Rodmond Palen Roblin
Encyclopedia
Sir Rodmond Palen Roblin, KCMG (February 15, 1853 – February 16, 1937) was a businessman and politician in Manitoba
, Canada
.
Roblin was born in the town of Sophiasburgh, in Prince Edward County
, Canada West (later Ontario
). The Roblin family were descended from Dutch American Loyalist farmers Philip and Elizabeth Roblin from Smith's Cove in Orange County, New York
. He was educated at Albert College in Belleville
, arrived in Winnipeg in 1877, and worked as a grain merchant. Roblin served as reeve of Dufferin
for five years and as warden for two, and was also a school trustee in the community.
He entered provincial politics in the 1886 Manitoba election
, running as a Liberal Party candidate against Conservative
cabinet minister David Wilson in the constituency of Dufferin South. He lost this race by five votes, but won a subsequent by-election held on May 12, 1888.
The by-election took place shortly after Thomas Greenway
was inaugurated as Manitoba's first Liberal premier
. Roblin was a supporter of Greenway in this period, and was re-elected by acclamation when the new premier called another provincial election
for July 1888.
Although Greenway's Liberals won this election with a landslide majority, the new premier was unable to fulfill a campaign promise for the development of local railways. The Canadian Pacific Railway
had lost its formal monopoly in the region, but it was still the dominant line and transportation costs remained high. Confronted with Greenway's failure, Roblin abandoned the government in 1889 and caucused with the small Conservative opposition. With the death of John Norquay
in the same year, he emerged as the party's leading spokesman. Roblin was the Conservative Party's de facto leader in the legislature between 1890 and 1892.
In opposition, Roblin spoke against Greenway's proposed education reforms. After his failure to reform the provincial railway system, Greenway repudiated an earlier pledge and withdrew state support for Manitoba's Catholic
and francophone education system. His reforms triggered a national political crisis, known as the Manitoba Schools Question
. While many Canadian francophones regarded Greenway's policy as discriminatory, it was extremely popular with Manitoba's anglophone and Protestant majority. Greenway's government was re-elected in the 1892 election
, and Roblin was personally defeated in the rural constituency of Morden.
Greenway won another landslide victory in the 1896 election
, although Roblin was this time returned to the legislature for the constituency of Woodlands. He became the parliamentary leader of the Conservatives for a second time, but stood aside to allow Hugh John Macdonald
to become the official leader of the party in 1897.
The 1899 provincial election
very different from the previous two campaigns. The schools question was resolved in 1896, and Greenway was forced to defend a fairly mediocre record on other issues against a more organized opposition. The result was a narrow victory for Macdonald's Conservatives, who won 22 of 40 seats. Macdonald was inaugurated as premier early in 1900. Roblin, who was re-elected in Woodlands and was the main architect of the Conservative victory, was left out of cabinet.
Macdonald resigned as premier on October 29, 1900, to run for the Conservative Party of Canada
against Clifford Sifton
in the federal riding
of Brandon
. Roblin became premier in his place, and also took the powerful cabinet position of Railway Commissioner. In December, he also appointed himself as Minister of Agriculture as well. This consolidation of power reflected Roblin's personal authority over both the government and the provincial Conservative Party: his control over both would be unquestioned for the next fourteen years.
While Greenway had won elections on single-issue populism, Roblin relied on "machine politics" for his electoral success. Despite (or because of) some coercion, he was able to effectively dispense patronage and could rely on the support of many loyal followers at the community level.
Roblin's Conservatives won thirty-one seats in the 1903 election
, against nine for Greenway's Liberals. The extent of this victory may be credited to Greenway's leadership of the Liberal Party -- he was increasingly uninterested in provincial politics, and was spending much of his time looking for a federal patronage appointment. Roblin's machine also coasted to easy victories in 1907
and 1910
, winning twenty-eight of forty-one seats on both occasions.
Roblin played a crucial role in the 1911 federal election
on reciprocity
, by putting his electoral machine at the disposal of the federal Conservative Party
. In so doing, Roblin helped to defeat Sir Wilfrid Laurier
and put Robert Borden
in power. Borden, in turn, enacted legislation to expand Manitoba's boundaries to their current limit.
