W. Garfield Case
Encyclopedia
Wilfrid Garfield Case also known as W. Garfield Case, (September 23, 1898 – September 22, 1959), was a Canadian politician who served as a Progressive Conservative
Member of Parliament and Mayor
of Owen Sound, Ontario
. He is best known for his upset victory over Defence Minister
General Andrew McNaughton
in the Grey North
federal by-election held on February 5, 1945.
and schooled in Aurora, Ontario
before attending the Ontario Agricultural College
. He enlisted in the Army during World War I
but transferred to the Royal Flying Corps
. He was discharged after being seriously injured.
as a "National Liberal Progressive
" against both the Liberal and Conservative candidates, placing third. He had earlier, in 1930 federal election
, been an unsuccessful Liberal candidate in Dufferin—Simcoe
and was a former president of the Owen Sound Liberal Association.
the Liberals
and Conservative parties agreed not to run candidates against each other in by-elections and to allow whichever party had held the riding before the by-election to run without opposition. This pact was strained in 1942 when William Lyon Mackenzie King
's Liberals allegedly backed Joseph Noseworthy of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
(which had refused to agree to the "truce") in his candidacy against new Conservative leader Arthur Meighen
who was attempting to enter the House of Commons via a by-election in York South
. Noseworthy upset Meighen in the vote leaving the Tories leaderless.
On November 1, 1944, General McNaughton was appointed to Mackenzie King's cabinet as Minister of Defence replacing James Ralston
who had resigned as a result of the Conscription Crisis of 1944
. Ralston, who was pro-conscription, had quit because the King government refused to go as far as he wanted in sending conscripts overseas and was also encouraged to quit as he was distrusted in Quebec where conscription was unpopular. McNaughton had been a believer in an all volunteer military and was appointed to replace Ralston but soon found himself under pressure from the government to enact a limited conscription policy.
By constitutional convention, McNaughton, as a minister of the crown, needed to seek a seat in parliament as soon as possible. The sitting Liberal MP, William P. Telford
, had been unable to attend sittings of the House of Commons for a year due to illness and was persuaded to resign in order to enable McNaugton to contest a seat in a by-election. The Tories, who had renamed themselves the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
decided to stand Wilfrid Case against McNaughton in the by-election.
In June 1944, Case was nominated as the Progressive Conservative candidate for the projected 1945 federal election
and when the incumbent Liberal MP resigned his seat in favour of General McNaughton, the Tories decided to run Case in the by-election after party leader John Bracken
decided to not run as a candidate himself.
During the campaign, Case charged that the former Liberal MP had been forced to resign to make way for McNaughton despite the fact that there were several other vacancies in the House of Commons that needed to be filled. He also accused all of his opponents of being outsiders and parachute candidates and used the slogan "Send a Grey North man to Ottawa, not an Ottawa man to Grey North" in order to press the point. However, the principal issue of the campaign was conscription.
The rationale the Conservatives used when deciding to run a candidate against McNaughton was that it had opposed, in the House of Commons, McNaughton's policy of "limited conscription" calling instead for a "full conscription" policy in order to address the shortage of Canadian troops fighting in the war. Thus, the February 5, 1945, by-election became a test of the government's military policy. Case, however, was viewed as a weak candidate and it was thought that McNaughton would easily carry the riding, not having to face the Leader of the Opposition.
Despite calls from some quarters of labour that they should not contest the by-election, the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
also stood a candidate, retired Air Vice-Marshal
Albert Earl Godfrey
, a World War I flying ace. The CCF shared McNaughton's policy of "limited conscription" thus, arguably, Godfrey acted as a spoiler
in the vote.
Case defeated McNaughton in an upset victory, the margin of which was smaller than the number of votes received by the third place CCF candidate.
After his defeat in Grey North, McNaughton attempted to enter the House of Commons from a Saskatchewan
riding in the June federal election but was again defeated. He resigned as Minister of Defence in August 1945.
held in June 1945, three months after his by-election victory.
