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 became one of the United Templars, and from 1876 to 1883 he acted in
the capacity of president of their Grand Lodge in Manitoba. He was grand
worthy chief templar of the Grand Lodge of Manitoba of the Independent
Order of Good Templars in 1884, and is at present president of the
Manitoban Branch of the Dominion Alliance for the suppression of the
liquor traffic, and has been since its formation in 1879. He took the
leading part in the contest for the Scott Act, when it was passed in the
counties of Lisgar and Marquette. These counties extend over about three
quarters of the old province of Manitoba. The act was carried by very
large majorities,—more than two to one voting in its favour; but on
account of the vagueness of the meaning of some of its provisions in
reference to counties in Manitoba, and the impossibility of getting it
amended, it still remains a dead letter. In politics, Mr. Sifton is a
Liberal. In 1878, he received the unanimous nomination of the Liberal
party for the Commons for the county of Lisgar, and organized and
carried on the campaign up to the memorable day, the 17th of September,
1878. The 18th being nomination day in Manitoba, and the news reaching
there of the defeat of the Mackenzie government, his committee had a
hurried meeting on the morning before nomination, and decided that it
would be better for the county if he would withdraw, and allow a
supporter of the Macdonald government to be elected by acclamation, and
this he consented to do. In the fall of the same year he received the
nomination for the Local House for the electoral division of St.
Clemens, and was elected by a large majority, and on the assembling of
the house he was elected speaker. During the sitting of this parliament
a redistribution bill was passed, giving the new settlers something like
fair representation, which they had not hitherto enjoyed. At the next
general election he ran for one of the new electoral divisions, and was
defeated. In 1881, when the province was enlarged, he ran for the
division of Brandon and was elected. In the general election of 1883 he
was defeated; and again at the last general election for the division of
West Brandon he met the same fate by a small majority. Mr. Sifton was
reeve of Oil Springs and a member of the County council of Lambton
during the years 1867, ’68 and ’69. He was chairman of the school board
of same place in 1868-69, and was reeve of the municipality of
Cornwallis for 1885-86, but declined the nomination in 1887. He has been
a justice of the peace for the province since 1875. He has travelled
over the whole of the Dominion of Canada, and is familiar with all parts
of the United States north and south, and as far west as Omaha. Mr.
Sifton is a member of the Methodist church from choice. Before the union
he was a Wesleyan Methodist, and since then his opinions have not
changed much on religious subjects, except that he has more confidence
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