1898 North-West Territories general election
# 1898 North-West Territories general election

The 1898 North-West Territories general election took place on 4 November 1898. This was the fourth general election in the history of the North-West Territories, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of the North-West Territories.

Frederick W. A. G. Haultain was still the first premier of the North-West Territories (NWT). That title was given by legislation passed in 1897. He was the last premier of the NWT until 1980.

There were three big issues in this election, the first being acquiring provincial rights and how to divide the NWT into provinces.

The second issue was the transfer of education from the federal to the territorial level. This was Haultain's personal project. Unfortunately for the NWT, that power was not turned over until 1970.

The third issue was the territory's deficit budget. The territory was facing pressure from a rapidly increasing population in all parts of the territory. Earlier in 1898 the territorial government tried to exert control over liquor revenue in the Klondike, since it was footing the bill for increased services and policing. The federal government however interfered and dealt a huge blow, when it carved the Yukon Territory out of the NWT and appointed a council loyal to the federal government to gain control.

This was the first general election in which the election was contested along party lines in the NWT. Frederick W. A. G. Haultain sustained the governing North-West Territories Liberal-Conservative Party in coalition with James Hamilton Ross, who was a member of the Hautain cabinet but a Liberal member. Robert Brett remained leader of the official opposition.

Political parties were still controversial in this election as noted in the Calgary Herald editorial from 17 November 1898 Weekly edition, that debated the pros and cons of the bringing the "Dominion party lines" to the territorial legislature.

## Election results

### Members of the Legislative Assembly elected

For complete electoral history, see individual districts

| Electoral District | First | Second | Third | Fourth | Fifth | Incumbent |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Banff | Robert Brett 181 50.28% | Arthur Sifton 179 49.72% | | | | Robert Brett |
| Batoche | Charles Fisher 76 58.46% | Charles Eugene Boucher 54 41.54% | | | | Charles Eugene Boucher |
| Battleford | Joseph Benjamin Prince 185 58.54% | James M. Skelton 131 41.46% | | | | James Clinkskill |
| Cannington | Ewan Cameron McDiarmid 228 52.66% | Samuel Page 114 26.33% | William Hislop 91 21.02% | | | Samuel Page |
| East Calgary | Alfred Ernest Cross 182 33.21% | Simon John Clarke 127 23.18% | James Reilly 120 21.90% | Joseph Bannerman 119 21.72% | | Joseph Bannerman |
| Edmonton | Matthew McCauley 582 48.83% | Alexander Cameron Rutherford 498 41.78% | Harry Havelock Robertson 112 9.40% | | | Frank Oliver |
| Grenfell | Richard Stuart Lake 351 69.64% | Benjamin Parkyn Richardson 153 30.36% | | | | |
| High River | Richard Alfred Wallace 176 38.51% | Albert Edward Banister 126 27.57% | Walter C. Skrine 114 24.95% | Alfred Wyndham 37 8.1% | Alexander Begg 4 0.88% | John Lineham |
| Kinistino | William Frederick Meyers 98 65.77% | Thomas Sanderson 51 34.23% | | | | William Frederick Meyers |
| Lethbridge | Leverett George DeVeber Acclamation | | | | | Charles Alexander Magrath |
| Macleod | Frederick W. A. G. Haultain Acclamation | | | | | Frederick W. A. G. Haultain |
| Medicine Hat | Horace Albertie Greeley 327 36.50% | William Finlay 285 31.81% | John George Calder 284 31.70% | | | Edward Fearon |
| Mitchell | Joseph Albert McIntyre 200 51.68% | Archibald Blyth Stewart 187 48.32% | | | | Hilliard Mitchell |
| Moose Jaw | James Hamilton Ross Acclamation | | | | | James Hamilton Ross |
| Moosomin | Alexander S. Smith 614 61.03% | John Ryerson Neff 392 38.97% | | | | John Ryerson Neff |
| North Qu’Appelle | Donald H. McDonald Acclamation | | | | | William Sutherland |
| North Regina | George W. Brown 436 68.55% | John Henry Charles Willoughby 200 31.45% | | | | George W. Brown |
| Prince Albert East | Samuel McLeod 315 53.03% | John Felton Betts 279 46.97% | | | | John Felton Betts |
| Prince Albert West | Thomas McKay 237 55.50% | Thomas James Agnew 190 44.50% | | | | John Lestock Reid |
| Red Deer | John A. Simpson 349 46.10% | George Wellington Greene 253 33.42% | James Speakman 155 20.48% | | | John A. Simpson |
| St. Albert | Fredric Edmond Villeneuve 429 53.56% | Daniel Maloney 292 36.45% | G.W. Gardiner 80 9.99% | | | Daniel Maloney |
| Saltcoats | William Eakin 215 51.44% | James Nixon 203 48.56% | | | | William Eakin |
| Souris | John Wesley Connell 424 56.16% | John Young 331 43.84% | | | | George Knowling |
| South Qu’Appelle | George H. V. Bulyea 403 55.21% | William G. Vickers 327 44.79% | | | | George H. V. Bulyea |
| South Regina | James B. Hawkes 273 51.03% | Jacob W. Smith 210 39.25% | William F. Eddy 52 9.72% | | | Daniel Mowat |
| Victoria | Jack Shera 242 52.27% | Frank Fraser Tims 221 47.73% | | | | Frank Fraser Tims |
| West Calgary | R. B. Bennett 291 40.87% | William W. Stuart 205 28.79% | James Muir 169 23.74% | Thomas Riley 47 6.60% | | Oswald Critchley |
| Wetaskiwin | Anthony Rosenroll Acclamation | | | | | |
| Whitewood | Archibald Beaton Gillis Acclamation | | | | | Archibald Beaton Gillis |
| Wolseley | William Elliott 317 54.56% | Levi Thomson 264 45.44% | | | | James Dill |
| Yorkton | Thomas Alfred Patrick Acclamation | | | | | Thomas Alfred Patrick |

* Brett (Banff) was elected in a contentiously close election, so close that a by-election had to be held, which Arthur Sifton won.
