the 1926 Canadian federal election.
Byng's actions became known as the "
While Meighen's appointment as prime minister gave the Conservatives control of the country's electoral machinery, the Conservatives' weakness in Quebec and the West continued, and Meighen faced rousing attacks from Mackenzie King and the Liberals for accepting Byng's appointment. Although the Conservatives won the popular vote, they were swept from office as the Liberals won a clear plurality of seats and were able to form a stable minority government with the support of the Progressives. Meighen himself was again defeated in Portage la Prairie. His second term lasted three months.
Meighen announced his resignation as Conservative Party leader shortly thereafter, though during his speech at the
Senator
Meighen was appointed to the
Second Conservative leadership
In late 1941, Meighen was prevailed upon by a unanimous vote in a national conference of the party to become leader of the Conservative Party for the duration of the war. He accepted the party leadership on November 13, 1941, foregoing a
Meighen, lacking a Commons seat, resigned from the Senate on January 16, 1942, and campaigned in a by-election for the
With its leader excluded from the Commons, the Conservative Party was further weakened. Meighen continued to campaign for immediate conscription as part of a "
Retirement and death
Following his second political retirement, Meighen returned to the practice of law in Toronto. He died from heart failure in Toronto, aged 86, on August 5, 1960, and was buried in St. Marys Cemetery, St. Marys, Ontario, near his birthplace.[15] He had the second longest retirement of any Canadian Prime Minister, at 33 years, 315 days; Joe Clark surpassed him on January 12, 2014.
Honorary degrees
Honorary degrees
Location | Date | School | Degree |
---|---|---|---|
Ontario | 1921 | University of Toronto | Doctor of Laws (LL.D) [16]
|
Manitoba | 1932 | University of Manitoba | Doctor of Laws (LL.D) [17]
|
Legacy
The Post Office Department issued a memorial stamp featuring Meighen on April 19, 1961.[18] In the same year, Meighen was designated a National Historic Person by the Historic Sites and Monuments Board.[19] Landmarks named after Meighen include:
- École Arthur Meighen School, in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba.
- Arthur Meighen Public School in St. Marys, Ontario. This was Meighen's former high school, reopened as North Ward Public School in 1962 and renamed in his honour in 1984. The school closed permanently in 2010.[20]
- Mount Arthur Meighen 52°48′12″N 119°33′12″W / 52.80333°N 119.55333°W, a 3205 m (10515 ft) peak located in the Premier Range of the McClennan River and immediately west of the town of Valemount.
- Meighen Island in northwestern Nunavut
- The Arthur Meighen Library at Toronto's Albany Club.
- The Arthur Meighen Gardens, a landscape feature at the entrance to the Festival Theatre in Stratford, Ontario.
- The Arthur Meighen Building, 25 St. Clair Ave. East, Toronto, Ontario. Government of Canada Building built in 1950s.
Criticisms
Larry A. Glassford, a professor of education at the University of Windsor, concluded, "On any list of Canadian prime ministers ranked according to their achievements while in office, Arthur Meighen would not place very high."[1]
Meighen ranks as #14 out of the 20 Prime Ministers through
Electoral record
See also
References
Citations
- ^ a b c d e f Glassford, Larry A. (2016). "Meighen, Arthur". In Cook, Ramsay; Bélanger, Réal (eds.). Dictionary of Canadian Biography. Vol. XVIII (1951–1960) (online ed.). University of Toronto Press. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
- ^ a b The Incredible Canadian, by Bruce Hutchison, Toronto 1952, Longmans Canada
- ^ "W. R. Sexsmith, Portage M.L.A., Dies At 58". Winnipeg Tribune. Winnipeg, Manitoba. August 23, 1943. p. 11.
- ^ "More About Sexsmith (Continued from Page One)". Winnipeg Free Press. Winnipeg, Manitoba. August 23, 1943. p. 7.
- ^ Arthur Meighen, Roger Graham, The Canadian Historical Association, Historical Booklet No.16, Ottawa, 1968, p. 3
- ^ a b Graham, Roger (May 27, 2007). "Arthur Meighen". Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved February 23, 2022.
- ^ Creighton 1970, p. 160
- ^ a b c Glassford, Larry. "Arthur Meighen". Dictionary of Canadian Biography. Retrieved February 23, 2022.
- ^ Taylor, Peter (May 26, 2020). "Peter Shawn Taylor: Remember the right 1920s depression! The government response to that economic disaster actually worked". Financial Post. Retrieved March 18, 2022.
- ^ Belshaw, John Douglas (May 17, 2016). "Chapter 8. The Economy since 1920". Open Text BC. Retrieved March 18, 2022.
- ^ "Arthur Meighen". Britannica. Retrieved February 23, 2022.
- ^ Brebner 1935, pp. 48–50
- ^ Robert Macgregor Dawson, William Lyon Mackenzie King: 1874–1923 (1958) pp 401–16
- ^ J. E. Esberey, "Personality and Politics: A New Look at the King–Byng Dispute," Canadian Journal of Political Science 1973 6(1): 37–55 in JSTOR
- ^ "Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada – Former Prime Ministers and Their Grave Sites – The Right Honourable Arthur Meighen". Parks Canada. Government of Canada. 20 December 2010. Archived from the original on 8 February 2013. Retrieved 27 February 2014.
- ^ "University of Toronto Honorary Degree Recipients 1850 - 2016" (PDF). University of Toronto. p. 5. Retrieved March 21, 2021.
- ^ "Honorary Degree recipients | Governance | University of Manitoba".
- ^ National Postal Archives Database Archived July 29, 2017, at the Wayback Machine, Library and Archives Canada, with details from a news release of 1961
- ^ Rt. Hon. Arthur Meighen National Historic Person, Directory of Federal Heritage Designations, Parks Canada, 2012
- ^ Marshall, Rita (October 12, 2011). "Board puts former Mitchell Public School on auction block". Mitchell Advocate. Mitchell, Ontario. Archived from the original on December 19, 2014. Retrieved November 28, 2014.
Mitchell Public was closed in June of 2010.
Bibliography
- JSTOR 2143412.
- Brown, R. C. and Ramsay Cook. Canada, 1896–1921: a nation transformed (Toronto, 1974)
- Creighton, Donald (1970). Canada's First Century. MacMillan of Canada.
- Graham, Roger (1960–1965). Arthur Meighen: a biography, 3 volumes. Clarke, Irwin.; the standard scholarly biography
- Graham, Roger. "Some political ideas of Arthur Meighen," in The political ideas of the prime ministers of Canada, ed. Marcel Hamelin (Ottawa, 1969), 107–20.
- Granatstein, J.L. and Hillmer, Norman. Prime Ministers: Ranking Canada's Leaders. HarperCollinsPublishersLtd., 1999. P. 75-82. ISBN 0-00-200027-X.
- Thompson, J. H. and Allen Seager. Canada, 1922–1939: decades of discord (Toronto, 1985);
Primary sources
- Meighen, Arthur. Unrevised and Unrepented II: Debating Speeches and Others by the Right Honourable Arthur Meighen (McGill-Queen's University Press, 2011), Edited by Arthur Milnes.
- Meighen, Arthur. Unrevised and Unrepented: Debating Speeches and Others by the Right Honourable Arthur Meighen (1949)
- Oversea Addresses, June – July 1921 by Arthur Meighen at archive.org
- Arthur Meighen fonds at Library and Archives Canada