Lewis St. George Stubbs
Encyclopedia
Lewis St. George Stubbs (June 14, 1878-May 12, 1958) was a prominent judge and politician
in Manitoba
, Canada
. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
from 1936 to 1949 as an Independent, and was known for promoting left-wing and socially progressive causes.
Stubbs was born on the island of Cockburn Harbour
in the Turks and Caicos Islands
, in the British West Indies
. His family were wealthy colonial settlers whose ancestors had abandoned Georgia
during the American Revolution
; Stubbs later described them as "real Tories, the old-fashioned kind". Stubbs was educated at York Castle
in Jamaica
and St. Chad's College in Staffordshire
, England
. In 1898, he enrolled to study medicine at Christ's College
, Cambridge University
, and intended to become a medical missionary in Africa
.
In 1899, Stubbs enlisted as a private in the British Army to fight in the Second Boer War
. He quickly became disillusioned with both military life and the cause for which he was fighting, and never spoke of his participation with any enthusiasm in later life. He abandoned his medical research on returning to England, and sought a new calling.
In 1902, Stubbs moved to Deleau (near Brandon
) Manitoba to work as a farmhand. He moved to Winnipeg later in the year; although initially planning to move to British Columbia
, he chose to remain in the city after meeting Mary Wilcox, later his wife. He became a law student, and struck up a friendship with Fred Dixon
, later a prominent labourist politician in the city. Stubbs himself had by this point converted to philosophical liberalism
.
In 1908, he opened a legal practice in Birtle
, where he also worked as a farmer. During the federal election of 1917
, Stubbs was one of the few public figures in the community to oppose conscription
and the government of Robert Borden
.
In the 1921 federal election
, Stubbs was chosen to run as the Liberal
candidate in the riding of Marquette against Thomas Crerar
, leader of the Progressive Party
. He held no illusions of winning, and indeed finished a distant third with only 553 votes (against 9873 for Crerar). He was rewarded for his services by Liberal Prime Minister
William Lyon Mackenzie King
on May 20, 1922, being appointed a County Court Judge in the Eastern Judicial District of Manitoba. On July 4, 1924, he became a Senior County Court Judge.
As a judge, Stubbs often provoked controversy with Manitoba and Canada's political leadership. A strict temperance
man himself, Stubbs insisted that the province's prohibition
laws be followed to the letter. He also rendered several judgments which excoriated the capitalist system of his age, lamenting the punishment of petty criminals while corrupt plutocrats operated above the law.
Stubbs was also criticized by some in government for granting unduly lenient sentences, and in 1932 was the subject of a Royal Commission of inquiry into his judicial conduct. Many regarded the inquiry as a politically motivated farce. Stubbs was ultimately found guilty of judicial misbehaviour, and the final report indicated that he was temperamentally unfit to hold office. Though removed from the bench, his cause was supported by many ordinary Manitobans—particularly by those on the political left.
In late 1933, Stubbs ran for the Canadian House of Commons
a second time, this time for the newly formed Cooperative Commonwealth Federation in the Saskatchewan
riding of Mackenzie (he was, in fact, the first CCF candidate to run for federal office). His candidacy was opposed by others on the left, and the United Farmers's Unity League ran a candidate against him. Stubbs was also criticized for bringing his personal controversies into the campaign, and his religious beliefs were questioned by some (originally an Anglican, Stubbs became a secular humanist in later years). His former ally William Lyon MacKenzie King now campaigned against him, and when the election was held on October 23, Stubbs was defeated by Liberal John Angus MacMillan
by 1614 votes.
Notwithstanding his setback, Stubbs chose to run as an Independent candidate in Manitoba's 1936 provincial election
. He ran in the riding of Winnipeg, which at the time elected ten members by preferential balloting. His popular support was nothing short of incredible—he received a record 24,815 votes on the first count, almost 20,000 more than his nearest opponent, Communist James Litterick
.
Stubbs was a member of the left-opposition in parliament, opposing the Liberal-Progressive
government of John Bracken
. Although frequently a political ally of Litterick, he was unwilling to follow political directives from the U.S.S.R. and never entertained the possibility of joining the Communist Party. He did, however, support the Mackenzie-Papineau Battalion
in the Spanish Civil War
, and often dismissed the CCF as an ineffective opposition.
