William Melville Martin
Encyclopedia
William Melville Martin (August 23, 1876 – June 22, 1970) served as the second Premier
of the Canadian
province of Saskatchewan
from 1916 to 1922.
Martin was elected to the House of Commons
for Regina
in the 1908 Canadian federal election, and re-elected in 1911
. In 1916, he entered provincial politics to take over the leadership of the Saskatchewan Liberal Party
and become Premier. Martin, an outsider to provincial politics, was chosen by the Liberals in order to help distance them from allegations of corruption. Martin brought farmers' advocate Charles A. Dunning into the cabinet in an attempt to revitalise the Liberals, and instituted reforms to clean up the government. These changes were successful in cleansing the government's image, and Martin led the government to re-election in the 1917 election
, winning 51 of 59 seats.
The United Farmers
and Progressive
movements were riding a national wave of agrarian discontent which undercut the Liberals across Canada, and threatened to engulf the Saskatchewan Liberals as well. Martin successfully attempted to embrace the populist movement by, in 1920, severing ties with the federal Liberal Party of Canada
bringing in Dunning and also by recruiting another farm leader, federal Progressive MP John Archibald Maharg
, into the government. The Liberals were able to resist the Progressive
challenge in the 1921 election
, which returned 46 Liberals to 6 Progressives, 7 Independents, 1 Labour
MLA
and 3 Conservatives
.
A political crisis developed, however, when Premier Martin campaigned for the federal Liberal Party of Canada
against the populist Progressives. Martin declared his opposition to a number of Progressive policies during the campaign leading Maharg, a Progressive supporter, to resign from Cabinet
. The split in the Martin Cabinet led to the Premier's resignation and his replacement by Charles Dunning.
Martin retired from politics in 1922 and became a judge of the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal. From 1941 until 1961, Martin was Chief Justice of Saskatchewan (presiding over the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal).
Premier of Saskatchewan
The Premier of Saskatchewan is the first minister for the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. They are the province's head of government and de facto chief executive....
of the Canadian
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...
province of 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....
from 1916 to 1922.
Martin was elected to the House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
for Regina
Regina, Saskatchewan
Regina is the capital city of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province and a cultural and commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. It is governed by Regina City Council. Regina is the cathedral city of the Roman Catholic and Romanian Orthodox...
in the 1908 Canadian federal election, and re-elected in 1911
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:...
. In 1916, he entered provincial politics to take over the leadership of the Saskatchewan Liberal Party
Saskatchewan Liberal Party
The Saskatchewan Liberal Party is a liberal political party in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan.-Early history :The party dominated Saskatchewan politics for the province's first forty years providing six of the first seven Premiers, and being in power for all but five of the years between the...
and become Premier. Martin, an outsider to provincial politics, was chosen by the Liberals in order to help distance them from allegations of corruption. Martin brought farmers' advocate Charles A. Dunning into the cabinet in an attempt to revitalise the Liberals, and instituted reforms to clean up the government. These changes were successful in cleansing the government's image, and Martin led the government to re-election in the 1917 election
Saskatchewan general election, 1917
The Saskatchewan general election of 1917 was the fourth provincial election in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It was held on June 26, 1917, to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan....
, winning 51 of 59 seats.
The United Farmers
United Farmers of Canada
The United Farmers of Canada was a radical farmers organization. It was established in 1926 as the United Farmers of Canada as a merger of the Farmers' Union of Canada and the Saskatchewan Grain Growers Association...
and Progressive
Progressive Party of Canada
The Progressive Party of Canada was a political party in Canada in the 1920s and 1930s. It was linked with the provincial United Farmers parties in several provinces and, in Manitoba, ran candidates and formed governments as the Progressive Party of Manitoba...
movements were riding a national wave of agrarian discontent which undercut the Liberals across Canada, and threatened to engulf the Saskatchewan Liberals as well. Martin successfully attempted to embrace the populist movement by, in 1920, severing ties with the federal Liberal Party of Canada
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...
bringing in Dunning and also by recruiting another farm leader, federal Progressive MP John Archibald Maharg
John Archibald Maharg
John Archibald Maharg was a Saskatchewan politician.Born in Orangeville, Ontario, Maharg moved west and settled near Moose Jaw in 1890 where he became a grain farmer and cattle breeder. He helped organize the Saskatchewan Grain Growers Association becoming its first president from 1910 to 1923...
, into the government. The Liberals were able to resist the Progressive
Progressive Party of Saskatchewan
The Progressive Party of Saskatchewan was a provincial section of the Progressive Party of Canada and was active from the 1920s to the mid-1930s...
challenge in the 1921 election
Saskatchewan general election, 1921
The Saskatchewan general election of 1921 was the fifth provincial election held in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It was held on June 9, 1921 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan....
, which returned 46 Liberals to 6 Progressives, 7 Independents, 1 Labour
Labour candidates and parties in Canada
There have been various groups in Canada that have nominated candidates under the label Labour Party or Independent Labour Party or other variations from the 1870s until the 1960s...
MLA
Member of the Legislative Assembly
A Member of the Legislative Assembly or a Member of the Legislature , is a representative elected by the voters of a constituency to the legislature or legislative assembly of a sub-national jurisdiction....
and 3 Conservatives
Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan
The Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan is a right-of-centre political party in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. Prior to 1942, it was known as the Conservative Party of Saskatchewan. Members are commonly known as Tories....
.
A political crisis developed, however, when Premier Martin campaigned for the federal Liberal Party of Canada
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...
against the populist Progressives. Martin declared his opposition to a number of Progressive policies during the campaign leading Maharg, a Progressive supporter, to resign from Cabinet
Executive Council of Saskatchewan
The Executive Council of Saskatchewan is the cabinet of that Canadian province....
. The split in the Martin Cabinet led to the Premier's resignation and his replacement by Charles Dunning.
Martin retired from politics in 1922 and became a judge of the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal. From 1941 until 1961, Martin was Chief Justice of Saskatchewan (presiding over the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal).