TITLES IN CANADA

Evening Star, Issue 15607, 25 September 1914, Page 8

TITLES IN CANADA

ACCEPTANCE OF HONORS CRITICISED. For a year or two there has been a. revival of controvensy over the distribui tion of Imperial honors in Canada. It has been argued that title*, are incompatible with democracy, and that Canadians are imperial ised by the King's favor. Mr J. H. Burn ham. Conservative mem her of tho House of Commons for West Petexboro', introduced a resolution in Parliament to prohibit recommendations from tho Canadian Government in favor of titulaT dis- ( tinctions. It was not- verv seriously dkcueocd, nor w<u> there uny vote on the pro- ' posal. Mv Fosfcer treated th« resolution with perfunctory tolerance, while Sir Wilfrid Laurier, who wears the badge of his ! Order, and is not avers© from, a Windsor uniform, expressed as much sympathy with Mr Burnham as the circumstances permitted. The tradition of the Liberal party is against titles. .Mr Georgo Brown, tho founder of the 'Toronto Globe' ami the Leader of the Liberal party of Ontario at Confederation, was tho first among Canadian statesmen to decline knighthood. But it was not because he had any objection to knighthood that ho reject<yl the distinction. It was bfcaufre he did not like the company in which he would have to appear. It ie said that once, in a prison in Illinois there were 99 Republicane and a single Democrat, and that the Democrat asked for a pardon, not because he was anxious to get out, but because ho could not stand the company. So Mr George Brown refused a title 'because his name would appear in an honor list with persons he thought should not have been recognised. I was told eome. years ago by Sir Oliver Mowat. for moie than 20 years Prime Minister of Ontario, that when knighthood was offered to Mr Brown lip consulted Sir Oliver Mownt, and frankly j expressed his desire to accept. Sir Oliver j warmly approved, and the Governor-Gene-ral was so informed. Mr Brown only withdrew his consent when ho learned with whom he wris to bo associated. The Confederation Honors.-- -

Thia waa not the oniy trouble over titles among the fathers of Confederation. Sir George- (.'artier, to v, Horn a monument at, Montreal will iie cnveiled shortly, was unwilling to accept .-. C.B. in recognition of his services in accomplishing Confederation. The story is told in a memorandum respecting tho grant of honors in Canada addressed bv Sir John Macdonald to the Governor-General in March, 1869. No honors were given after that dat« (1860) until the Ist of July, 1867, the day on which th-> pi-efient Confederation of the 'our provinces waa consummated. On that day Lord Monck informed me that 1 had been made a K.C.8., and that Messrs Cartier, Gait. Tilley. Tupper, Howland, and M'Dougall had been created C.B.s in order to mark that bnportaut political event. Xo previous intimation had been ghen to any of us of Her Majesty's intention. Messrs Cartier and Gait, considering the recognition of their 6ervio&; jnadequate, declined to receive the. decoration. Considerable feeling was aroused in Lower Canada among the French Canadians at what was looked upon as a. flight to the representative man of their race, and a

motion on the subject was made in Parliament. Lord Monck lefused to give any information on ihe subject, as being one of Imperial concern only, but in order to allay this feeling obtained permission from Her Majesty's (xovermueiit to offer Mr Girtier a baronetcy if I did not object to it. I, of course, at onco stated that I should be only too glad to see mv colleague, receive the honor. Mr Gait "was made a K.C.M.G. All those honors were conferred upon myself and tho other gentleman on account of the prominent part we had taken in carrying out the. Imperial policy of Confederation and without reference to us. While a dispute over honors is seldom edifying, a strong argument can be made for Mr Cartier and Mr Gait. The one was leader of th? French majority and tho other of the Protestant minority in Quebec. If both had not heartily co-operated with Sir John Macdonald and Mr George Brown, the movement to unite the provinces could hardly have succeeded. It is understood that, under the more recent practice. Imperial honor.-; are bestowed in Canada only when the Governor-General and the Primo Mini.-lor unite in the recommendation. . —Public Feeiing. It is not easy to determine the general attitude of Canadians towards titles. Perhaps here, as elsewhere, they are regarded favorably or unfavorably according to the wisdom with which they are tvestowed. One suspects 1 hat much of the adverse criticism is only sheet lightning. Probably only a fraction .if the people M'riou.slv object to imperial B?corations. Tho contention that such distinctions dilute, democracy may extort a cheer from the gallery, but probably many of those who cheer' will be Noble Grands, or Exalted Potentates, or Supreme Autocrats in sonic, jjecret or benevolent organisation. It .-till is true that man lias sought out many jii ventions, and that the creature is subject to vanity. Titer© ia evident* that, as expressing British traditions and ideals, and customs, titles are regarded favorably by the bulk of Canadians. At least, they aw seldom declined, and those by whom they are accented do not fall into popular disfavor. The argument that the recipients liccome more devoted to the Mother Country i« not ,in effective appeal in Canada. Nor is there much support for the notion that a titled Canadian necessarily becomes a British aristocrat. Theiw is at least as much genuine democracy in Great Britain at, there is or, this continent, and apparently the King's honors do not unmake Democrat*. Sir Wilfrid Laurier is not le.w a Democrat si ice he accepted knighthood, ror will an Imperial decoration have any greater effect upon Mr Borden. Indeed, ft, is manifest that there is general satisfaction over Mr Borden's acceptance of a title, and perhaps even greater satisfaction that Sir George Foster, one of tho most faithful and zealous of Canadian lmperialisti?. has been honored by the Sovereign.—' The Times. -