The Yale expositor., 1919-07-17
TRIBUTE PAID
TO JAMES LIVINGSTON
BY CANADIAN WRITER

declining years of his life at his
home at Baden, and enjoying as
sociation with old neighbors, to
whom for more than half CEN
tury he has been "Jim Livingston
South Waterloo's ex-Federal mem
ber"-by the way the only living
Ex.--- who passed the four score
mark. His business activities it
may be judged, kept him in fairly
good health. Wealth hes come
to him in the manufacture of in
seed oil and by-products, as well
as in the handling of flax plants
in various parts of the country.
He is reputed to be a millionaire
and probaly is. But his neigh
bors are in doubt as to the extent
to which his generous qualities
are always exercised to bring
cheer to those in distress or COM
fort OF those whose purses show
scant resources. The manner of
his living, in a small Waterloo
county village, in preference to
a big city with artificial and super
ficial attractions, shows how the
atmosphere of country life salts
fies him; how it's modest pleas
ures and associations suffice to
keep him contented and happy.
Not all Mr.. Livingston's life has
been one grand, sweet song. His
wife and five of his daughters
have died. The rest of the family
including two sons, John and
Harry, who are we'll known in
business circles in Ontario, are
Mrs. James McColl, of Yale Mich.
Mrs. Auley Morrison of Vancou-
yer, b. c., Mrs. JOS. Acheson, Of
Toronto and Alice l.. of Colorado
Springs, Colorado.
One of the political upheavals
in South Waterloo occurred when
Mr.. Livingston, about 1880, was
inuuced to enter the field tor a
seat in the Provincial Legislature
tie won-and then he was the
.4.n 4UT galway, or rather the
man to beat Sam" Merner, the
Independent who in 1878 had de-
1eateo the late Hon. James
Young. The Baden manufacture
er naturally was a Protectionist,
he regarded the National Policy
with some favor, and had he been
discreetly approached by the
Conservatives of the day, would
probably have cast his lot with
the Protectionists. They were,
however, out generalled by the
Liberals. In the distance they
could have seen a Wilmot divided
at the best, and that meant a
Liberal victory with Gait, Dunn
fries, Ayr and Waterloo township
each casting its usual Grit major
ity In Wilmot they didn't care
much what fiscal views Mr.. Liv-
ingston held. They were for him
anyway. The result was q great
Liberal victory and shortly after
the elevation of Mr.. Merner from
private citizenship to the Senate.
Thereafter it was easy going for
Baden's foremost citizen. Behind
him he had almost solid Wilmot.
Only three places in the riding
gave Conservative majorities.-
New Hamburg, Preston and Hes
peler. How the late George Clare
nursed them while making in
roadsi n Liberal stronghold is
recent history. Suffice it to say
Mr. Livingston decided to make
way for another Liberal in 1896
and it was understood his choice
was the late Mr.. William s. Turn
bull. had year or two before
that returned to Gait from Chi
cago and understood what Mr..
rs popularity would mean to the
Conservatives. But party mana
gers-Iny prayer was answered.
preferred an older man, with less
platform ability and no acquain-
tance to speak of among new vot-
ers in Gait. The Liberal nom
lnation, | felt. assured Mr.. Clare's
election and such was the result.
A word or two in closing: Mr..
Livingston has outlived nearly
all the chief actors on South
Waterloo's political stage who
were more or less terrorized by
the popularity he enjoyed in the
rural districts, while this con-
stituency was always safely in
the Liberal camp.-By 81. p" in
Guelph, (Ont.,) Reporter.