A little more than a year after H.H. Cook’s first political campaign and loss, a federal election was called. Much to the annoyance of the local who’s who, Cook was back. On this occasion, it was only a two-way race with heavily favoured Reform man, D’Alton McCarthy in opposition to Cook.
This time, the daggers were really sharp!
“The Grits begin to admit that they have no chance whatsoever, and they are only keeping him in the field for the purpose of bleeding him freely as he has, they say, plenty of money and they want to make him spend it, so long as he is soft enough to do it.” So said the Northern Advance on Aug. 1, 1872 about Cook.
As the campaign wore on, the attacks against Cook increased. His detractors badly critiqued his speaking skills, called him immature and anti-government, while still beating the drum that he was not one of us.
The McCarthy camp was feeling pretty good about their chances that summer.
“The canvas has been short and decisive. Mr. McCarthy, from the first, has taken the lead and, at this writing, so distances his competitor as to make the election of the candidate of Union and Progress as sure as any event can be.”
The Northern Advance writers went on to say, “The Cook party are getting despondent. They feel that the bubble is burst. Let us work with a will and give such a vote as to forever rid us of the presumptions of men of Cook’s stamp.”
When the election ended and the results finally came in, the shocked Northern Advance’was seething – Cook had won! They somehow found a way to announce the loathsome happening, and to stomach the setting of the type on Aug. 15.
“Mr. Cook has managed by corrupt means to secure a small majority.”
The local Reform Party remained quite bitter and may have truly believed that the coarse lumber man with next to no public speaking skills must have greased many palms to win the election. In 1873, his victory was officially contested but no fault was found and he kept his seat in Parliament.
In January of 1874, another federal election came about. Again, the opponents of H. H. Cook hammered home his faults – his non-residency, his unwillingness to speak publicly and their belief that he purchased his seat in Ottawa.
H.H. Cook was victorious once again, and once again his enemies sought to start a petition to examine the validity of his win. This time, they succeeded in unseating Cook. In December of that same year, the decision went to the people again, with a brand-new vote being held. The results were the same as they had been in January and Cook kept his seat.
H.H. Cook held onto his M.P. position until 1878 when D’Alton McCarthy finally succeeded in winning the Simcoe North coveted seat. McCarthy kept that seat until his sudden death in a carriage accident 20 years later.
Each week, the Barrie Historical Archive provides BarrieToday readers with a glimpse of the city’s past. This unique column features photos and stories from years gone by and is sure to appeal to the historian in each of us.
