Kent Nominations for the Vacancy in the Commons

KENT NOMINATIONS For the Vacancy in the Commons. Legere, McInerney and Jardine In the Field Interesting Proceedings and Able Speeches at Richibucto Richibucto, July 26, - [Special.] - Yesterday was nomination day here for the vacancy in the Commons caused by the resignation of Mr. P.A. Landry. From early morning the electors began to arrive and many persons came from a distance in both Northumberland and Westmorland. Memramcook, Shediac and Moncton were represented, and when the speech making opened about two thousand persons must have been present. The official nominations were between twelve and two o’clock, and were very late coming in; all the nominations being made within the last thirty minutes. Dr. Edgere and his friends first put in an appearance; then Mr. Geo. V. McInerney and then Mr. J. Jardine Jr. Mr. D. .D Landry filled Mr. McInerney’s papers; Mr. C. C. Carlyle those of Dr. Legere; and Mr. A. J. Girvan those of Mr. Jardine. Mr. D. D. Landry demanded a pull on behalf of Mr. McInerney, of Sheriff Whetan, the returning officer. The Shariff had made every thoughtful arrangement possible to meet the convenience and study for the comfort of both candidates and electors. THE NOMINATIONS. The candidates were nominated in this order: Edward H. Legere Medical Doctor, Bouctouche nominated by – Charles C Carlyle, Welsford Nicholas Richard, Sir Ignace Aime LeBlanc, Chockfish August Legere, St. Louis Fidele LeBlanc, Dundas Leon Allain, Wellington Calizte Daigle, Acadieville Antoine Gallant, Dundas, Urbain Arseanault, Damien Bourque, Francis Poirier, Honore Chiasson, St. Louis, John B Gogan, St. Mary, Adolph Landry, St. Louis, Pierre H Legere, Grand Digue, Magiorie Girouard, Wellington, Thomas Jaillet, Jaddus Robichaud, Dundas, John B Ouellet, St. Mary’s Urbain Johnson, Ex. M.P.P. St. Louis Joseph Bernard county, councillor, St. Paul, Jaddus Legere, Wellington, Simon Diagle, St. Louis, Fidele Goguen, Dundas, Maxime M. Poirier, McDougall’s, Alexander LeBlanc, St. Louis, Ephraim Richard, Basile J Johnson, Clement Bourgeois, Dundas, Pierre Arseneau, Richibucto, and many others. Geo. V. McInerney, of Richibucto, barrister, nominated by – D.D. Landry, Bouctouche, Thos Poirier, Dundas, S E McManus, Bouctouche, J A Irving, William Irving, Joshua Cormier, St. Mary’s, Hypolites Melanson, Phillip Woods, Richibucto, W Johnson, Cocagne, Henry O’Leary, Richibucto, M Flanagan, J Ferguson, Coun. D. D. McAlmon, Kingston, John Mcdonald, Bouctouche, Coun. Legere, S. Paul, M. Wheaton, Bouctouche, George Robinson, Richibucto, D H Cormier, St. Mary’s, Phillip Terris, Jas F Atkinson, Richibucto, W H Mcleod, Peter Loggie, and about 280 others – one half of whom were Acadians. JOHN JARDINE, Kingston, nominated by: - William J Brait, Kingston, George Robertson, W M Bowser, Alex Lemu, West Branch, Patrick Bourque, Kingston, Wm Brittain, Simon Graham, Chas Hannay, John Robertson, Robert L Lennox, Richibucto River, John Taylor, Kingston, T F Curran, West Branch, Alex Girvan, Kingston, John McKee, Little Bouctouche River, Wm Potts, Black River, A Johnston, St. Mary’s, A McIntosh, Black River, F Girouard, St. Mary’s, Robert Hutchinson, Richibucto, J E Bowser, Kingston, and others. The Public Meeting Shortly after two o’clock, the electors gathered on the green outside the court house, where a platform had been erected by Sheriff Wheton. The gathering was large – in the vicinity of two thousand and was orderly throughout. The site of the gathering was beautiful and the view of the harbor magnificent. MR. JOHN JARDINE, JR, was the first candidate. At the outset he condemned the canvas raised against him that he was out of the field, but the report was false. He was in the field and asked their votes as the only Kent candidate beseeching their suffrages. He was not the candidate of either Westmorland nor Northumberland, (laughter). His family has been identified with the prosperity of the county during more than half a century. He was a supporter of the Macdonald government and always had been. It was unnecessary for him to defend that government to-day because all the candidates running professed to be in its favor. He had no need to give any reasons for the faith which is in him. Here in Kent the N.P. had no been a benefit, but they should consider the general interests of the country. Proceeding, however, he argued that the N.P. had not injured the ship building industry but that its decline was attributable to other causes. He preferred surpluses to deficits; he was opposed to annexation principles. New Brunswick had prospered more than Maine with its market of sixty five millions. In conclusion, he held that his business interests were such that in seeking to advance