William Raney
Encyclopedia
William Edgar Raney, K.C. (1859-1933) was a lawyer, politician and judge in Ontario
, Canada
, in the early twentieth century.
, was born on the farm adjacent to it) to Herman and Mary Raney, William E. Raney descended from Huguenot and United Empire Loyalist stock. Raney received his education first at a traditional log schoolhouse, then at St. Catherines Collegiate Institute, Trinity College in Kingston and finally Osgoode Hall, Toronto.
Raney was a well known lawyer in the first decades of the last century and came to the public eye through his opposition to gambling on horse racing
, against which he had authored a series of reports.
running unsuccessfully for the Ontario legislature in the 1914 provincial election
. After the United Farmers of Ontario
unexpectedly won the 1919 provincial election
the agrarian party had no lawyers in its caucus and so the new government of E.C. Drury approached Raney to accept the position of Attorney-General. He accepted and contested a by-election entering the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
as the Member of the Legislative Assembly
(MLA) for Wellington East. He was sworn in as the Attorney General of Ontario on November 14, 1919.
He became a leading force in the UFO-Labour government. In his ministerial capacity, he set out to abolish party patronage methods in the Ontario Ministry of Justice, and had the administration of the Ontario Temperance Act
transferred to his office. Indeed, he became best known for what has been described as his 'zealous' application of Ontario's prohibition
laws. However, when one of his alcohol inspectors, the Reverend J O L Spracklin
, was tried for manslaughter (Spracklin shot and killed a man who was engaged in the illicit liquor trade and was later acquitted of manslaughter) , the Government's and Raney's administration of the Province's liquor laws came under significant scrutiny. The Government's strict enforcement of the Ontario Temperance Act
served to alienate voters from the cities, who largely felt that the party was too inclined towards rural causes and hostile towards urban issues.
saw Premier Drury lose his own seat along with his government. Raney took over the leadership of the Progressives
(as the UFO bloc of MLAs had become known) in January 1925 following the retirement of acting leader Manning Doherty
. Raney led the opposition against the Ferguson
government's plan to replace the Ontario Temperance Act with a Liquor Control Act which allowed alcohol sales through a government run Liquor Control Board
. It was on this issue that he clashed with Ferguson and campaigned unsuccessfully against the loosening of Ontario's liquor laws as Progressive leader in the 1926 election
, which returned only 17 Progressive, UFO or Labour MLAs.
.
, a fighter pilot in the First World War, was killed in action, shot down over Roulers, Belgium (then German territory) on August 21, 1917. After the War, Raney made many appeals to the War Graves Commission to locate his son's final resting place. Unfortunately, no grave could be located.
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....
, 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...
, in the early twentieth century.
Background and early career
Born on a farm near Aultsville, Ontario, (interestingly, another notable Ontario politician, Sir James WhitneyJames 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...
, was born on the farm adjacent to it) to Herman and Mary Raney, William E. Raney descended from Huguenot and United Empire Loyalist stock. Raney received his education first at a traditional log schoolhouse, then at St. Catherines Collegiate Institute, Trinity College in Kingston and finally Osgoode Hall, Toronto.
Raney was a well known lawyer in the first decades of the last century and came to the public eye through his opposition to gambling on horse racing
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
, against which he had authored a series of reports.
Ontario Attorney General
Raney was initially a LiberalOntario Liberal Party
The Ontario Liberal Party is a provincial political party in the province of Ontario, Canada. It has formed the Government of Ontario since the provincial election of 2003. The party is ideologically aligned with the Liberal Party of Canada but the two parties are organizationally independent and...
running unsuccessfully for the Ontario legislature in the 1914 provincial election
Ontario general election, 1914
The Ontario general election, 1914 was the 14th general election held in the Province of Ontario, Canada. It was held on June 29, 1914, to elect the 111 Members of the 14th Legislative Assembly of Ontario ....
. After the United Farmers of Ontario
United Farmers of Ontario
The United Farmers of Ontario was a political party in Ontario, Canada. It was the Ontario provincial branch of the United Farmers movement of the early part of the 20th century.- Foundation and rise :...
unexpectedly won the 1919 provincial election
Ontario general election, 1919
The Ontario general election, 1919 was the 15th general election held in the Province of Ontario, Canada. It was held on October 20, 1919, to elect the 111 Members of the 15th Legislative Assembly of Ontario ....
the agrarian party had no lawyers in its caucus and so the new government of E.C. Drury approached Raney to accept the position of Attorney-General. He accepted and contested a by-election entering the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
Legislative Assembly of Ontario
The Legislative Assembly of Ontario , is the legislature of the Canadian province of Ontario, and is the second largest provincial legislature of Canada...
as the Member of the Legislative Assembly
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....