Like his counterpart James Whitney
in Ontario
, Roblin expanded the role of government in Manitoba and promoted many initiatives that would be regarded today as progressive. As railway commissioner, he reached an agreement with Canadian Northern Railways
to build an alternate route to the lakehead, and put control of the rates into the hands of the province. His government also promoted significant expansions in health, education and road services, all of which were required to service Manitoba's rapidly increasing population.
Roblin's Tories created Manitoba's first crown corporations, expropriating Bell's telephone services to create a state-owned system -- the first effective public utilities system in Canada. The government also started a state-owned system of grain elevators to assist farmers, but this was less successful. A scandal involving these elevators weakened his government's hold on power in the early 1910s.
Roblin was more conservative on social issues. He is often remembered today for his opposition to women's suffrage
, and for clashing with Nellie McClung
on the issue. McClung made Roblin appear foolish in her famous "parliament of women", parodying the premier's patronizing comments on traditional gender roles. Roblin also resisted demands to enact a labour code to protect workers, and was sometimes reluctant to enforce the province's existing legislation.
Roblin's handling of the prohibition
issue was also controversial. Hugh John Macdonald's government passed prohibition legislation in 1900, after two separate referendums had confirmed public support for the initiative. Roblin was reluctant to enforce the legislation, however, because his government received significant revenues from the sale of alcohol. He called a third referendum in 1902. When temperance supporters boycotted the poll, prohibition was defeated by a narrow margin.
The 1914 provincial election
was the start of a watershed period in Manitoba politics. Roblin's government went into the election weakened by a scandal involving the construction of new legislative buildings. His opponents accused the government of corruption, claiming misappropriation of funds and overspending. The Conservatives were re-elected by a reduced margin, winning 28 seats against 20 for the Liberals in an expanded legislature.
When Roblin rejected calls for a formal investigation into the legislative buildings scandal, the Liberal opposition petitioned the Lieutenant Governor
to take direct action. The Lieutenant-Governor convened his own commission of enquiry, popularly known as the Mathers Commission as it was led by chief justice T.A. Mathers. After only two weeks, the commission had uncovered enough evidence to force the government's resignation. Roblin formally resigned as premier on May 12, 1915, and Liberal leader Tobias C. Norris was called to form a new administration. A new general election
was called, which the Liberals won in a landslide..
The commission report concluded that Roblin, Attorney General James H. Howden
and developer Thomas Kelly had conspired to commit fraud in the contract arrangements. Roblin was indicted, but was eventually discharged of criminal responsibility. He died in Hot Springs, Arkansas
in 1937.
Sir Rodmond Roblin is the grandfather of another Manitoba premier, Dufferin Roblin
.
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
Roblin was born in the town of Sophiasburgh, in Prince Edward County
Prince Edward County, Ontario
Prince Edward County is a single-tier municipality and a census division of the Canadian province of Ontario.-Geography:Prince Edward County is located in Southern Ontario on a large irregular headland or littoral at the eastern end of Lake Ontario, just west of the head of the St. Lawrence River...
, Canada West (later Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
). The Roblin family were descended from Dutch American Loyalist farmers Philip and Elizabeth Roblin from Smith's Cove in Orange County, New York
Orange County, New York
Orange County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. It is part of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area and is located at the northern reaches of the New York metropolitan area. The county sits in the state's scenic Mid-Hudson Region of the Hudson Valley...
. He was educated at Albert College in Belleville
Belleville, Ontario
Belleville is a city located at the mouth of the Moira River on the Bay of Quinte in Southern Ontario, Canada, in the Quebec City-Windsor Corridor. It is the seat of Hastings County, but is politically independent of it. and the centre of the Bay of Quinte Region...
, arrived in Winnipeg in 1877, and worked as a grain merchant. Roblin served as reeve of Dufferin
Dufferin, Manitoba
Dufferin is a rural municipality in the province of Manitoba in Western Canada. The separately administered town of Carman lies near its centre.-External links:*...
for five years and as warden for two, and was also a school trustee in the community.
He entered provincial politics in the 1886 Manitoba election
Manitoba general election, 1886
This was the sixth Manitoba general election and was held on December 9, 1886....
