1 James Murray (1843–1900) was a St. John’s businessman, born in Newfoundland of Scottish parents. He began a commission and importing business, later expanding into fisheries supply, and seems to have done well until the crash of the local banks late in 1894, which drove the firm into bankruptcy. An obituary stated that at one time his business was “amongst the most extensive, and his wealth was very great.” 1 He was also politically involved, a firm anti-confederate, and held strong opinions about public affairs. But he was not conventionally ambitious, and did not ally himself with any political party or faction, the usual route to place and preferment. Murray was fundamentally a political loner.
2 He had severe doubts about the viability of the railway project, begun by the government of Sir William Whiteway 2 in 1881, thinking that the cost would be excessive, and in 1882 he quixotically decided to contest the south coast district of Burgeo-La Poile in the general election held that year. Though he ran as an independent, calling himself “the Fishermen’s friend,” he was obviously opposed to the Whiteway government, though not a member of the New Party that had emerged to contest the Whiteway program. 3 The details behind his decision are unclear. He had never been to the district, but had been asked to run by a number of local residents. This was known as a “requisition,” to which he replied positively in April 1882. 4 Why he was requisitioned — normal and accepted practice at the time — and by whom, is not known. He seems to have accepted out of a sense of public duty and curiosity. 5 The election over, Murray wrote a series of over 30 articles for the St. John’s Evening Telegram (the colony’s first daily newspaper) between 21 November 1882 and 1 March 1883 describing his experiences during the campaign. Murray was closely associated with the Telegram, which had started business in 1879 and was at that time an opposition newspaper. 6 These articles, couched as letters to the editor, are the reason for this note. They are wordy, and larded with unnecessary quotation and exclamation marks, but they provide a unique account of electoral campaigning in a remote district before the introduction of the secret ballot in 1887. 7
3 The single-member district of Burgeo-La Poile had been created in 1855. It extended from Mosquito (Hermitage Bay) in the east to Cape Ray in the west, the terminus of the French Treaty Shore. Its population according to the 1884 Census was 6,544, mainly Newfoundland-born, living in 65 communities of which only 18 had over 100 residents. It was a Protestant district; about 80 per cent were Anglicans, though Wesleyan Methodists were on the advance. There were very few Roman Catholics. Fishing was the main occupation. The largest settlements were Burgeo (681) and Channel (966), with Rose Blanche (495) not too far behind. Only about a third of the population could read and write. 8
4 Mercantile influence was an important factor in elections, especially before the introduction of the secret ballot. The firm of Newman and Company, based at Harbour Breton in Fortune Bay, had considerable influence in the eastern part of the district. 9 But further west the dominant company was De Grouchy, Renouf, Clement and Company, a Jersey firm with establishments at Burgeo, Isle aux Morts, Burnt Islands, Petites, and La Poile. 10 At Channel, the main merchant was John Steer, listed in 1877 as agent for H. Garland. 11 There were a number of other important supply merchants, several of them in Rose Blanche, Channel, and Burgeo. Most supported the incumbent member, Alexander M. Mackay, 12 who had taken the district by acclamation in 1878. Indeed, this was the first time the district had been contested. A Nova Scotian, Mackay was the local superintendent and manager of the Anglo-American Telegraph Company, which owned the international telegraphs landing on and crossing the colony; he also ran the government’s telegraph system. He was a man of importance, and in 1882 he supported the Whiteway government. Like Murray, he was a Presbyterian.
5 The election was governed by the 1877 Elections Act. Candidates had to be adult males, resident in the colony for two years, with a net annual income of at least $480 or property valued at a minimum of $2,400. Voters — male British subjects — had to have occupied a dwelling, as owner or tenant, for two years. Those who had received poor relief during the 12 months before the election were disqualified. A voter had to enter a polling booth, declare his name, and record his vote; but if he lived more than 15 miles from a polling booth, he could “give his vote by a written notice made and subscribed in the form [provided in] this Act.” These were known as “proxy votes,” the cause of great competition between candidates. 13
6 Murray set off from St. John’s on 9 October 1882. Election day was Monday, 6 November, a little less than a month ahead. He travelled on board the steamer Curlew with Alexander Mackay and others, “all, like myself, on political business bent.” They parted company at Harbour Breton, since Murray had decided to start his canvass in Channel and work eastwards. He went on to Gaultois in Hermitage Bay 14 and points west, and soon learned that he could not expect any support from the Newman firm: “Messrs. Newman & Co. ‘own’ Gaultois and all the inhabitants thereof . . . . We were cordially received and hospitably entertained by Mr. Galop, the residential ‘agent’, but I was sorry to ascertain at a later stage of my political progress that Messrs. Newman’s were ‘opposed’ to me, and had promised their ‘support’ to the other side!”
7 The Curlew later called at Burgeo. 15 It was late, nearly midnight when the boat arrived, but Murray’s supporters mounted a demonstration, complete with the firing of guns, and “then we all proceeded in great good humor to the public hall. Here we amused ourselves, our audience, and one another by making impromptu political speeches, the ‘election’ fever being very prevalent just then and very ‘catching’. After this we Western passengers proceeded on board the steamer again and Burgeo went to sleep.”At Rose Blanche 16 the next morning he spoke to “Mr. Rolls, the local Supplying Merchant,” and learned that he was also supporting Mackay. 17 Murray arrived at “Channel 18 via Port-au-Basque [ sic ]” the next day and found “three-fourths of the Channel people in organized ‘support’ of the Fisherman’s candidate, a ‘support’ that was amply sustained throughout my canvass and fully confirmed and harvested on polling day.” 19
8 Murray now began serious campaigning. As he writes:
While in Channel, Murray also called on Dr. Alexander McKenzie, the Returning Officer for the district, and saw the list of registered voters. 23
9 In spite of the opposition, Murray persisted. Voters who supported him were, he said, threatened with “a Winter’s starvation and a perpetual deprivation of Road Moneys, poor relief and every other public participation.” Attempts had been made to change their minds with “strong drink (principally porter and rum),” which was freely available. In contrast, Murray made it very clear that he would not purchase votes with drink: 24
10 There was also some excitement about a contested election. Murray found “great enthusiasm” throughout the district: “The people had never been to the polls, and they anticipated beneficial results of many kinds.” They were right. One benefit apparently was the distribution by the government of a schooner-load of coal among the poor. Indeed, “[i]n the course of my canvass . . . many amusing instances of its long-continued political neglect came to my observation. One old gentleman — an old Englishman — said to me . . . ‘Well, Mr. Murray, I have been fifty-three years in Newfoundland, and I never received a visit from a Member before!’” 26
11 Murray canvassed Channel and nearby places, including Cape Ray, 27 “after a stiff bit of rowing.” He thought he had confirmed about a hundred votes, and then went “down the shore” in a schooner, the Mayfly , owned and commanded by “Captain Micky Gillam [who is] one of the best-known and most popular schooner-holders on the Western Shore.” On 18 October he visited settlements as far as Burnt Islands, 28 where he held a meeting, and was promised 85 votes. “At Lower Isle-aux-Mort, they had a procession organized and awaiting our arrival. Experience by this time taught me how important a part ‘flags’, ‘guns’ and ‘processions’ play in Outport election campaigns. . . . We had a fine midday meeting at Isle-aux-Mort, the people being all on ‘our side’.” 29
12 The next day he went in a small boat to Rose Blanche, calling at several places on the way. “Here are a fine ‘fishing room’ and pretentious tower built by the late mercantile firm of Messrs. Ridley & Sons, in their flourishing days.” 30 The local supplier, Rolls, was an active opponent, but the visit went ahead nevertheless. 31 Murray found that:
When Murray arrived at seven o’clock, he found “at least two hundred men” there and began to speak — though disturbed by the sounds of a pig that “Our ‘diabolical’ enemies had actually anchored . . . down-stairs in the landwash, and these were the ‘notes of discord’ it sent up to disturb our meeting, every time its tail was pinched . . . .” Murray spoke for two hours, and “when we ‘called the roll’ of the evening’s proceedings we had the names of sixty of the finest fishermen on our side that ever broke bread! . . . Fifty-seven of these men (three had meanwhile left in a schooner for Boston) came up on polling day and ‘voted for Murray’!”
