Sir Richard John Cartwright | |
|---|---|
 (Image from the Library of Parliament) | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | December 4, 1835 Kingston, Upper Canada |
| Died | September 12, 1912 (aged 76) |
| Occupation | politician |
| Known for | 'the Rupert of debate' [why?] 'Blue Ruin Knight' |
Sir Richard John Cartwright GCMG PC (December 4, 1835 – September 24, 1912) was a Canadian businessman and politician.
Cartwright was one of Canada's most distinguished federal politicians during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He was a cabinet minister in five Liberal governments. He served in the Canadian Parliament for 43 years and 5 months, being an MP from 1867 to 1904 then a Senator until his death in 1912. Prior to Confederation, he had served 4 years, 1 month and 15 days in the Legislative Assembly of the old Province of Canada. Thus, he was a legislator for more than 47 and a half years. He was a vigorous and trenchant orator, and was known as 'the Rupert of debate'. In particular, his debates with his Conservative counterpart, Sir George Eulas Foster, are the stuff of Canadian Parliamentary legend.
He was a progressive. A free trader, he stood against the Conservatives' high-tariff policy. Often propounding on the inalienable right of Canadian freeman to vote for and in support of their patriotic convictions independent of any party,[1] he favoured proportional representation via Single Transferable Voting. He supported the fight of western farmers for accessible terminal grain elevators in 1910.[2]