While in Parliament, Case advocated that the position of Governor General of Canada
should be filled by individuals from various countries in the British Commonwealth in order to strengthen ties and also advocated improving the status of aboriginal peoples
in Canada.
After Progressive Conservative leader John Bracken resigned, Case announced his candidacy for the leadership of the Progressive Conservative party and ran on a policy of abolishing income tax
. He withdrew from the race before the convention to support George Drew
, who succeeded in winning the party's leadership.
Case remained in the Canadian House of Commons until his defeat in the subsequent 1949 federal election
by Liberal Colin Emerson Bennett
. He attempted to return in the 1953 federal election
but was again defeated in Grey North.
Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
The Progressive Conservative Party of Canada was a Canadian political party with a centre-right stance on economic issues and, after the 1970s, a centrist stance on social issues....
Member of Parliament and Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Owen Sound, Ontario
Owen Sound, Ontario
Owen Sound , the county seat of Grey County, is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada...
. He is best known for his upset victory over Defence Minister
Minister of National Defence (Canada)
The Minister of National Defence is a Minister of the Crown; the Canadian politician within the Cabinet of Canada responsible for the Department of National Defence which oversees the Canadian Forces....
General Andrew McNaughton
Andrew McNaughton
General Andrew George Latta McNaughton, CH, CB, CMG, DSO, CD, PC was a Canadian army officer, politician and diplomat.- Early life :...
in the Grey North
Grey North
Grey North was a federal electoral district represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1867 to 1968. It was located in the province of Ontario. It was created by the British North America Act of 1867, which divided the County of Grey into two ridings: Grey South and Grey North...
federal by-election held on February 5, 1945.
Early years
Case was raised on a farm in York CountyYork County, Ontario
York County is a historic county in Upper Canada, Canada West, and the Canadian province of Ontario.York County was created in 1792 and was part of the jurisdiction of Home District of Upper Canada...
and schooled in Aurora, Ontario
Aurora, Ontario
Aurora is an affluent town in York Region, approximately 20 km north of Toronto. It is partially situated on the Oak Ridges Moraine, and is a part of the Greater Toronto Area and Golden Horseshoe of Southern Ontario.Many Aurora residents commute to Toronto and surrounding communities.In the...
before attending the Ontario Agricultural College
Ontario Agricultural College
The Ontario Agricultural College originated at the agricultural laboratories of the Toronto Normal School, and was officially founded in 1874 as an associate agricultural college of the University of Toronto...
. He enlisted in the Army during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
but transferred to the Royal Flying Corps
Royal Flying Corps
The Royal Flying Corps was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. During the early part of the war, the RFC's responsibilities were centred on support of the British Army, via artillery co-operation and photographic reconnaissance...
. He was discharged after being seriously injured.
Political career
Case was first elected mayor of Owen Sound in 1942 and was re-elected in 1943 and 1944. He also served as president of the Ontario Mayor's Association as well as a local farmer and insurance broker who had run in Grey North unsuccessfully in the 1940 federal electionCanadian federal election, 1940
The Canadian federal election of 1940 was the 19th general election in Canadian history. It was held March 26, 1940 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 19th Parliament of Canada...
as a "National Liberal Progressive
National Liberal Progressive
National Liberal Progressive was a political label used by in the Canadian federal election of 1940, by W. Garfield Case, in Grey North electoral district in Ontario....
" against both the Liberal and Conservative candidates, placing third. He had earlier, in 1930 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1930
The Canadian federal election of 1930 was held on July 28, 1930 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 17th Parliament of Canada...
, been an unsuccessful Liberal candidate in Dufferin—Simcoe
Dufferin—Simcoe
Dufferin—Simcoe was a federal electoral district represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1925 to 1968. It was located in the province of Ontario...
and was a former president of the Owen Sound Liberal Association.
Grey North by-election
During World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the Liberals
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
and Conservative parties agreed not to run candidates against each other in by-elections and to allow whichever party had held the riding before the by-election to run without opposition. This pact was strained in 1942 when William Lyon Mackenzie King
William Lyon Mackenzie King
William Lyon Mackenzie King, PC, OM, CMG was the dominant Canadian political leader from the 1920s through the 1940s. He served as the tenth Prime Minister of Canada from December 29, 1921 to June 28, 1926; from September 25, 1926 to August 7, 1930; and from October 23, 1935 to November 15, 1948...