13 The next stop was Petites, but Murray visited Seal Islands 32 on the way, where there was a short midday meeting. 33 There was a gathering that evening in Petites. 34 “We usually found at least two open enemies at each of our meetings, and these two were always different, and always the same. For the latter reason we came to expect them, and gave them a name of our own, calling them ‘the Ten-per-cent Man!’ This name arose from the circumstance that the two men were generally always the Chairman of the Road Board and the Poor Commissioner for each locality, who get ten per cent on the gross amount of money they disburse, as remuneration for themselves.” Those at Petites were inevitably critical, but the evening ended cordially enough. 35
14 On to La Poile Bay, where Murray arrived on 21 October. 36 He visited La Poile and nearby places, but understood that this was “the head-quarters of our most powerful political enemies in the district,” and he had little hope of making a serious impression.
The Jersey house representatives soon arrived, though, and Murray invited them to the front. A “Mr. Le Sailleur spoke first, a jolly gentlemanly man, who had once commanded a schooner out of the ‘Jersey house’, and is now its chief residential agent. His speech had evidently been ‘cut and dried’ . . . . The whole effort was so palpably spiritless and artificial . . . that I thought the task of replying to Mr. Le Sailleur would be a very easy one.” But then another “ten-per-cent man,” a Mr. Stone, wanted to know what might be done about the extent of poverty, to which Murray replied that the question was an old one, and that what was needed were just laws, change, and competition. Whereupon Stone raised the issue of confederation with Canada, which he supported. Murray responded in the following manner:
At this point, sensing that a tense altercation was brewing, Murray closed the meeting. 37
15 The schooner went on to Grand Bruit 38 (Murray called it Grand Brett), where the party spent a quiet Sunday (22 October). After a meeting the next morning, and with a storm coming on, the party made for Connaigre, 39 spent the night there, and then went on to Burgeo. 40 This was politically difficult territory:
Two of the Dicks brothers sided with Murray, but Edward Dicks, who looked after the lighthouse, was “actively employed in canvassing and collecting proxy votes for the other side. . . . And not only he, but every public official in Burgeo was similarly engaged.”
16 Murray now encountered Alexander Mackay for the first and only time. There was a large audience at the meeting that evening in the public hall. Murray had his say, 41 and then Mackay arrived. He “spoke strongly in favor of the present Government and its general policy . . . [and] said he respected [those] who were politically opposed to him and had not met with anything but respect from them. [He] spoke in a manly way and spoke well.” After Mackay finished speaking, Murray responded:
17 Murray was stormbound the next day, but decided to hold a meeting on Hunt’s Islands (near Burgeo) in the evening, in a deserted schoolhouse. This was done as quietly as possible so as not to alert the opposition. But soon after the meeting began, “the closed door was stealthily pushed open, and three ‘muffled Dromios’ glid in . . . .” 44 Undaunted, Murray spoke for an hour. When he called a break, “one of the Burgeo men — a smart little man with an impediment in one of his legs, named Matthews — came out also. Beckoning to two of the Hunt’s men inside, who came out and joined him, he said, ‘Now, boys, give three cheers for Mister Mackay!’ This the boys did ‘to the best of their knowledge and ability’, whereupon the little man, satisfied he had done his ‘terrorising best’, hopped away.” Murray then closed down an attempt by the Burgeo schoolteacher to address the crowd, and everyone dispersed.
18 The schooner remained stormbound the next day and Murray was frustrated. “There were still no less than twenty different ‘settlements’ to be visited in the East part of the district. There were still 180 Fishermen to be ‘interviewed’ before our task was done! And here was Thursday, the 26th day of October, and Monday next [30 October] would be ‘proxy day,’ while the succeeding Saturday [4 November] would ‘wind up’ the game altogether!” Friday the 27th was a fine day, though, and the Mayfly tacked out of the harbour “preceded by four or five similar schooners and skiffs all dispatched by ‘the other side’ to gather in ‘proxy votes’ along the Eastern shore of the district on the coming Monday.” 45
19 Murray decided to bypass Ramea and went on to “three islands off the mainland, named RED island, DEER or BEAR islands, and FOX island. 46 These various rocky ‘punctuations’ of the sea are all more or less inhabited. . . . I have seen so many such curious eyries on ‘the Western Shore’.” He was welcomed on Red Island “with the usual demonstrations of welcome, the firing of guns and the waving of flags, as soon as our own, the ‘Fishermen’s friend’s’ flag was ‘shown at the mizzen’.” He was assured of seven votes there (out of 12). At Deer Island, Murray found that all the votes had been given for Mackay:
On Fox Island, “We were received with open arms . . . and soon found that we were the political owners of the whole settlement. Twelve good men and true enrolled themselves under the banner of ‘the Fishermen’s friend’ at our meeting that evening — Friday, Oct. the 27th. We had a glorious time — a time of refreshing — a time of mutual congratulation!” 47
20 The Mayfly then went on to Cape La Hune, 48 where Murray reported that he was well received and held a meeting. He then decided to make for the easternmost point of the district and work back westward. There was fear of a prevailing easterly wind, and since electioneering supplies were running low, he hoped to intercept the steamer. But the Mayfly ’s captain did not know that part of the coast, and the schooner had to seek directions from the people of Muddy or Little Hole. 49 “The little cluster of Fishermen’s huts that comprised it was built under a projecting cliff within the shelter of a small ‘bight’ on the straight shore between Facheux Bay and Bonne Bay. . . . The fishing village itself was barely distinguishable to the passing navigator, and except that one of the homes was painted red, we might have run past without observing it.” 50 Its patriarch was one George Simms, who came on board with six other men:
The Mayfly then visited Mosquito, 52 where Murray found seven voters, three of them committed to Mackay. “The other four gentlemen . . . voted for the ‘Fishermen’s friend’ . . . . I visited all the families during the day.”
21 Monday, 30 October, was nomination day and the Mayfly took off early. Proxy votes were now vital, 53 and there was a real sense of urgency. Murray arranged for another schooner to take up such votes in Mosquito and Muddy Hole, and then:
22 The Mayfly went into East Cul de Sac, 55 “where there are five voters, and all for ‘Mr. Merry’! The pronunciation of the name is Cuede-Sac — the l in Cul being silent — and the meaning of the French is, I am told, the ‘mouth of a bag,’ or a blind alley or passage — the allusion being to the shape of its harbor.” Murray was then storm-bound in Richard’s Harbour with other proxy-seeking vessels. 56 There were 13 votes there, of which Mackay got 12, but John Simms, a local resident, provided an account of how government forces had managed the election, which Murray thought typical:
23 The weather was so bad that it was not until 2 November that the Mayfly could get away to Ramea. 58 Most of the party went across to Burgeo, 59 where they arrived early on the Friday morning (3 November). “After a hurried breakfast the ‘Fishermen’s Friend’ availed himself of the ‘institution’ over which Mr. Mackay particularly presides — the Electric Telegraph.” Murray sent and received messages from various parts of the district, 60 and then had an altercation with the local magistrate about the removal of four Fox Island voters from the roll because they had allegedly received poor relief. 61
24 He then returned to “the Ramea Islands. The sun was setting in ‘the golden West’ as we tacked along past Bear Islands, where Mr. Edward Dicks resides in that fine Lighthouse of Burgeo.” Murray continues:
25 Nonetheless, Murray held a small meeting in Ramea:
26 The canvass over, Murray made his way to Channel, where the official result would be pronounced by the Returning Officer, Dr. Alexander McKenzie. On his way he stopped in La Poile Bay, where he found that some voters were “very indignant at the extreme measures resorted to by ‘the Jersey house’ to ‘carry the day’. ‘Why, Sir,’ — said they — ‘they even brought the very COOK out of the COOK-HOUSE to vote for Mr. Mackay!’” Did you let him vote? asked Murray. “‘Be gannies, no!’ they shouted — ‘ We basted him !’” Murray got 44 votes there, against 60 for the “other side.” 63 The Mayfly then went on to Petites and Rose Blanche. Murray had been concerned about the solidity of his backing in that area, given that his main supporters were neither economically independent nor dependable. Moreover, the local merchants — Rolls and Rideout — were hostile and among “a lot of prowling, plotting wolves . . . hovering over our poor little political flock.” Nevertheless, Murray got 57 votes against 45. 64 The Mayfly arrived in Channel early on the Sunday morning, 5 November. 65
