The man who stands before the world as Canada’s most distinguished
statesman is Sir Wilfrid Laurier, Premier of the Dominion. Sir Wilfrid
has very broad and very optimistic ideas as to the destiny of Canada,
and these he expresses with a poetic eloquence which never fails to
arouse enthusiasm. His oratory takes lofty flights.
Sir Wilfrid was born in the Province of Quebec in 1841. French was the
language of his childhood. He went to school in his native parish, and
later took the classical course at L’Assomption College. He began in
1860 to study law in the office of the late Hon. R. Laflamme, Q. C.,
who was Minister of Justice for the Dominion and one of Sir Wilfrid’s
colleagues at Ottawa, when the latter became a member of Parliament. He
was admitted to the bar in 1864. Eager to succeed, he devoted himself
so zealously to his legal work that after three years of practice his
health gave way, and he was forced to retire to the country. In the
town of L’Avena he became editor of _Le Defrecheur_, a journal devoted
to political and social reform. It was in this work that he first
actively interested himself in politics. His articles in the journal
were full of the earnestness, enthusiasm and eloquence which have since
brought him fame.
Country air agreed with the young lawyer and writer. He regained his
health, and opened a law office at St. Cristophe, now Arthabaskaville,
where he made his home until he removed to Ottawa as Prime Minister of
Canada. He first held office in 1871, when he was elected to the Quebec
Assembly. He resigned his seat in the general elections of 1874, was
elected by the same constituency to the Dominion House of Commons, and
when Parliament assembled was given the honor of seconding the address
in reply to the speech from the Throne. His burst of oratory on the
occasion attracted wide attention and caused prophecies to be freely
made that he was destined for great things.
It was only two years afterward, in 1876, that he attained the
distinction of a position in the Cabinet, being appointed Minister of
the Internal Revenue in the Mackenzie administration. His constituency
did not support him in the next general election, but he was returned
to Parliament from Quebec East, which constituency has ever since been
his political sponsor. When the Mackenzie government was defeated in
the elections of 1878, Mr. Laurier, who had by this time become the
acknowledged leader of the Liberal party in Quebec, joined his friends
in Opposition and waited for eighteen years for his party’s return to
power. This came in 1896. Mr. Laurier was then supreme in the House of
Commons, and was called upon to organize a new government. Thus it was
that he rose to the exalted position of Premier of Canada and found the
opportunities which have given him so high a place among the world’s
statesmen.
Perhaps the most important policy which he inaugurated upon his rise
to power was that of a preferential tariff in favor of Great Britain.
It was due to this policy, as well as to his high position in the
affairs of Canada, that when he went to England upon the occasion of
the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in 1897 he was received with distinguished
honor. The Queen made him a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St.
Michael and St. George. Oxford and Cambridge Universities conferred
upon him honorary degrees. Upon a visit to the Continent of Europe
during this trip abroad he was entertained by President Faure of France
and was received by the Pope at Rome. When he returned to Canada he was
greeted with great enthusiasm by all classes. In the general election
of 1904 Sir Wilfrid’s administration gained a triumphant endorsement at
the polls.