Quebec
and World War One
A DECLARATION
OF FAITH I BELIEVE: - 1.
That in this world war, we are fighting for the defence of our property, our liberties
and our lives, for the protection of Canada, for the maintenance of the British
Empire, and for the preservation of civilization; 2.
That at the beginning of the war the Parliament of Canada, speaking for our entire
people, unanimously declared it to be our determination to fight to the finish
and to put forth our utmost effort to win; 3.
That 350,000 men, the bravest and best among our fellow-citizens, have voluntarily
gone overseas to redeem this pledge, confidently expecting that those who remained
at home would not fail in rendering them full support; 4.
That the voluntary system of securing recruits, by which hitherto magnificent
results have been secured, can no longer be made effectual to obtain much needed
reinforcements; 5. That it is, and, ever
has been, a fundamental principle of organized society that each man who enjoys
the privileges of self-government is in duty bound to take his share of responsibility
in the nation's defence; 6. That the
only method whereby additional men can be today secured for overseas service,
is by the exercise on the part of the State of its undoubted right to call to
the colours such of its citizens as may be required; 7.
That the selective draft system, as set forth in the Military Service Act, recently
passed by Parliament, carefully discriminates between those who are especially
needed in Canada and those who can still be spared from home duties, retaining
the former classes here and selecting only the latter-classes for service overseas; 8.
That this Act will be applied throughout the Dominion with fairness to all and
favour to none; 9. That the needs are
urgent and that no other solution of the problem, adequate to secure results,
has been proposed by any responsible statesman. 10.
That the only alternative to the adoption of the system of securing reinforcements
by selective draft is to abandon our brave men at the front and to allow those
battalions, we so proudly sent forth, to dwindle and finally fade away. 11.
That it is unthinkable that Canada should abandon at the last, those living and
dead, who have sacrificed their all for her honor and the world's freedom. Because
I believe the above statement to set forth indisputable facts in the present situation,
I endorse unreservedly the policy set forth in the Military Service Act of 1917,
and I confidently appeal to all those who share these views to give me their support
and active assistance in this electoral contest. W.
F. NICKLE.* Kingston, Nov. 19, 1917. Source:
from an electoral post card issued during the elections of 1917. [
* Note from the Editor: Successively an alderman, the Mayor and eventually
the member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario for Kingston, W. F. Nickle was
chosen as the Conservative candidate for Kingston in 1911. He sat in the House
of Commons as a Conservative member between 1911 and 1917. In 1917, he was elected
under the banner of the Union Government. He resigned his seat in July of 1919.
He returned to the Provincial Legislature of Ontario between 1923 and 1926 and
served as the Attorney-General of Ontario for the same period. He was defeated
in 1926 when he ran as a Prohibition candidate] ©
2000 Claude Bélanger, Marianopolis College |