27 Election day was 6 November. Dr. McKenzie “opened the packets” from the polling stations, “called out the votes,” and declared Mackay elected. 66 By this time Murray had moved his effects on shore and squared up with Captain Gillam, 67 but he was indignant about the government’s establishment of a polling booth at Cape Ray by telegraph instruction on nomination day. This, Murray held, was unfair and illegal, blaming the Canadian Rennie family, which operated the lighthouse, managed road labour, and also ran the polling booth. 68 Murray lodged a formal complaint with the Returning Officer, adding other instances of improper behaviour. 69 He received 346 of the 819 votes cast, about 42 per cent, giving Mackay a majority of 127. The election as a whole was easily won by the Whiteway government. 70 Murray had made a respectable showing, though, and after 1885 (when there was a largely fixed general election that gave an uncontested district to Mackay) Burgeo-La Poile was always fought over. Murray won the district in 1889, the first general election to use the secret ballot, and again in 1893, but he was unseated in 1894, part of a slippery Tory attempt to oust Whiteway’s Liberals 71 that drew in Murray, who was seen as vulnerable. Because disqualified, Murray could not contest the subsequent by-election in September 1894, 72 but he canvassed on behalf of the Liberal candidate, who lost. This did not end Murray’s status as an independent candidate. He was defeated (as an independent) in the 1897 election, and that marked the end of his political career.
28 Murray’s articles in 1882–83 contained some general comments on the “Western Shore” that are worth mentioning. Generally familiar with conditions on the Avalon Peninsula, he was struck by the very different environment of the southwest coast. It was scantily settled with “no roads of any kind from place to place, except local roads or rather paths. Locomotion has thus to be accomplished by means of boats . . . ; and, of course, ‘times and tides’ have to be observed in trying to get about.” 73 The landscape — the geography — was of particular note to Murray: “The first thing that struck me . . . was the almost entire absence of soil of every kind. The ribs of that Western shoulder of ‘our island home’ are of granite rock . . . covered only with a light snuffy kind of turf or bog. . . . Of this material it is quite impossible to make roads — in the ordinary acceptation of the term — and, of course, little or no culture of the soil takes place, for the very simple reason that there is no soil to cultivate. A few potatoes — and poor ones at that — and cabbages are about the only ‘agricultural produce’ that Dame Nature will yield.”
29 There were no farms or gardens, no larger animals, and therefore “that great portion of a Newfoundland fisherman’s annual bill-of-fare which he derives from the small patch of cleared land around his homestead, is denied to the Western fisherman.” As a result, his position was “a particularly hard one, and if it were not for some degree of counterbalancing advantage, in the shape of the Winter’s fishery, existence there would be entirely impossible. As it is, the case is bad enough. The average condition of the Fishermen living on the Western Shore is no credit to the Merchants who have been dealing with them, or to any of the ‘authorities’ or ‘influences’ which so zealously guard their political destinies.”
30 Murray lambasted the supply merchants, alleging that they kept up “the exorbitant old prices of a hundred years ago, when the Fisheries were flourishing on that coast, and those who had to be sustained by these Fisheries were much fewer in number than at present . . . .” He then added:
31 Though a merchant himself, Murray maintained a strong sympathy for the underdog at a time when the inshore cod fishery on the south coast was contracting, and he saw himself as a fair and principled merchant and supplier. The extent of his support in the 1882 election suggests that many in Burgeo-La Poile district agreed, and his articles provide an unusual insight into how elections in that period were conducted, and into the condition of the district itself. Murray was an unusual, maverick candidate, earning the patronizing comment from D.W. Prowse that he had provided “the one and only comic element” in the 1893 general election. 75 Independent candidates were unusual, and in due course Murray was defeated by a political system that emphasized party affiliation and party loyalty. Political loners, then as now, were marginal figures.