There were rumours that Stubbs would run a third time for the House of Commons in 1940 against CCF incumbent Abraham Albert Heaps
, but he declined in the interests of unity among "progressive" politicians. He was a strong supporter of the full mobilization for Canadian forces in World War II
, and condemned the Communist Party's volte-face on the issue following the Hitler
-Stalin non-aggression pact of October 7, 1939.
After Litterick was expelled from the legislature, the other political parties (Liberal-Progressive, Conservative
, CCF and Social Credit
) formed a united coalition ministry. Stubbs regarded the coalition as a monstrosity, and was for a time the only opposition MLA in the assembly (two other coalition MLAs subsequently left the government side).
Stubbs was re-elected in the 1941 election
, although without the massive majority of the previous cycle (he finished second on the first ballot, behind Liberal-Progressive candidate John McDiarmid
). During this parliament, Stubbs made frequent calls for electoral reform in Manitoba, noting that the riding's urban centres were grossly under-represented in comparison to the rural areas. He was again called upon to run federal against Stanley Knowles
in Winnipeg North Centre
in 1945, but again declined.
He was re-elected in the 1945 election
, but once again with diminished support. In this parliament, he supported CCF MLA Morris Gray's efforts to increase old-age pensions, and again spoke in favour of electoral reform.
Stubbs did not run for re-election in 1949. He sought re-election for the redistributed riding of Winnipeg Centre in the 1953 provincial election
, but was unsuccessful, placing fifth in a four-seat riding. He returned to his law practice after leaving political life. Stubbs died on May 12, 1958.
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
in Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
, 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...
. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
The Legislative Assembly of Manitoba and the lieutenant governor form the Legislature of Manitoba, the legislature of the Canadian province of Manitoba. Fifty-seven members are elected to this assembly in provincial general elections, all in single-member constituencies with first-past-the-post...
from 1936 to 1949 as an Independent, and was known for promoting left-wing and socially progressive causes.
Stubbs was born on the island of Cockburn Harbour
Cockburn Harbour
Cockburn Harbour is a settlement in the Turks and Caicos. It is the largest community on the island of South Caicos, with some 811 people. It has the best natural harbour of the Caicos Islands, and was once an important centre for regional trade and a major exporter of salt. Today its main...
in the Turks and Caicos Islands
Turks and Caicos Islands
The Turks and Caicos Islands are a British Overseas Territory and overseas territory of the European Union consisting of two groups of tropical islands in the Caribbean, the larger Caicos Islands and the smaller Turks Islands, known for tourism and as an offshore financial centre.The Turks and...
, in the British West Indies
British West Indies
The British West Indies was a term used to describe the islands in and around the Caribbean that were part of the British Empire The term was sometimes used to include British Honduras and British Guiana, even though these territories are not geographically part of the Caribbean...
. His family were wealthy colonial settlers whose ancestors had abandoned Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
during the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
; Stubbs later described them as "real Tories, the old-fashioned kind". Stubbs was educated at York Castle
York Castle
York Castle in the city of York, England, is a fortified complex comprising, over the last nine centuries, a sequence of castles, prisons, law courts and other buildings on the south side of the River Foss. The now-ruinous keep of the medieval Norman castle is sometimes referred to as Clifford's...
in Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
and St. Chad's College in Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. In 1898, he enrolled to study medicine at Christ's College
Christ's College, Cambridge
Christ's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge.With a reputation for high academic standards, Christ's College averaged top place in the Tompkins Table from 1980-2000 . In 2011, Christ's was placed sixth.-College history:...
, Cambridge University
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
, and intended to become a medical missionary in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
.
In 1899, Stubbs enlisted as a private in the British Army to fight in the Second Boer War
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
. He quickly became disillusioned with both military life and the cause for which he was fighting, and never spoke of his participation with any enthusiasm in later life. He abandoned his medical research on returning to England, and sought a new calling.
In 1902, Stubbs moved to Deleau (near Brandon
Brandon, Manitoba
Brandon is the second largest city in Manitoba, Canada, and is located in the southwestern area of the province. Brandon is the largest city in the Westman region of Manitoba. The city is located along the Assiniboine River. Spruce Woods Provincial Park and CFB Shilo are a relatively short distance...
) Manitoba to work as a farmhand. He moved to Winnipeg later in the year; although initially planning to move to British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, he chose to remain in the city after meeting Mary Wilcox, later his wife. He became a law student, and struck up a friendship with Fred Dixon
Fred Dixon
Fred Dixon was a Manitoba politician, and was for several years the dominant figure in the province's mainstream labour movement.Born in Englefield, England, Dixon was not a socialist...