, running as a Liberal Party candidate against Conservative
Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba
The Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba is the only right wing political party in Manitoba, Canada. It is also the official opposition party in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba.-Origins and early years:...
cabinet minister David Wilson in the constituency of Dufferin South. He lost this race by five votes, but won a subsequent by-election held on May 12, 1888.
The by-election took place shortly after Thomas Greenway
Thomas Greenway
For the American character actor , see Tom Greenway.Thomas Greenway was a politician, merchant and farmer. He served as the seventh Premier of Manitoba, Canada, from 1888 to 1900...
was inaugurated as Manitoba's first Liberal premier
Premier of Manitoba
The Premier of Manitoba is the first minister for the Canadian province of Manitoba. He or she is the province's head of government and de facto chief executive. Until the early 1970s, the title "Prime Minister of Manitoba" was used frequently. Afterwards, the word Premier, derived from the French...
. Roblin was a supporter of Greenway in this period, and was re-elected by acclamation when the new premier called another provincial election
Manitoba general election, 1888
This was the seventh Manitoba general election and was held on July 11, 1888....
for July 1888.
Although Greenway's Liberals won this election with a landslide majority, the new premier was unable to fulfill a campaign promise for the development of local railways. The Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
had lost its formal monopoly in the region, but it was still the dominant line and transportation costs remained high. Confronted with Greenway's failure, Roblin abandoned the government in 1889 and caucused with the small Conservative opposition. With the death of John Norquay
John Norquay
John Norquay was the Premier of Manitoba from 1878 to 1887. He was born near St. Andrews in what was then the Red River Colony, making him the first Premier of Manitoba to have been born in the region....
in the same year, he emerged as the party's leading spokesman. Roblin was the Conservative Party's de facto leader in the legislature between 1890 and 1892.
In opposition, Roblin spoke against Greenway's proposed education reforms. After his failure to reform the provincial railway system, Greenway repudiated an earlier pledge and withdrew state support for Manitoba's Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
and francophone education system. His reforms triggered a national political crisis, known as the Manitoba Schools Question
Manitoba Schools Question
The Manitoba Schools Question was a political crisis in the Canadian Province of Manitoba that occurred late in the 19th century, involving publicly funded separate schools for Roman Catholics and Protestants...
. While many Canadian francophones regarded Greenway's policy as discriminatory, it was extremely popular with Manitoba's anglophone and Protestant majority. Greenway's government was re-elected in the 1892 election
Manitoba general election, 1892
This was the eighth Manitoba general election and was held on July 23, 1892....
, and Roblin was personally defeated in the rural constituency of Morden.
Greenway won another landslide victory in the 1896 election
Manitoba general election, 1896
This was the ninth Manitoba general election and was held on January 15, 1896....
, although Roblin was this time returned to the legislature for the constituency of Woodlands. He became the parliamentary leader of the Conservatives for a second time, but stood aside to allow Hugh John Macdonald
Hugh John Macdonald
Sir Hugh John Macdonald, PC was the only surviving son of the first Prime Minister of Canada, Sir John A. Macdonald, and was a politician in his own right, serving as a member of the Canadian House of Commons and a federal cabinet minister, and briefly as the eighth Premier of Manitoba.-Early...
to become the official leader of the party in 1897.
The 1899 provincial election
Manitoba general election, 1899
This was the tenth Manitoba general election and was held on December 7, 1899....
very different from the previous two campaigns. The schools question was resolved in 1896, and Greenway was forced to defend a fairly mediocre record on other issues against a more organized opposition. The result was a narrow victory for Macdonald's Conservatives, who won 22 of 40 seats. Macdonald was inaugurated as premier early in 1900. Roblin, who was re-elected in Woodlands and was the main architect of the Conservative victory, was left out of cabinet.
Macdonald resigned as premier on October 29, 1900, to run for the Conservative Party of Canada
Conservative Party of Canada (historical)
The Conservative Party of Canada has gone by a variety of names over the years since Canadian Confederation. Initially known as the "Liberal-Conservative Party", it dropped "Liberal" from its name in 1873, although many of its candidates continued to use this name.As a result of World War I and the...
against Clifford Sifton
Clifford Sifton
Sir Clifford Sifton, PC, KCMG was a Canadian politician best known for being Minister of the Interior under Sir Wilfrid Laurier...
in the federal riding
Electoral district (Canada)
An electoral district in Canada, also known as a constituency or a riding, is a geographical constituency upon which Canada's representative democracy is based...
of Brandon
Brandon (electoral district)
Brandon was a federal electoral district in the province of Manitoba, Canada, that was represented in the House of Commons from 1896 to 1953.It was created in 1892 from parts of Marquette and Selkirk ridings....