's Liberals allegedly backed Joseph Noseworthy of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
The Co-operative Commonwealth Federation was a Canadian political party founded in 1932 in Calgary, Alberta, by a number of socialist, farm, co-operative and labour groups, and the League for Social Reconstruction...
(which had refused to agree to the "truce") in his candidacy against new Conservative leader Arthur Meighen
Arthur Meighen
Arthur Meighen, PC, QC was a Canadian lawyer and politician. He served two terms as the ninth Prime Minister of Canada: from July 10, 1920 to December 29, 1921; and from June 29 to September 25, 1926. He was the first Prime Minister born after Confederation, and the only one to represent a riding...
who was attempting to enter the House of Commons via a by-election in York South
York South
York South was an electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1904 to 1979, and in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1926 to 1999....
. Noseworthy upset Meighen in the vote leaving the Tories leaderless.
On November 1, 1944, General McNaughton was appointed to Mackenzie King's cabinet as Minister of Defence replacing James Ralston
James Ralston
James Layton Ralston, PC was a Canadian lawyer, soldier and politician.Born in Amherst, Nova Scotia, Ralston graduated from law school at Dalhousie University in 1903 and practised law in Amherst...
who had resigned as a result of the Conscription Crisis of 1944
Conscription Crisis of 1944
The Conscription Crisis of 1944 was a political and military crisis following the introduction of forced military service in Canada during World War II. It was similar to the Conscription Crisis of 1917, but was not as politically damaging....
. Ralston, who was pro-conscription, had quit because the King government refused to go as far as he wanted in sending conscripts overseas and was also encouraged to quit as he was distrusted in Quebec where conscription was unpopular. McNaughton had been a believer in an all volunteer military and was appointed to replace Ralston but soon found himself under pressure from the government to enact a limited conscription policy.
By constitutional convention, McNaughton, as a minister of the crown, needed to seek a seat in parliament as soon as possible. The sitting Liberal MP, William P. Telford
William Pattison Telford, Jr.
William Pattison Telford was a Liberal party member of the Canadian House of Commons. He was born in Sydenham, Ontario and became a lawyer...
, had been unable to attend sittings of the House of Commons for a year due to illness and was persuaded to resign in order to enable McNaugton to contest a seat in a by-election. The Tories, who had renamed themselves the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
The Progressive Conservative Party of Canada was a Canadian political party with a centre-right stance on economic issues and, after the 1970s, a centrist stance on social issues....
decided to stand Wilfrid Case against McNaughton in the by-election.
In June 1944, Case was nominated as the Progressive Conservative candidate for the projected 1945 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1945
The Canadian federal election of 1945 was the 20th general election in Canadian history. It was held June 11, 1945 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 20th Parliament of Canada...
and when the incumbent Liberal MP resigned his seat in favour of General McNaughton, the Tories decided to run Case in the by-election after party leader John Bracken
John Bracken
John Bracken, PC was an agronomist, the 11th Premier of Manitoba and leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada ....
decided to not run as a candidate himself.
During the campaign, Case charged that the former Liberal MP had been forced to resign to make way for McNaughton despite the fact that there were several other vacancies in the House of Commons that needed to be filled. He also accused all of his opponents of being outsiders and parachute candidates and used the slogan "Send a Grey North man to Ottawa, not an Ottawa man to Grey North" in order to press the point. However, the principal issue of the campaign was conscription.
The rationale the Conservatives used when deciding to run a candidate against McNaughton was that it had opposed, in the House of Commons, McNaughton's policy of "limited conscription" calling instead for a "full conscription" policy in order to address the shortage of Canadian troops fighting in the war. Thus, the February 5, 1945, by-election became a test of the government's military policy. Case, however, was viewed as a weak candidate and it was thought that McNaughton would easily carry the riding, not having to face the Leader of the Opposition.
