lived in Trois-Rivières. You know how proud and independent the people are. They are to be admired for that.”
“Yes, agriculture is the cornerstone of our society. Our mission is to open up new territories and settle them like our ancestors did. When I see young French Canadians going to the Université de Montréal… there’s no future in that. People with bachelor’s degrees, poets? We don’t need that in the province.”
“I’m counting on you, Maurice, and the Conservative Party, to vote for increased subsidies to fund colonization. Camillien Houde, as mayor, will be spending a lot of time in Montreal, and anyhow I have no confidence in him. You know, don’t you, many still regret that you didn’t take over the leadership of the Bleus last July Perhaps one day… when you have completely recovered from your accident…”
“Ah, I’m feeling better, much better.”
For Maurice, this is a bad memory he wants to forget. It happened a few months ago, on September 26. He was on his way back from a meeting in Compton. Just before arriving at Notre-Dame-du-Bon Conseil… he took a sharp turn too fast, and rolled his car. He woke up next day at the Hôtel-Dieu Hospital in Montreal.
“Dr. Dufresne operated on me. Do you know Joseph-Arthur? We studied together at Trois-Rivières Seminary. He does good work. All that’s left is this scar.”
Father Tessier is amazed by the deep scar that goes from the left eye to the back of his head. Just like a scalping.
“I almost died. I’ll tell you a secret. I gave thirty dollars to Dr. Dufresne and asked him: ‘Go to the Precious Blood Monastery and light some candles in honour of St. Joseph.’ He’s the one who saved me. If I pray to St. Joseph, it is because of Brother André, whom I knew at Collége Notre-Dame. A real saint. I inherited my devotion from him. My great hope is that he will eventually get his oratory on Mount Royal in honour of St. Joseph.”
Maurice Duplessis’s convalescence after his car accident works to his advantage.
When Camillien Houde, the new head of the Opposition, makes his entrance into the Legislative Assembly, the enforced rest obliges Duplessis to stay away from the action. This does not, however, prevent him from following the debates to which the mayor of Montreal adds a certain flamboyance. Loud and brash, the ex-insurance salesman pays no attention to house rules. Premier Taschereau is incensed and demands his expulsion from the Assembly. Houde entertains the gallery with his antics. And yet strangely enough, the popularity of the Conservatives continues to grow.
But Camillien has a problem. He is, first and foremost, mayor of Montreal. But his position as leader of the Opposition is also time-consuming. At the St-Jean-Baptiste1 festivities, he parades around in coat and tails. Another day, he is present at the installation of a girder for the new Du Havre Bridge, which extends De Lorimier Avenue and is scheduled to open in 1931. When Maurice returns to the Assembly, it is obvious that Houde is often absent. Duplessis becomes the de facto leader of the Opposition. During the debates, the lawyer from Trois-Rivières shines. The Liberals come to appreciate him – he is an extraordinary speaker – in stark contrast to Houde’s awkward attitudes.
After four years of parliamentary work, another election is on the horizon. Maurice is not caught napping. For a long time now, he has observed what has been going on in his riding. With Miss Cloutier’s help, he answers every letter. One day, he sends five dollars to the Gaieté Crocquet Club, with the words: “Your game is very interesting.” His secretary asks him:
“Have you ever been to one of their tournaments?”
“No, but players are … voters!” answers the wily Duplessis.
Thérèse Casgrain is leading the movement to obtain the vote for women. One day, she calls upon Maurice. “You must promise to support our proposal and to vote for this law in the Legislative Assembly.” He doesn’t promise anything. He won’t commit himself, but he leaves the door open. In 1931, most members feel that Quebec is not ready for such an upset of traditional values. Duplessis is one of them. To win the election, he courts other pressure groups that are more powerful. Maurice is everyone’s friend, as long as no one questions the established order.
At his office on Hart Street, he works long hours so that requests for government jobs, letters of thanks to the press, all kinds of letters do not pile up. This evening, he remembers to send his condolences to Mr. Lefebvre who has just lost his mother-in-law, and his congratulations to the son of a Conservative member. “I admire your talent. What a marvellous game of bowling you played last Friday night!”
His work done, he takes a few moments to relax: a cigar and two glasses of gin. A grinding schedule. Maurice has to get up early the following day. Apparently, Taschereau intends to end the session one of these days and announce the date of the next election.
In the courtyard of the LaSalle Academy in Trois-Rivières, a dense crowd is gathered about the podium. Maurice Duplessis takes the floor and launches into a diatribe against the government of Louis-Alexandre Taschereau:
“A man with no heart! His family is beholden to the big trusts.”
His attacks are stark. They reach their mark.
“That old fool is a puppet. The Rouges are the servants of the monopolies. Look at what is going on with the feds. The Beauharnois scandal: Mackenzie King and his friends accepted favours. Taschereau is the same. His brother, his uncle, his son… everywhere, they reign over Quebec like monarchs. It’s time to send them packing. On August 24, vote Conservative. Vote for me, Maurice Duplessis… Maurice, one of your friends.”
Confident that he will be returned as member for Trois-Rivières, Maurice has his eye on power. He has already squeezed out Camillien Houde as leader of the Party. Let the mayor lead his St. Patrick’s Day parades in Montreal, but when it is time to vote laws or defend a program, he simply doesn’t measure up. In contrast, Duplessis is a fine parliamentarian and Premier Taschereau enjoys matching wits with him. The results of the 1931 election will determine the future of the Conservative Party.
On election day, Duplessis invites his organizers to spend the evening at his sister’s house. They are gathered around the wireless radio. The evening drags on for the Conservatives, who see their candidates go down one by one. Seventy-nine Liberals crush the eleven surviving Bleus. Camillien Houde, to avoid defeat, has run in two Montreal ridings. He is defeated in both Sainte-Marie and Saint-Jacques!
And Maurice? Up to the end, he waits and he hopes. After a recount, forty-one votes give him the victory. A close call. At his headquarters in Montreal, Camillien Houde is furious. Someone advises him to contest the vote. This would oblige the eleven Conservatives just elected to tender their resignations as a group. A member of the executive committee shows up in Trois-Rivières.
“What do you think, Maurice? We have proof that the polls were rigged, too many ballots. Eight thousand dead voted in Montreal; five thousand in Quebec. If you and the ten others refuse to sit, Taschereau will have to call another election.”
Polite but firm, Maurice Duplessis’s No is categorical. His majority is much too shaky to risk fighting another battle. Resign in order to allow Camillien to return to the provincial scene? Preposterous!
“Don’t rely on me to support your movement. I have work to do. I’m busy working on my own program before the session
