128 THEISLAND ACADIANS

The members of the club in Miscouche, like those elsewhere, were most interested in agricultural improvements. Like the temper- ance societies, these clubs went through periods of activity and inertia.

THE POLITICAL ARENA

We have already seen that the restrictions preventing Catholics from voting and sitting in the Prince Edward Island Legislature were finally abolished in 1830. As a result, politicians naturally began can- vassing for the Acadian vote. However, it was not until 1854 that an Acadian, Stanislas F Perry, was elected to the Legislative Assembly. For the first few years after the Acadians obtained the right to vote their leaders do not appear to have encouraged them to take part in the electoral process. An Acadian, lamenting his elders’ attitude, wrote in 1880:

...it was hardly thirty years ago that some of our more influential men were saying to us: “Friends, don’t pay any attention to the government of the province; don’t get involved in politics; don’t go to the polls. It’s all well and good for the English, but it’s not good for you.” And we listened so well to that advice that we allowed ourselves to be fleeced by the English, the Scottish, and even the Irish, just like so many sheep. Truly, we must have been sheep indeed to have let them pull the wool over our eyes like this. (TR)’®

To a certain degree, one can understand the Acadians’ reticence with regard to politics. One must remember that, for the most part, they were tenant farmers. At election time their landlord or his agent would often stand as candidate, and for fear of reprisals, the Acadians always voted for him®®. Consequently they did not really have a free vote.

Acadians did, however, find several Anglophone members who were sympathetic to their problems. One should name, among others, Nicholas Conroy, Benjamin Davies and William Cooper who made the government and the public aware of the injustices that landlords and their agents were inflicting on the Acadians*!'. These men belonged to a political movement fighting for major reforms in the colonial government and the land tenure system. In fact, they were demanding that the government and the Legislature represent the interests of the