. Roblin became premier in his place, and also took the powerful cabinet position of Railway Commissioner. In December, he also appointed himself as Minister of Agriculture as well. This consolidation of power reflected Roblin's personal authority over both the government and the provincial Conservative Party: his control over both would be unquestioned for the next fourteen years.
While Greenway had won elections on single-issue populism, Roblin relied on "machine politics" for his electoral success. Despite (or because of) some coercion, he was able to effectively dispense patronage and could rely on the support of many loyal followers at the community level.
Roblin's Conservatives won thirty-one seats in the 1903 election
Manitoba general election, 1903
Manitoba's general election of July 20, 1903 was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada.The result was a second consecutive majority government for the Conservative Party of Manitoba, now led by Premier Rodmond Palen Roblin...
, against nine for Greenway's Liberals. The extent of this victory may be credited to Greenway's leadership of the Liberal Party -- he was increasingly uninterested in provincial politics, and was spending much of his time looking for a federal patronage appointment. Roblin's machine also coasted to easy victories in 1907
Manitoba general election, 1907
Manitoba's general election of March 7, 1907 was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada.The result was a third consecutive majority government for the Conservative Party of Manitoba, led by premier Rodmond Palen Roblin...
and 1910
Manitoba general election, 1910
Manitoba's general election of July 11, 1910 was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada.The result was a fourth consecutive majority government for the Conservative Party of Manitoba, led by premier Rodmond Palen Roblin. Roblin's electoral machine won...
, winning twenty-eight of forty-one seats on both occasions.
Roblin played a crucial role in the 1911 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1911
The Canadian federal election of 1911 was held on September 21 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 12th Parliament of Canada.-Summary:...
on reciprocity
Reciprocity (Canadian politics)
In nineteenth and early twentieth century Canadian politics, the term reciprocity was used to describe the concept of free trade with the United States of America...
, by putting his electoral machine at the disposal of the federal Conservative Party
Conservative Party of Canada (historical)
The Conservative Party of Canada has gone by a variety of names over the years since Canadian Confederation. Initially known as the "Liberal-Conservative Party", it dropped "Liberal" from its name in 1873, although many of its candidates continued to use this name.As a result of World War I and the...
. In so doing, Roblin helped to defeat Sir Wilfrid Laurier
Wilfrid Laurier
Sir Wilfrid Laurier, GCMG, PC, KC, baptized Henri-Charles-Wilfrid Laurier was the seventh Prime Minister of Canada from 11 July 1896 to 6 October 1911....
and put Robert Borden
Robert Borden
Sir Robert Laird Borden, PC, GCMG, KC was a Canadian lawyer and politician. He served as the eighth Prime Minister of Canada from October 10, 1911 to July 10, 1920, and was the third Nova Scotian to hold this office...
in power. Borden, in turn, enacted legislation to expand Manitoba's boundaries to their current limit.
Like his counterpart James Whitney
James Whitney
Sir James Pliny Whitney, KCMG was a politician in the Canadian province of Ontario. Whitney was a lawyer in eastern Ontario, Conservative member for Dundas from 1888 to 1914, and the sixth Premier of Ontario from 1905 to 1914.- Early life :Whitney was born in Williamsburgh Township in 1843 and...
in Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Roblin expanded the role of government in Manitoba and promoted many initiatives that would be regarded today as progressive. As railway commissioner, he reached an agreement with Canadian Northern Railways
Canadian National Railway
The Canadian National Railway Company is a Canadian Class I railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. CN's slogan is "North America's Railroad"....
to build an alternate route to the lakehead, and put control of the rates into the hands of the province. His government also promoted significant expansions in health, education and road services, all of which were required to service Manitoba's rapidly increasing population.
Roblin's Tories created Manitoba's first crown corporations, expropriating Bell's telephone services to create a state-owned system -- the first effective public utilities system in Canada. The government also started a state-owned system of grain elevators to assist farmers, but this was less successful. A scandal involving these elevators weakened his government's hold on power in the early 1910s.
