The sun., 1919-09-02
TELLS HOW CANADA VOTED
TO BAR HEREDITARY TITLES
Apathy of Their Supporters and Other Circumstances
Aided Notoriety Seeking Mover of Resolu-
ton, Says Ottawa Observer.


to go as far as Mr.. Nickle. 1t was pre-
pared to intimate to the imperial au-
thorities that no honor, save those be-
slowed in recognition OF naval or milf
tary achievement, should be conferred
without the approval Of the Prime
Minister that hereditary honors should
NJ longer be granted and that steps be
taken toward the abolition Of those al
ready In existence.
This represented the very maximum
of what the pubic desired. The House
of Commons however. was in super
democratic mood. 1T was In one of
those moods which. curiously enough,
80 frequently betray public bodies into
positions absolutely divorced from actu-
alities and, as the debate upon the
Nickle resolution progressed antagonism
to titles became more and more pro-
nourced
Even Sir Wilfrid Laurier. who few
years before had rejected the PROPOSE
ton that titles we're inconsistent with
democracy, offered to put his own @. Z.
M. @. on a bonfire II his other titled
friends on both sides Of the House would
add similar fuel to the confiagration
Finally after long debate and follow
ing threat by the Prime Minister that
rejection of the Governments proposal
would be regarded as a vote of want Of
nation. the House came TO Its senses and
the Cabinets motion was carried by a
vote of 104 to II.
Helps Him Get Notoriety.
The country was absolutely unmoveo
The solicitude of the House of Commons
for democracy awakened no public emo
ton more profound than Impotence on
the the part Of some and amusement on
| the part Of many.
Mr.. Nickle of Kingston, however, was
not to be denied. His anti-titles fad had
| brought him a place in the headlines of
the newspapers, and being young and
ambitious he was not averse to pub
| licity. And 30 when Parliament as
sembled last session he came forward
with a new resolution altogether. He
| would abolish titles of every kind
knighthoods, baronetcies, C. NJ. G.'s ana
all the others The only ones he would
leave would be those bestowed for valor
| in war.
Sir Robert Borden was in Paris and
| Sir Thomas White, who was leading the
House, referred the question to a select
| standing committee. The result was a
foregone conclusion. The radicals, so
| called, managed to get a majority on
the committee and It was thumbs down
for titles from the first.
| DR.. Michael Clark, sturdy Liberal of
the Gladstonian ,school--a gentleman
whose devotion to democracy was DEM
| onstrated by three stalwart sons on the
firing line-fought hard for the mainte-
nance Of the old order Of things II the
committee were logical, he argued, II
would also recommend the abolition OF
the honorable" 30 pompously worn by
Ministers but his motion to that effect
was voted down by big majority. Two
soldier members OF the committee-Col
Peck, " c.. and Gen. Griesbach. d. S. O.
pleaded for the retention of knight
hoods for soldiers and w. S. Fielding
argued that the Canadian army should
not be deprived Of the honors to be con-
| ferred upon Il by the newly created
Order Of the British Empire.
But II was all of no avail. The CON-
mittee had made up it's mind that It was
going to make Canada safe for democ-
racy, and II wasn't taking any chances
even with titled soldiers who had risked
their lives to put down Prussian autoc-
racy.
Apathy Among Opponents.
few weeks later the report of the
committee came before the Commons for
consideration. Three things brought
about its ratification: % The apathy
of those who. not opposed to honors
failed to attend the division: ca the
| success OF Mr. Nlckle and his supporters
In mastering every Antilles vote, and
go the decision of the Opposition to use
the opportunity to embarrass the Gov
eminent and to vote in a solid body
against titles, regardless OF the merits
OF the question.
The French Canadians of Quebec are
not radicals or even pronounced dem.
l Their ira M
lean toward the things in government
that one associates with titles, and 1t is
as certain as anything can be that, un-
influenced by political tactics, they would
have voted overwhelmingly against the
committees report. As II was they saw
an opportunity of using the division to
embarrass the Government, and will
Mr.. Nickle and his titles resolution as
their instrument. they stood up to abol-
ish honors. and with them, II possible
the Government OF Sir Robert Borden.
Every member of the Opposition, witt
one exception, supported the resolution
and this. added to a scattering of vote:
from the other provinces and a hal
filled house. was sufficient to insure ii
success.
The vote so far as national sentiment
was concerned was no more a vote
against titles than 1t was a vote against
Christianity. 1t no more interpreted the
public mind than it represented the will
of the Kaiser. II was merely one Of
those not rare instances in Parliament
when agitations are translated into de
cisions by a combination of unrelated
circumstances. The fervor or intens,
pfejudices of a few. Unexpectedly aided
at the vital moment, had simply pre-
vailed. as so often happens, over the
apathy of the many.