Joseph Martin (24 September 1852 – 2 March 1923) was a lawyer and politician in Manitoba, British Columbia and the United Kingdom often referred to as "Fighting Joe".
Early life
Born in Milton, Canada West, the son of Edward Martin, a former Reeve, and Mary Ann Fleming, Martin was educated at the Milton public school, the Toronto Normal School and University of Toronto. He was a telegraph operator and afterwards obtained a First-class Teacher's certificate, and was appointed principal of the public school in New Edinburgh, Ontario. He studied law in Ottawa and moved to Portage la Prairie, Manitoba in 1882. He was called to the Bar of Manitoba in 1882.[2]
After his defeat in Manitoba, Martin[3] left for British Columbia to settle in Vancouver. He arrived at a time of booming prosperity. He took up the practice of law and made a fortune developing the Hastings Manor subdivision in Vancouver.[4]
Martin was first elected to the British Columbia Legislative Assembly in 1898 election in the multi-member Vancouver City riding. The election did not yield a majority for any one party. With increased representation for mainland ridings and a shift in popular support from the Turner government, a government of special interests, railway industrialists, coal barons, lumber and fishing capitalists, Turner's support fell to 17 of 38 seats. Lieutenant-Governor Thomas R. McInnes dismissed Turner on 8 August 1898 without allowing him the constitutional right to meet the legislature. Instead he turned to former premier Robert Beaven, even though he had not been elected in his constituency, to form a government. He was unable to do so, and McInnes then turned to Charles Semlin to form a government. Semlin took office as premier and chose Martin as his Attorney-General. Martin also served as the Acting Minister of Education from 17 August 1898 to 9 March 1899 and as the Acting Provincial Secretary from 17 to 20 August 1898.
During the two year Semlin government, Martin produced controversy by introducing measures such as an eight-hour work day (opposed by mine owners) and an Alien Exclusion Act to prevent Chinese from owning mining claims. The federal government, at the instance of American interests, took steps to disallow the legislation. During a controversial public meeting about the issue, Martin breached cabinet solidarity and criticized his own government resulting in a request from Premier Semlin for Martin's resignation. Semlin reconstituted his ministries and met the legislature facing strong opposition from Martin, often requiring the Speaker of the house to break ties by using his casting vote. On 27 February 1900 McInnes dismissed Semlin and, the following day, asked Martin to form a government. The result was a vote of non-confidence by the house which carried by a majority of 28 to 1. Nevertheless, Martin formed a cabinet and governed for three months before going to the polls in the 1900 election. Although hard fought, Martin had only 13 supporters elected. The Semlin faction had even fewer at 6 and Semlin was defeated personally. Following the election, Prime Minister Laurier dismissed McInnes and appointed Sir Henri-Gustave Joly de Lotbinière lieutenant-governor. The legislature was able to agree to support James Dunsmuir to lead a government. Martin served in the opposition (He became the first leader of the Liberal party of British Columbia)[5] until he was defeated in the 1903 election, the first in British Columbia organized on party lines.
In 1907, he founded the Vancouver Guardian newspaper. After his return from England, he ran in the 1920 election in Vancouver as an Independent under the banner of the Asiatic Exclusion League. He was defeated and lost his deposit.
Martin, who died of complications from diabetes in March 1923, was the first person in Vancouver to be treated with insulin.[6]
In December 1911, Winston Churchill, then the First Lord of the Admiralty, had announced to the House of Commons that the British fleet was ready for war. Martin fiercely attacked the Admiralty over the grounding of the warship Niobe "only to be completely and unceremoniously silenced by a biting answer from the First Lord."[7]
The St Pancras East Liberal Association and Martin had a difficult relationship. By 1914 the association did not want Martin to continue as their MP and in May selected Richard Leopold Reiss to be their candidate for the general election expected to be called late 1914/early 1915.[8] Martin said he would resign his seat and contest the resulting by-election as an Independent Lib-Lab candidate. Confronted with the prospect of losing the by-election to the Unionist, due to a split Liberal vote, the Liberal association told Martin in June that they would not contest the by-election.[9] In July Martin announced that he would instead resign his seat and return to his native Canada, allowing Reiss to run against a Unionist in the by-election.[10] Martin changed his mind again and decided not to resign his seat. In August war was declared, the general election was deferred, Reiss resigned as candidate to enlisted and Martin continued as MP.
Relations between Martin and his local Liberal association continued to be uncertain. Finally he crossed the floor to join the Labour Party. In early 1918 he was selected to run as Labour candidate in neighbouring Islington South. However, by close of nominations, there was no Labour candidate nominated.
Martin was also a candidate for mayor of Vancouver in 1914 and founded another newspaper there in 1916.
Sources
Margaret A. Ormsby (1958). British Columbia: A History. MacMillan: Vancouver.