(MLA) for Wellington East. He was sworn in as the Attorney General of Ontario on November 14, 1919.
He became a leading force in the UFO-Labour government. In his ministerial capacity, he set out to abolish party patronage methods in the Ontario Ministry of Justice, and had the administration of the Ontario Temperance Act
Ontario Temperance Act
Ontario Temperance Act was a law passed in Ontario in 1916 to prohibit the sale of alcohol, a period known as Prohibition. This meant the province remained dry in legal terms, but smugglers continued to import alcohol into the province. The cause was the demand of religious elements led by women...
transferred to his office. Indeed, he became best known for what has been described as his 'zealous' application of Ontario's 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...
laws. However, when one of his alcohol inspectors, the Reverend J O L Spracklin
J O L Spracklin
The Reverend J O L Spracklin, a Methodist minister from Windsor, Ontario, noted for his involvement with Prohibition issues. Spracklin shot and killed a man who was engaged in the illicit liquor trade and was later acquitted of manslaughter.-Background:...
, was tried for manslaughter (Spracklin shot and killed a man who was engaged in the illicit liquor trade and was later acquitted of manslaughter) , the Government's and Raney's administration of the Province's liquor laws came under significant scrutiny. The Government's strict enforcement of the Ontario Temperance Act
Ontario Temperance Act
Ontario Temperance Act was a law passed in Ontario in 1916 to prohibit the sale of alcohol, a period known as Prohibition. This meant the province remained dry in legal terms, but smugglers continued to import alcohol into the province. The cause was the demand of religious elements led by women...
served to alienate voters from the cities, who largely felt that the party was too inclined towards rural causes and hostile towards urban issues.
Leader of Progressive Party of Canada
The return of only 17 UFO and 4 Labour MLAs in the provincial election of 1923Ontario general election, 1923
The Ontario general election, 1923 was the 16th general election held in the Province of Ontario, Canada. It was held on June 25, 1923, to elect the 111 Members of the 16th Legislative Assembly of Ontario ....
saw Premier Drury lose his own seat along with his government. Raney took over the leadership of the Progressives
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...
(as the UFO bloc of MLAs had become known) in January 1925 following the retirement of acting leader Manning Doherty
Manning Doherty
Manning William Doherty was a farmer, businessman and politician serving as Ontario's Minister of Agriculture during the United Farmers of Ontario-Labour government of 1919 to 1923 and as leader of the Progressives in Opposition before leaving provincial politics.Doherty was the descendant of an...
. Raney led the opposition against the Ferguson
Howard Ferguson
George Howard Ferguson, PC was a Conservative politician and the ninth Premier of Ontario, Canada, from 1923 to 1930.-Background:He was the son of Charles Frederick Ferguson who served in the Canadian House of Commons...
government's plan to replace the Ontario Temperance Act with a Liquor Control Act which allowed alcohol sales through a government run Liquor Control Board
Liquor Control Board of Ontario
The Liquor Control Board of Ontario is a provincial Crown corporation in Ontario, Canada established in 1927 by Lieutenant Governor William Donald Ross, on the advice of his Premier, Howard Ferguson, to sell liquor, wine, and beer through a chain of retail stores...
. It was on this issue that he clashed with Ferguson and campaigned unsuccessfully against the loosening of Ontario's liquor laws as Progressive leader in the 1926 election
Ontario general election, 1926
The Ontario general election, 1926 was the 17th general election held in the Province of Ontario, Canada. It was held on December 1, 1926, to elect the 112 Members of the 17th Legislative Assembly of Ontario ....
, which returned only 17 Progressive, UFO or Labour MLAs.
Appointed to Supreme Court of Ontario
A year later, Raney resigned his seat to accept an appointment to the Supreme Court of OntarioSupreme Court of Ontario
The Supreme Court of Ontario was a superior court of the Canadian province of Ontario. Now defunct, in 1989 the Courts of Justice Amendment Act, 1989 was enacted by the Government to create one large superior trial court for Ontario...
.
Family
His son, Paul Hartley RaneyPaul Hartley Raney
2nd Lieutenant Paul Hartley Raney was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on Christmas Day, December 25, 1892, the son of the Hon. William Edgar Raney, KC and Jessie Amelia Raney. He attended West Toronto Public School, St. Andrew's College from 1906 to 1908, and Oakwood Collegiate...
, a fighter pilot in the First World War, was killed in action, shot down over Roulers, Belgium (then German territory) on August 21, 1917. After the War, Raney made many appeals to the War Graves Commission to locate his son's final resting place. Unfortunately, no grave could be located.