his own interests he would advance theirs, (appls). DR. LEGERE who followed, spoke well in English, improving much as he progressed. In opening he explained that he was chosen by a convention of Acadian representatives and the reason why the English speaking delegates had been invited to attend it was because Messrs., Sayre and McInerney had already mapped their cards and Mr. Jardine had received a requisition. He was a Conservative in practice and always had been. For several years past he had supported the Conservative party in both Kent and Westmorland. But at any rate, young as he was in years, he was an older Conservative than Mr. Inerney, who went to bed one night a Liberal, dreamed of the possibility of success as a Conservative candidate and the next morning posed as a convert. If he was elected he would though an Acadian, protect the rights of the minority and be as much their representative as that of the Acadians. The Acadians were in a majority in Victoria and in Gloucester, but were unprejudiced enough to elect an Irishman in each case. Here in Kent, the Acadian minority had their sole representative for New Brunswick and Nova Scotia; and now they were asked to yield up to that privilege. But, he objected to Mr. McInerney because of his attitude towards the government in the past. They all knew of his past elections; how he had criticized and attacked the legislation of the Macdonald government. Even now he wanted to catch both classes and his election address was printed on blue paper for the Conservatives and on bed for the Liberals. (Laughter). In conclusion, he (Dr. Legere) requested the electors to return the compliment paid them by the Acadian electors last winter when they stood by the Protestants in returning for them a representative; by now according the Acadians their representative at Ottawa. Dr. Legere then addressed the electors to the same effect in French. MR. GEO. A. MINERNEY in opening explained the cause of the federal vacancy and paid a passing compliment to the ability of MR. P.A. Landry, the late member. He had been before the electors several times as a candidate, and instead of this being a disqualification, as his opponent’s claimed he thought the reverse. It reminded him of a well known pilot on the Miramichi, who was a skillful pilot, but a very illiterate man. When asked how to account for his skill as a pilot in the absence or ordinary education, he replied, “Well you see I have had a ship ashore on every bank and shaol of this river.” That was the case with him. (Mr. Inerney). He had had his political vessel ashore every time. But, now he knew the way. It was claimed that he always ran against a Frenchman, but he was not alone on the occasion. When he ran in 1878, he did not run against Mr. Girouard alone, but against all who were in the field, besides, he was brought out by a convention at which there were French delegates. The principle of the 1884 contest was that Kent county stimulate represented by a Kent county man. They admitted the ability and integrity of Mr. Landry, but they wanted a local representative. The nomination was then thrust upon him against his personal request and wishes. The principle he advocated in1884, had since been so vindicated that to-day there was no outsider as a candidate to address them. It was urged against him now that he was a political turncoat and a renegade from his principle. It was no slur upon a man to change his political opinions. Look to England for your examples. He referred to Joseph Chamberlain and to Lord Randolph Churchill. Look to Canada. See Mr. Josiah Wood presiding at Mr. Blake’s meeting in Sackville and then turning around accepting the Conservative nominations and posing as a Conservative. There was the case of the Hon. Peter Mitchell in Northumberland. Formerly a Conservative cabinet member – now a member of the Liberal opposition. The little incident of the different colored paper for his election card chosen by the printer had no political significance as Dr. Legere claimed, and it was only evidence that the doctor was not color blind. In 1878, the French people who are not Liberals placed him in the field as their candidate. In 1883, a convention in which sat Liberal – Conservatives delegates selected him. He ran upon a platform of independence and residence. He had his own political opinions, however, and he held his own opinion to-day. In his former contests he opposed the Franchise act because the benefits accruing from it were not equal to the taxation. Its property qualification was higher that our own provincial franchise; and it reduced the electorate in Kent by nearly 450 votes. He believed in manhood suffrage, and especially so as young men over 21 years of age were able