A Cyclopaedia of Canadian Biography: Being Chiefly Men of the Time: A Collection of Persons Distinguished in Professional and Political Life, Leaders in the Commerce and Industry of Canada, and Successful Pioneers — John Shaqi
A Cyclopaedia of Canadian Biography: Being Chiefly Men of the Time: A Collection of Persons Distinguished in Professional and Political Life, Leaders in the Commerce and Industry of Canada, and Successful Pioneers
History
A Cyclopaedia of Canadian Biography: Being Chiefly Men of the Time: A Collection of Persons Distinguished in Professional and Political Life, Leaders in the Commerce and Industry of Canada, and Successful Pioneers
He concluded that if, though yet an alien, he was required
to risk his life in defence of Canada, he would claim it as a right to
speak and vote upon political questions. Shortly after the Earl of
Durham’s Report had been published, mass meetings were held in several
parts of Upper Canada to discuss the same; and Mr. Klotz was one of
thirty-six men, mostly old settlers of Waterloo county, who by
hand-bills called a public meeting to be held at Preston, on the 10th
day of August, “to take into consideration the deplorable state of the
province of Upper Canada, and to express their opinion thereon, in
concurrence with the great county meeting lately held at Dundas, upon
the glorious report of the Earl of Durham.” One of those handbills is
still preserved by Mr. Klotz as a relic of his younger days. The first
parliamentary election which came on was held at Guelph, and Mr. Klotz
went there to vote. A scrutineer, the late Colonel Hodgins, asked him:
“How long are you in this country, sir?” The answer was given with
firmness: “Not quite ten years, sir;” the response was: “Oh, that will
do; for whom do you vote?” “for Mr. James Durand, sir,” said Mr. Klotz
and left the polling place. Mr. Durand was afterwards declared elected.
After responsible government had been granted to the people of Canada,
and the political party which adopted the name “Conservatives” had been
formed, Mr. Klotz joined that party, and he has ever since supported it
with all his energy. He held for a number of years the office of
secretary of that party in his electoral division, and in later years
that of president of the same. For the celebration of the Peace Jubilee,
held at the county town, Berlin, shortly after the Franco-German war, he
was elected president of the German societies, and as such he delivered
on May 2nd, 1871, in front of the Court House, to an audience of several
thousands, the Peace Jubilee address; and subsequently at the town of
Waterloo, on the occasion of the first “German Saenger Fest” in Ontario,
being held there, he delivered to an overcrowded house at the
Agricultural Hall, the address in German and also in English. The old
Alien Act requiring a residence of seven years before a foreigner could
become a naturalized subject, was felt by many Germans to be too long a
period of probation, especially since it only required five years’
residence in the United States to become a citizen there. Accordingly
Mr. Klotz agitated the matter through the medium of the public press,
and by letters to members of Parliament and to the government. In this
he was ably assisted by other Germans, and their united efforts were
crowned with success, the seven years being first reduced to five, and
later to three years’ residence. An attempt was made by him to induce
the British government to extend the privileges of a person naturalized
in Canada, over the whole British empire; but in this attempt he failed,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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