, later a prominent labourist politician in the city. Stubbs himself had by this point converted to philosophical liberalism
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
.
In 1908, he opened a legal practice in Birtle
Birtle, Manitoba
Birtle is a small town of 690 people , located on the prairies of western Manitoba, Canada at the junction of Highways 83 and 42.-History:...
, where he also worked as a farmer. During the federal election of 1917
Canadian federal election, 1917
The 1917 Canadian federal election was held on December 17, 1917, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 13th Parliament of Canada. Described by historian Michael Bliss as the "most bitter election in Canadian history", it was fought mainly over the issue of conscription...
, Stubbs was one of the few public figures in the community to oppose conscription
Conscription
Conscription is the compulsory enlistment of people in some sort of national service, most often military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and continues in some countries to the present day under various names...
and the government of Robert Borden
Robert Borden
Sir Robert Laird Borden, PC, GCMG, KC was a Canadian lawyer and politician. He served as the eighth Prime Minister of Canada from October 10, 1911 to July 10, 1920, and was the third Nova Scotian to hold this office...
.
In the 1921 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1921
The Canadian federal election of 1921 was held on December 6, 1921 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 14th Parliament of Canada. The Union government that had governed Canada through the First World War was defeated, and replaced by a Liberal government under the young leader...
, Stubbs was chosen to run as the Liberal
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...
candidate in the riding of Marquette against Thomas Crerar
Thomas Crerar
Thomas Alexander Crerar, was a western Canadian politician and a leader of the short-lived Progressive Party of Canada. He was born in Molesworth, Ontario, and moved to Manitoba at a young age....
, leader of the Progressive Party
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...
. He held no illusions of winning, and indeed finished a distant third with only 553 votes (against 9873 for Crerar). He was rewarded for his services by Liberal Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
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...
on May 20, 1922, being appointed a County Court Judge in the Eastern Judicial District of Manitoba. On July 4, 1924, he became a Senior County Court Judge.
As a judge, Stubbs often provoked controversy with Manitoba and Canada's political leadership. A strict temperance
Temperance movement
A temperance movement is a social movement urging reduced use of alcoholic beverages. Temperance movements may criticize excessive alcohol use, promote complete abstinence , or pressure the government to enact anti-alcohol legislation or complete prohibition of alcohol.-Temperance movement by...
man himself, Stubbs insisted that the province'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 be followed to the letter. He also rendered several judgments which excoriated the capitalist system of his age, lamenting the punishment of petty criminals while corrupt plutocrats operated above the law.
Stubbs was also criticized by some in government for granting unduly lenient sentences, and in 1932 was the subject of a Royal Commission of inquiry into his judicial conduct. Many regarded the inquiry as a politically motivated farce. Stubbs was ultimately found guilty of judicial misbehaviour, and the final report indicated that he was temperamentally unfit to hold office. Though removed from the bench, his cause was supported by many ordinary Manitobans—particularly by those on the political left.
In late 1933, Stubbs ran for the Canadian 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...
a second time, this time for the newly formed Cooperative Commonwealth Federation in the 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 of Mackenzie (he was, in fact, the first CCF candidate to run for federal office). His candidacy was opposed by others on the left, and the United Farmers's Unity League ran a candidate against him. Stubbs was also criticized for bringing his personal controversies into the campaign, and his religious beliefs were questioned by some (originally an Anglican, Stubbs became a secular humanist in later years). His former ally William Lyon MacKenzie King now campaigned against him, and when the election was held on October 23, Stubbs was defeated by Liberal John Angus MacMillan
John Angus MacMillan
John Angus MacMillan was a Liberal party member of the Canadian House of Commons. He was born in Nova Scotia and became a barrister....
by 1614 votes.
Notwithstanding his setback, Stubbs chose to run as an Independent candidate in Manitoba's 1936 provincial election
Manitoba general election, 1936
Manitoba's general election of July 27, 1936 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada.The was the second election in Manitoba after the formation of a Liberal-Progressive alliance in 1932...
. He ran in the riding of Winnipeg, which at the time elected ten members by preferential balloting. His popular support was nothing short of incredible—he received a record 24,815 votes on the first count, almost 20,000 more than his nearest opponent, Communist James Litterick
James Litterick
James Litterick was a politician in Manitoba, Canada, and was the first member of the Communist Party of Canada to be elected to that province's legislature....
.