to be called upon to defend the country in case of invasion. In every Province but one this principle had been adopted. Take the National Policy. The principles he announced in 1887, are the same to-day subject to modifications needed by the changing circumstances of the country. He contended in 1887, as he contends now that the necessaries which sustain life should come into the country and be as free as possible. Canada must, however, raise a revenue. The interest upon her debt must be paid and her credit maintained, and to do this she must tax nearly everything which comes into the country. As for the Canadian Pacific Railway; he said before that the plan upon which Mr. Mackenzie proposed to build the road – that of utilizing water stretches – was a false one since 1887, several important questions had come before the people of the country. He then entered into a description of the race and creed difficulties and said that he had seen Sir John Macdonald lift and carry the ship of state safely over these dangers. He had seen him do this and therefore admired him. The speaker had great confidence in the future of the country and it was because he believed Sir John Macdonald was best able to manipulate matters in its interests that he now declared in his favor. Reciprocity was a question upon which the two great political parties could unite. Returning to the local issues he said this morning there were four candidates in the field; but now there were only three. Mr. Sayre, who was the ablest of the whole recognizing the mixed character of the situation had withdrawn. Mr. Jardine was not qualified by experience or knowledge of political affairs to represent the constituency well. Proceeding, he criticized the manner in which Dr. Legere had been nominated; and this led to considerable cross firing and questionage with Dr. Legere’s prominent supporters. The convention was not a representative one it was selected upon an unfair basis to begin with and even the terms of that basis were not adhered to. The idea of a race candidate was wrong. What would the Acadians think if the Irish, the English or the Scotch met in convention and selected only a man of their own race. The Westmorland county brigade, which was here supporting Dr. Legere, was mostly far from around the little village of Shediac. There were two routes to establish, a short ferry with P.E.I, one the extension of the Bouctouche railway to Richibucto and from thence by ferry to the Island, and of this scheme he was a local director. The other from Shediac to Cape Tormentine, by a new road and thence by ferry. The men who were promoting Dr. Legere’s Canada sure favored the Tormentine as a fair in the Richibucto route. Which route did Kent want? Look at the manner in which the [illegible] [illegible] was being dispensed to the advantage of the county. A few years ago Kent had three customs ports, but to-day not one. Richibucto which had Bouctouche for an outport was now made an outport of Chatham. Senator Poirier boasted that he centralized the patronage and if so then he is responsible for this change. Proceeding, he concluded with a powerful and eloquent appeal to the electors to resent outside interference, to stand by their own candidate and so promote the interests of the county of which they were so proud. CHARLES SAYRE said he was by the turn of events prevented from speaking at length on the political issues of the day in which present meant he probably might not have agreed with some of the views presented to-day. This county needed a representative who was among the ablest of its own people; and it would not be permitted to drift and to have its interests sacrificed as they had been for years past. He did not intend to plead for any particular candidate; and his friends who had decided to support him were now free to make their own choice. If they took the same view as he did they would not find much difficulty in selecting a candidate who would guard their interests as well He agreed with Mr. McInerney’s in favoring manhood suffrage but he went further than McInerney had he favored women suffrage also. In conclusion, he expressed the hope he would be enabled to come forward on another day and solicit their votes with success upon that occasion. ROBERT HUTCHNSON spoke shortly in favor of Mr. Jardine’s candidature and made interesting references to past political contests. He denied that oratory was necessary in a representative and claimed that a man who never spoke could obtain appropriations. The Moffatts in Restigouche never opened their mouths but obtained votes of money, and in York, Mr. Temple who was a very ignorant man had done well. In conclusion he held that Mr. Jardine was well informed on public questions.