“Hamilton’s Reception to Sir Wilfrid Laurier
on Monday promises to be one of the greatest demonstrations in the history of
the city.”
Hamilton Times. November 02, 1900.
The 1900 federal election campaign was
winding down. Premier Wilfrid Laurier would be on a campaign swing through
southern Ontario, and it was suggested that Monday November 5, 1900 would be
the day that he would come to Hamilton. That was the same day that Hamilton
soldiers returning from service in the Boer War were expected to arrive home.
After some negotiation it was determined that Laurier’s schedule was hard to
change, particularly as the election was just days away. The soldiers would be
held back and entertained elsewhere before coming home to a large Welcome Home demonstration.
The appearance of the Prime Minister also
called for a public welcome. The Hamilton Times, a strong supporter of the
Liberal party touted the proposed Laurier Demonstration as being “one of the
greatest demonstrations in the history of the city” while the Spectator,
decidedly not a pro-Liberal newspaper said very little about Laurier.
On November 5, 1900, the afternoon edition of
the Times which hit the street just hours before the premier’s arrival gave
details as to where he would be speaking and what the route of the street
procession would be:
“Those who cannot get into either Hall will
be able to show their enthusiasm in the procession which will escort Sir
Wilfrid from the Grand Trunk Railway station. The Committee’s arrangements are
complete in every particular, and the sight will be well-worth seeing.”1
1“The Premier Tonight”
Hamilton Times
November 5, 1900.
To honor Laurier,
Hugh Murray, Hamilton’s unofficial poet laureate, was moved to pen the
following :
A Welcome to Sir Wilfrid
Welcome illustrious Laurier, lit
Bright with wisdom and with
wit;
On whose shining shoulders
sit
Kingly style and
station,
Welcome one supremely fit
To rule our noble
nation!
Welcome to fair Hamilton;
Where, though still we see
the sun,
Countless industries have
won
World-wide
reputation;
Where our royal race we
run,
Free from
tribulation!
Welcome, with that
silvery tongue
Which magnetizes old and
young,
To sow and manifest among
Our peerless population
Those great triumphant
truths you’ve rung
Over all creation.
Welcome even to convert,
Unbelievers from inert,
Dead indifference to
alert
Life and conversation
Giving every head and
heart
A Liberal education.
-
William Murray
The Times account of Laurier’s presence in Hamilton, published the morning
after the event was glowing in its description:
“
“If anybody had any doubts as to the Liberals of Hamilton being very much
alive this campaign, he probably had the idea dispelled by the great gatherings
to greet Hon. Sir Wilfrid and that able lieutenant Hon. Mr. Murlock last night.
The demonstration quite eclipsed anything of a like nature ever before
attempted in the city, and will not probably soon be equaled. The attendance
and enthusiasm were indicative of the
spirit of the Liberals in the contest, and must have been highly gratifying to
the honored guests.
“The storm of the early evening had blown over by the time that the
Premier’s party arrived, and the night was most propitious. Everything ended
pleasantly, and even the many ladies who were in the crush will hardly regret
the experience.
“The managers of the great double meeting had made careful arrangements
for order and comfort, and as far as was possible under the conditions produced
by such enormous crowds, they succeeded admirably.
Magnificent Demonstration
____________
The Streets a Blaze of Lights
And the Air
Filled With Jubilation
“As early as 6:30 the vicinity of the Liberal headquarters at the corner
of King and Catharine streets presented a lively appearance, and as the minutes
sped, the crowd of workers increased, mounted men rode here and there with
orders, and carriage after carriage lined up in readiness for the formation of
the big procession that was to show that Hamilton could give a royal welcome to
the Liberal leader. After the procession started for the Stuart street depot,
many a belated carriage and humanity-laden dray cut in from the side streets to
swell the parade. From the loyal old lake district came wagon after wagon
filled with the sons of toil, bent on showing in no uncertain way their
eagerness to join in the general jubilation.
“When the train bearing the Premier and his party pulled into the Stuart
street depot from the east at 7:20, Hon. J.M. Gibson, Messrs. A.T. Wood, John
Stuart and Adam Zimmerman boarded it. Sir Wilfrid Laurier was just finishing
his dinner in the dining car, and he was not disturbed.
The Procession
“It was nearly 7:35 when the procession left the Stuart street depot in a
blaze of fireworks, headed by fifty mounted men closely followed by a band of
torchbearers. Then came the Thirteenth Regiment band and a mounted guard of
honor for the illuminated carriages containing the Premier and Hon. Wm. Mulack.
(Details re names of men in parade, very brief description of some of participants
‘the Longshoremen’s Union, with a gaily-decorated boat and the occupants
wearing white plug hats.)
Along the Route
“As the procession, a mass of humanity and fire, moved up Stuart street,
it was greeted by cheers from the crowds which lined the sidewalks and a
pandemonium from the fish horns and whistles. Turning into James street, the
route lay along that crowded thoroughfare to the Market Square, to Macnab
street, to Main street, to Catharine street, to James street, to the Drill
hall. Along the line of march were thousands and thousands of cheering citizens;
and at the City Hall, the crowd was dense
and the cheering at this point when the Premier passed was deafening. In
front of Irwin’s shop on Macnab street, a barrel of tar was on the fire, and
this ignited on of the drays in the procession, adding to the excitement. In
front of the Post Office, a wagon loaded with candles and rockets, took fire
and caused a big blaze and more excitement. Several cases of candles were on
the wagon, and those took fire, and the load was dumped off, causing a
conflagration near the Macdonald monument, which would have caused perspiration
to roll from poor old Sir John had he been in the flesh, instead of bronze. The
fire department was called to extinguish the blaze.
