_ -~LOl-

loyalty to King and Empire was claurioned from coast to coast. The upshot

of it all was the resounding defeat of the Laurier Administration and the election of the Conserve tives led by Robert Borden -- the first Conservative victory, federally, in fifteen years.

The campaign engendered an incredible amount of bitterness. Election Day at New Haven poll was marked by violent arguments and a number of fights. Though neither of the district committee officials would ever acknowledged the fact, it had been the long-established custom of both parties to provide a generous supply of whiskey and rum to win what today would be called the "swing"' vote -- a group who had no fixed political convictions. The price of their support was said to be "a dollar or a bottle of whiskey." On this election day, while the custodian of the Tory liquor was engaged elsewhere, the cache was raided and the entire supply carried off. There were no witnesses to the foray, but the blame naturally fell on the Liberals. During tne remainder of the day. there were dark rumors of certain newly converted Liberals being: seen :drinking from flasks::similar‘-to those that had contained the pillaged Tory firewater.

Later in the year, a provincial election was held, which practically eliminated Liberal representation in the legislature. The final tally showed twenty-eight Gonservatives and two Liberals returned to office ina battle even more bitter than the federal campaign that had preceded it. Throughout election day, heated arguments and fights occurred outside the polling booth. Inside, there were repeated angry exchanges between the opposing party agents. Iiany voters were challengsd; several were obliged to submit to the bribery oath before being permitted to mark their ballots. Although the New Haven poll maintained its overwhelmingly Liberal tradition), Louis Jenkins and John Buntain, the Tory candidates, were elected in the Second District by substantial majorities.

The new provincial government, led by John A. Mathieson, immediately set