Despite calls from some quarters of labour that they should not contest the by-election, the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
The Co-operative Commonwealth Federation was a Canadian political party founded in 1932 in Calgary, Alberta, by a number of socialist, farm, co-operative and labour groups, and the League for Social Reconstruction...
also stood a candidate, retired Air Vice-Marshal
Air Vice-Marshal
Air vice-marshal is a two-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force. The rank is also used by the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence and it is sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in...
Albert Earl Godfrey
Albert Earl Godfrey
Group Captain Albert Earl Godfrey MC was a Canadian First World War flying ace, officially credited with 14 victories while flying for the Royal Flying Corps. He spent the remainder of his career in the Royal Canadian Air Force.-Early life and service:"Steve" Godfrey was the son of Nellie and...
, a World War I flying ace. The CCF shared McNaughton's policy of "limited conscription" thus, arguably, Godfrey acted as a spoiler
Spoiler effect
The spoiler effect describes the effect a minor party candidate with little chance of winning has in a close election, when that candidate's presence in the election draws votes from a major candidate similar to them, thereby causing a candidate dissimilar to them to win the election...
in the vote.
Case defeated McNaughton in an upset victory, the margin of which was smaller than the number of votes received by the third place CCF candidate.
After his defeat in Grey North, McNaughton attempted to enter the House of Commons from a Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
riding in the June federal election but was again defeated. He resigned as Minister of Defence in August 1945.
Later political career
Case was re-elected in the 1945 federal electionCanadian federal election, 1945
The Canadian federal election of 1945 was the 20th general election in Canadian history. It was held June 11, 1945 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 20th Parliament of Canada...
held in June 1945, three months after his by-election victory.
While in Parliament, Case advocated that the position of Governor General of Canada
Governor General of Canada
The Governor General of Canada is the federal viceregal representative of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II...
should be filled by individuals from various countries in the British Commonwealth in order to strengthen ties and also advocated improving the status of aboriginal peoples
First Nations
First Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...
in Canada.
After Progressive Conservative leader John Bracken resigned, Case announced his candidacy for the leadership of the Progressive Conservative party and ran on a policy of abolishing income tax
Income tax
An income tax is a tax levied on the income of individuals or businesses . Various income tax systems exist, with varying degrees of tax incidence. Income taxation can be progressive, proportional, or regressive. When the tax is levied on the income of companies, it is often called a corporate...
. He withdrew from the race before the convention to support George Drew
George Drew
George Alexander Drew, was a Canadian conservativepolitician who founded a Progressive Conservative dynasty in Ontario that lasted 42 years...
, who succeeded in winning the party's leadership.
Case remained in the Canadian House of Commons until his defeat in the subsequent 1949 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1949
The Canadian federal election of 1949 was held on June 27 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 21st Parliament of Canada. It was the first election in Canada in almost thirty years in which the Liberal Party of Canada was not led by William Lyon Mackenzie King. King had...
by Liberal Colin Emerson Bennett
Colin Emerson Bennett
Colin Emerson Bennett was a Canadian politician and lawyer. He was elected to the Canadian House of Commons in the 1949 election to represent the riding of Grey North. He was re-elected in 1953. During his second term, he was Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Veterans Affairs...
. He attempted to return in the 1953 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1953
The Canadian federal election of 1953 was held on August 10 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 22nd Parliament of Canada. Prime Minister Louis St...
but was again defeated in Grey North.
Suicide
Case was admitted to Toronto's Sunnybrook Military Hospital on July 29, 1959, for psychiatric treatment. He remained a patient until September 22 when he committed suicide by hanging himself by his belt in a hospital closet the day before what would have been his 62nd birthday.External links
- Parliamentary biography
- Canada at War: THE DOMINION: Vital By-Election, Time Magazine, January 15, 1945
- Canada at War: POLITICS: Spring Election?, Time Magazine, February 5, 1945
- Canada at War: THE DOMINION: Tory Triumph, Time Magazine, February 12, 1945