William Rutherford, Liberal Candidate for Westmount, 1912

We tend to remember family members from past generations for their accomplishments.  William Rutherford Jr.,  as well as being a prominent businessman, is remembered by the Fyfe family as having been the first mayor of Westmount (his term was served from 1911-1912).  What I didn't know until recently is that he also ran, unsuccessfully, as the Westmount Liberal Candidate in the 1912 Quebec Provincial election.  There is a fascinating article in the Montreal Gazette of May 3, 1912 which describes a rally on his behalf.  Also present was Sir Lomer Gouin, Premier of Quebec from 1905 to 1920, who spoke on William's behalf.

Sir Lomer Gouin, Quebec Premier and supporter of William Rutherford

WESTMOUNT HEARS SIR LOMER GOUIN

PREMIER AND MAYOR RUTHERFORD ANSWER QUESTIONS OF LT-COL SMART

"The speech of Sir Lomer Gouin in Victoria Hall last night in the interest of Mr. William Rutherford, Liberal candidate in Westmount, and those of the candidate himself and the other speakers, concerned themselves mainly with the address made by Lieut.-Col. Smart, the Conservative candidate, in his meeting in the same hall on the previous Saturday night, and charges made by him of graft and rottenness in the present government...

Mr. William Rutherford, who was welcomed enthusiastically, said that many of his Conservative friends told him he was leading a forlorn hope, and he was inclined to accept that way of putting things as, said he, 'many forlorn hopes get there, and generally it is the best men who are chosen to lead forlorn hopes'.  He appealed to his Conservative friends to leave federal politics out of the question, and vote for the man instead of for the party, and so help him to run up a good majority.  He spoke of the work he in association with others had done for Westmount, with special reference to good roads, temperance and education.  He submitted that what they had been doing for Westmount Sir Lomer Gouin had been trying to do for the Province of Quebec, and whereas they had succeeded in making Westmount a place that was called the model city, he believed that Sir Lomer Gouin if allowed to finish his work would make Quebec into a province that would deserve to be called the model one in Canada.

Speaking of Colonel Smart, a personal friend, he said that he thought the Conservative candidate would have to take back much of what he had said in regard to graft and bribery...

'I stand four-square for no forced annexation of Westmount or other municipal districts on the island of Montreal to the city of Montreal, and I tell you now so that if that question ever comes up in Quebec, you and Sir Lomer Gouin will know where I stand,'  said Mayor Rutherford.  

As to temperance,  Mr. Rutherford said he stood to support the continuance of the present Early Closing Bylaw, to fight against any effort to repeal the Quebec License Law, and to favour any temperance movement which had for its object the restriction of the liquor traffic if  in his judgment it was fair to the interests involved. 

'I am not an intemperate temperance man,' he said, 'and I feel that that is as far as I can go.' "

The election was held on May 15, 1912, and of 83 Liberal candidates running, 63 were elected.  William was not one of them.  Charles Allan Smart, the Conservative candidate (and apparently William's friend), won the district of Westmount.  He would be the Westmount MP from 1912 until 1936.  

Charles Allan Smart, MP for Westmount 1912-1936

 

The Montreal Gazette of May 16 had this to say about Westmount's results:

"While the new riding of Westmount, as was expected, went Conservative by a good majority, the personal popularity of the Liberal candidate, Mayor Rutherford, cut down the normal Conservative vote considerably.  More interest was displayed in the contest between Mayor Rutherford and Lt.-Col. Smart than in almost any other riding, and a comparatively fair vote was registered.  It was taken as a foregone conclusion that the latter would be elected, the riding having been cut out with the evident intention of hiving the Conservatives." 

To give this election some historical context, women in Quebec did not have the right to vote until 1940.  Mrs. Rutherford could not vote for her husband in 1912.