Mr. Boyd’s Nomination

In the nineteenth century, power, prestige and public office often went hand-in-hand. Mossom M. (Mossie) Boyd was without doubt one of the most prominent men in the district, being a multi-millionaire business tycoon in an era when a dollar a day was a common wage. The conventional wisdom of the day would make him a star candidate.

The Conservative Party really wanted to recruit Mossie Boyd. Prime Ministers Sir John A. Macdonald and Mackenzie Bowell both personally asked him to run. In 1896, Bowell telegraphed him: “Cannot too strongly urge you to accept nomination. Highly important. Only means of saving riding. Don’t say no.

”Boyd’s reply was simple: “No.”

But the Conservatives did not give up, they nominated him for the South Victoria Riding despite his protests (he was not personally in attendance at the convention), and promised to “have you go in unopposed, in other words, I don’t think that you would have an election at all, and I should do all in my power to prevent your being put to the cost and annoyance of running.” He still refused.

In the end, Adam Vrooman stood for the Conservatives and was narrowly defeated by Liberal George McHugh as Wilfred Laurier swept to power, ending 18 years of Conservative Rule. Mossie never ran for public office, though his brother Willie was Bobcaygeon Reeve in 1900 and 1901.

For more information on the Boyd family, check the Boyd Museum:https://www.theboydmuseum.com/