“Along the line of march, the varicolored lights from thousands of Roman
candles, the glare of electric, and the moving chains of torches, surmounting
the black mass of the procession, and the vast multitudes that surged along the
sidewalks, presented a picture as exhilarating as it was grand.
At the Drill Hall
________
Half the City
Seemed to Want to Get in
“From the close of the storm, before six o’clock, crowds began to gather
in the street in front of the Drill Hall and long before the doors opened at 7
o’clock a solid mass of thousands, among which were many ladies, packed the
street and endured the discomforts of such a crush as is not often experienced.
When the doors were opened, the jam was terrific, and despite the efforts of
two or three policemen within to clear away the crowd at the entry, it looked
as if serious injury would result to some of the ladies. The hall rapidly filled,
until not another could not be accommodated, and there was a liberal sprinkling
of the fair sex, showing how bravely they endured the wait and the crowding to hear
Canada’s First Minister and most eloquent son.
“The four boxes were occupied by ladies, and the galleries were filled
almost entirely by ladies.
The Decorations
“The Drill Hall had been specially decorated for the occasion, and it
looked bright with flags, bunting and mottoes.
“Among the mottoes were –
‘Laurier, the True
Canadian.’
‘From Halifax to Vancouver,
We Are Sir Wilfrid’s Men.’
‘Five More Years of Busy
Factories.’
‘Mulock, the Man Who Gave
Us Penny Postage.’
‘Canada Above All and
Always ‘ – Sir Wilfrid Laurier.
‘The Deice that I Give You
is ‘Union, Peace, Friendship and Fraternity.’
‘See the Conquering Hero
Comes.’
‘No smokeless chimneys in
our town since Laurier cut the taxes down.’
“The rear of the platform was prettily draped with British flags and
the military colors; a picture of Her Most Gracious Majesty formed the
centerpiece. At each corner of the platform, tables laden with palms and
flowers were placed, the whole forming a beautiful scene.
On the Platform
“Lengthy list of persons on the stage not followed not copied)
The Premier’s Arrival
__________________
The Signal for Cheers Upon Cheers
And Waving of Hats
“When Sir Wilfrid Laurier, the Premier of the Dominion, entered the Drill
Hall by the east door, the scene was one to be remembered. The people rose as
one man – the ladies included – and the large hall fairly shook with the shouts
and cheers that rent the atmosphere. Men hurrahed and waved their hats, and the
ladies clapped their hands and waved their handkerchiefs, fish horns touted and
above all was heard the band posted in the south gallery, playing ‘The
Conquering Hero’ and ‘God Save the Queen.’ The wild tumult continued until the
Premier and his party reached the platform, and for some five or ten minutes
after the platform was reached, Sir Wilfrid bowing and smiling amid the
cheering. He would have been more than human had such a demonstration not
touched his heart, and certain it is the Premier took it as an omen of victory.
Leading the little procession to the platform was Mr. W.H. Nichol, of King
street east, bearing aloft a large Union Jack, which he proudly carried on the
platform, waving it the while. And it was the flag and nothing but the flag.
Certainly it was not Mr. Bruce’s yellow flag.”2
2 “Hamilton Does Homage to
Canada’s Premier : Magnificent Demonstration in Honor of Sir Wilfrid Laurier
Last Night : Great Meetings Addressed By Him : And By Hon. Wm. Mulock,
Postmaster-General and Minster of Labor – Six to Eight Thousand People Hear the
Speeches – Great Crowds Meet Sir Wilfrid and Accompany Him on a Triumphal Trip
Around the City With Bands, Fireworks and Illumination – Speeches By Some of
the Leading Local Liberals and Some Excellent Speakers From Other Parts”
Hamilton Times. November 06, 1900
Needless to say, the tone of the Spectator coverage of the Laurier
appearance in Hamilton was decidedly different in tone:
“The Laurier mass meeting is now a thing of the past, and the managers of
local Grit affairs are wishing it had never happened. From the beginning of the
procession, which was about as third rate as a procession could well be without
being a disorganized mob of boys, to the unsatisfactory speech of the premier,
which was not even as eloquent as his admirers had been looking for, the affair
was disappointing. Liberal-Conservatives of the city are very well satisfied that
the premier came, and that the local Grit organization displayed its strength
in the reception tendered to him on his arrival. What the Grit workers have
been complaining about all through the campaign has now been made visibly
apparent. So apathetic are the supporters of the Laurier-Tate government in
Hamilton, it is impossible to get workers even to carry torches and cheer in a
reception to the premier and leader of the alleged strongest government Canada
has ever seen. This isn’t the way it will be summed up in the Times tonight,
but it is the way the men on the streets, both Reform, Conservative and
Independent are talking about it.”2
2“It Was a Fizzle : Laurier
Procession and Reception Most Disappointing to the Friends of the Premier :
Government Supporters Too Apathetic to Even Carry Torches and Cheer Their
Leader : Political Gossip of a General Sort – Conservatives in the Fight
Confident of Victory ”
Hamilton Spectator. November 06,
1900.
Wilfrid Laurier and his Liberal party were the winners of the 1900 election,
but, in Hamilton, both Conservatives were elected as Members of Parliament.
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