Roblin was more conservative on social issues. He is often remembered today for his opposition to women's suffrage
Women's suffrage
Women's suffrage or woman suffrage is the right of women to vote and to run for office. The expression is also used for the economic and political reform movement aimed at extending these rights to women and without any restrictions or qualifications such as property ownership, payment of tax, or...
, and for clashing with Nellie McClung
Nellie McClung
Nellie McClung, born Nellie Letitia Mooney , was a Canadian feminist, politician, and social activist. She was a part of the social and moral reform movements prevalent in Western Canada in the early 1900s...
on the issue. McClung made Roblin appear foolish in her famous "parliament of women", parodying the premier's patronizing comments on traditional gender roles. Roblin also resisted demands to enact a labour code to protect workers, and was sometimes reluctant to enforce the province's existing legislation.
Roblin's handling of the prohibition
Prohibition
Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the...
issue was also controversial. Hugh John Macdonald's government passed prohibition legislation in 1900, after two separate referendums had confirmed public support for the initiative. Roblin was reluctant to enforce the legislation, however, because his government received significant revenues from the sale of alcohol. He called a third referendum in 1902. When temperance supporters boycotted the poll, prohibition was defeated by a narrow margin.
The 1914 provincial election
Manitoba general election, 1914
Manitoba's general election of July 10, 1914 was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada.The result was a fifth consecutive majority government for the Conservative Party, led by premier Rodmond P. Roblin...
was the start of a watershed period in Manitoba politics. Roblin's government went into the election weakened by a scandal involving the construction of new legislative buildings. His opponents accused the government of corruption, claiming misappropriation of funds and overspending. The Conservatives were re-elected by a reduced margin, winning 28 seats against 20 for the Liberals in an expanded legislature.
When Roblin rejected calls for a formal investigation into the legislative buildings scandal, the Liberal opposition petitioned the Lieutenant Governor
Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba
The Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba is the viceregal representative in Manitoba of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, who operates distinctly within the province but is also shared equally with the ten other jurisdictions of Canada and resides predominantly in her oldest realm, the United...
to take direct action. The Lieutenant-Governor convened his own commission of enquiry, popularly known as the Mathers Commission as it was led by chief justice T.A. Mathers. After only two weeks, the commission had uncovered enough evidence to force the government's resignation. Roblin formally resigned as premier on May 12, 1915, and Liberal leader Tobias C. Norris was called to form a new administration. A new general election
Manitoba general election, 1915
Manitoba's general election of August 6, 1915 was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada.This election was held only one year after the previous general election of 1914. In that election, the governing Conservatives of premier Rodmond P. Roblin were...
was called, which the Liberals won in a landslide..
The commission report concluded that Roblin, Attorney General James H. Howden
James H. Howden
James Henry Howden was a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba as a member of the Conservative Party from 1903 to 1915, and was a cabinet minister in the government of Rodmond P. Roblin....
and developer Thomas Kelly had conspired to commit fraud in the contract arrangements. Roblin was indicted, but was eventually discharged of criminal responsibility. He died in Hot Springs, Arkansas
Hot Springs, Arkansas
Hot Springs is the 10th most populous city in the U.S. state of Arkansas, the county seat of Garland County, and the principal city of the Hot Springs Metropolitan Statistical Area encompassing all of Garland County...
in 1937.
Sir Rodmond Roblin is the grandfather of another Manitoba premier, Dufferin Roblin
Dufferin Roblin
Dufferin "Duff" Roblin, PC, CC, OM was a Canadian businessman and politician. Known as "Duff," he served as the 14th Premier of Manitoba from 1958 to 1967. Roblin was appointed to the Canadian Senate on the advice of Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. In the government of Brian Mulroney, he served as...
.
External links
- Manitoba Historical Society profile
- Rodmond Roblin at The Canadian EncyclopediaThe Canadian EncyclopediaThe Canadian Encyclopedia is a source of information on Canada. It is available online, at no cost. The Canadian Encyclopedia is available in both English and French and includes some 14,000 articles in each language on a wide variety of subjects including history, popular culture, events, people,...
- Rodmond Palen Roblin at Ryeland Family Tree