Stubbs was a member of the left-opposition in parliament, opposing the Liberal-Progressive
Manitoba Liberal Party
The Manitoba Liberal Party is a political party in Manitoba, Canada. Its roots can be traced to the late nineteenth-century, following the province's creation in 1870.-Origins and early development :...
government of John Bracken
John Bracken
John Bracken, PC was an agronomist, the 11th Premier of Manitoba and leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada ....
. Although frequently a political ally of Litterick, he was unwilling to follow political directives from the U.S.S.R. and never entertained the possibility of joining the Communist Party. He did, however, support the Mackenzie-Papineau Battalion
Mackenzie-Papineau Battalion
The Mackenzie–Papineau Battalion or Mac-Paps were a battalion of Canadians who fought as part of the XV International Brigade on the Republican side in the Spanish Civil War. Except for France, no other country gave a greater proportion of its population as volunteers in Spain than Canada. The...
in the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
, and often dismissed the CCF as an ineffective opposition.
There were rumours that Stubbs would run a third time for the House of Commons in 1940 against CCF incumbent Abraham Albert Heaps
Abraham Albert Heaps
Abraham Albert Heaps was a Canadian politician and labour leader.Born in Leeds, England, Heaps immigrated to Canada in 1911 and worked in Winnipeg as an upholsterer. He was one of the leaders of the Winnipeg General Strike of 1919 and was a Labor alderman on the Winnipeg City Council from 1917...
, but he declined in the interests of unity among "progressive" politicians. He was a strong supporter of the full mobilization for Canadian forces in World War II
World 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...
, and condemned the Communist Party's volte-face on the issue following the Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
-Stalin non-aggression pact of October 7, 1939.
After Litterick was expelled from the legislature, the other political parties (Liberal-Progressive, Conservative
Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba
The Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba is the only right wing political party in Manitoba, Canada. It is also the official opposition party in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba.-Origins and early years:...
, CCF and Social Credit
Manitoba Social Credit Party
The Manitoba Social Credit Party was a political party in the Canadian province of Manitoba. In its early years, it espoused the monetary reform theories of social credit....
) formed a united coalition ministry. Stubbs regarded the coalition as a monstrosity, and was for a time the only opposition MLA in the assembly (two other coalition MLAs subsequently left the government side).
Stubbs was re-elected in the 1941 election
Manitoba general election, 1941
Manitoba's general election of April 22, 1941 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada.This election was held shortly after the formation of a coalition government in December 1940...
, although without the massive majority of the previous cycle (he finished second on the first ballot, behind Liberal-Progressive candidate John McDiarmid
John Stewart McDiarmid
John Stewart McDiarmid was a Manitoba politician. He held senior ministerial positions in the governments of John Bracken, Stuart Garson and Douglas Campbell, and served as the province's 14th Lieutenant Governor between 1953 and 1960.McDiarmid was born in Perthshire, Scotland, and emigrated to...
). During this parliament, Stubbs made frequent calls for electoral reform in Manitoba, noting that the riding's urban centres were grossly under-represented in comparison to the rural areas. He was again called upon to run federal against Stanley Knowles
Stanley Knowles
Stanley Howard Knowles, PC, OC was a Canadian parliamentarian. Knowles represented the riding of Winnipeg North Centre from 1942 to 1958 on behalf of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation and again from 1962 to 1984 representing the CCF's successor, the New Democratic Party .Knowles was widely...
in Winnipeg North Centre
Winnipeg North Centre
Winnipeg North Centre was a federal electoral district in Manitoba, Canada, that was represented by a Member of Parliament in the Canadian House of Commons from 1925 to 2004...
in 1945, but again declined.
He was re-elected in the 1945 election
Manitoba general election, 1945
Manitoba's general election of October 15, 1945 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada.The 1945 provincial election was extremely different from the previous election, which was held in 1941...
, but once again with diminished support. In this parliament, he supported CCF MLA Morris Gray's efforts to increase old-age pensions, and again spoke in favour of electoral reform.
Stubbs did not run for re-election in 1949. He sought re-election for the redistributed riding of Winnipeg Centre in the 1953 provincial election
Manitoba general election, 1953
Manitoba's general election of June 8, 1953 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada. This was the first election held in Manitoba after the breakup of a ten-year coalition government led by the Liberal-Progressives and Progressive Conservatives...
, but was unsuccessful, placing fifth in a four-seat riding. He returned to his law practice after leaving political life. Stubbs died on May 12, 1958.