The 1919 Ontario general election, held on October 20, 1919, elected 111 Members of the 15th Legislative Assembly of Ontario ("MLAs"). The United Farmers of Ontario captured the most seats but won only a minority of the legislature. They joined with 11 Labour MPPs and three others to form a coalition government, ending the 14-year rule of Ontario's Conservatives. This is one of the few examples of coalition government in Canadian history.
Premier William Howard Hearst had aimed to win a fifth consecutive term for the Conservatives, but instead the party became the first in Ontario history to fall from first to third place. As newspaperman John Willison later remarked, "There could not have been a worse time for a general election." Election day was also held on the same day as the scheduled referendum on prohibition.
Proudfoot opted to campaign as an Independent.
United Farmers
The UFO focused on rural areas. Its leader, R.H. Halbert, did not campaign, as he had been elected to the House of Commons of Canada in an earlier by-election. It had only two incumbent MPPs, Beniah Bowman and John Wesley Widdifield, who had entered the legislature by winning by-elections in Manitoulin and Ontario North.
Labour
The labour political movement was fragmented between the Independent Labour Party, the Ontario section of the Canadian Labour Party, and the Ontario Labour Educational Association and its newspaper The Industrial Banner. The ILP was the effective organization on the campaign trail that year, and it promoted joint action with the UFO.
Media in the campaign
Media support in the campaign was mixed. The Globe and The Toronto Star, at that time both Liberal in outlook, were hostile against Dewart because of his stand on temperance issues. The Toronto World, generally a Conservative backer, pursued a simmering scandal from 1916 concerning International Nickel and alleged provincial support of wartime shipments of the metal to Germany via the cargo submarine Deutschland. The Farmer's Sun, recently acquired by the UFO, was an enthusiastic promoter of farmer policies.
Electoral system
Of the 111 seats, 103 were from single-member constituencies elected through first-past-the-post voting. The remaining eight came from four dual-member ridings in Toronto, each of which had parallel contests voting separately for seat A and seat B, each under FPTP.
Synopsis of results
Post-election pendulum
The robustness of the margins of victory for each party can be summarized in electoral pendulums. These are not necessarily a measure of the volatility of the respective riding results. The following tables show the margins over the various 2nd-place contenders, for which one-half of the value represents the swing needed to overturn the result. Actual seat turnovers to the opposition parties in the 1919 election are noted for reference.
: = seats that opposition parties gained in the election
{| style="float:left; width: 350px; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;"
|-
| colspan="4" align="center" |Coalition (58 seats)
|-
| colspan="4" align="center" |Margins 5% or less
|- style="background-color:#66CC00;"
| Northumberland East
| | ||Con
| align="right" |0.98
|- style="background-color:#66CC00;"
| Lanark North
| | ||Con
| align="right" |1.18
|- style="background-color:#66CC00;"
| Essex South
| | ||Lib
| align="right" |1.51
|- style="background-color:#EEBBBB;"
| Huron Centre
| | ||Ind
| align="right" |1.97
|- style="background-color:#66CC00;"
| Renfrew North
| | ||Con
| align="right" |2.38
|- style="background-color:#66CC00;"
| Hastings East
| | ||Con
| align="right" |2.44
|- style="background-color:#66CC00;"
| Renfrew South
| | ||Con
| align="right" |3.06
|- style="background-color:#EEBBBB;"
| Niagara Falls
| | ||Lib
| align="right" |3.48
|- style="background-color:#66CC00;"
| Simcoe East
| | ||Con
| align="right" |3.89
|- style="background-color:#66CC00;"
| Wentworth South
| | ||Con
| align="right" |4.07
|-
| colspan="4" align="center" |Margins 5%10%
|- style="background-color:#66CC00;"
| Oxford South
| | ||Con
| align="right" |5.52
|- style="background-color:#66CC00;"
| Grey Centre
| | ||Con
| align="right" |5.74
|- style="background-color:#EEBBBB;"
| Peterborough West
| | ||Lib
| align="right" |6.01
|- style="background-color:#66CC00;"
| Dufferin
| | ||Con
| align="right" |7.00
|- style="background-color:#66CC00;"
| Simcoe South
| | ||Con
| align="right" |7.36
|- style="background-color:#EEBBBB;"
| London
| | ||Ind
| align="right" |7.88
|- style="background-color:#66CC00;"
| Bruce North
| | ||Lib
| align="right" |8.17
|- style="background-color:#66CC00;"
| Ontario North
| | ||Con
| align="right" |8.24
|- style="background-color:#72B490;"
| Riverdale
| | ||Lab
| align="right" |8.31
|- style="background-color:#66CC00;"
| Lambton West
| | ||Lab
| align="right" |8.64
|- style="background-color:#66CC00;"
| Wellington West
| | ||Con
| align="right" |9.20
|- style="background-color:#66CC00;"
| Halton
| | ||Con
| align="right" |9.54
|- style="background-color:#66CC00;"
| Huron South
| | ||Con
| align="right" |9.84
|- style="background-color:#66CC00;"
| Grey South
| | ||Con
| align="right" |9.98
|- style="background-color:#66CC00;"
| Lanark South
| | ||Con
| align="right" |9.99
|-
| colspan="4" align="center" |Margins 10%20%
|- style="background-color:#66CC00;"
| Kent East
| | ||Con
| align="right" |10.56
|- style="background-color:#DCDCDC;"
| Grey North
| | ||Con
| align="right" |11.84
|- style="background-color:#66CC00;"
| Carleton
| | ||Con
| align="right" |12.48
|- style="background-color:#66CC00;"
| Wellington East
| | ||Con
| align="right" |12.48
|- style="background-color:#66CC00;"
| Brant
| | ||Con
| align="right" |12.59
|- style="background-color:#66CC00;"
| Elgin West
| | ||Con
| align="right" |14.22
|- style="background-color:#EEBBBB;"
| St. Catharines
| | ||Con
| align="right" |14.58
|- style="background-color:#66CC00;"
| Durham East
| | ||Con
| align="right" |15.78
|- style="background-color:#66CC00;"
| Simcoe Centre
| | ||Con
| align="right" |15.78
|- style="background-color:#66CC00;"
| Victoria North
| | ||Con
| align="right" |15.88
|- style="background-color:#66CC00;"
| Peterborough East
| | ||Con
| align="right" |16.36
|- style="background-color:#EEBBBB;"
| Brant South
| | ||Lib
| align="right" |17.27
|- style="background-color:#EEBBBB;"
| Sault Ste. Marie
| | ||Con
| align="right" |18.22
|- style="background-color:#66CC00;"
| Dundas
| | ||Con
| align="right" |18.90
|- style="background-color:#66CC00;"
| Elgin East
| | ||Con
| align="right" |18.94
|- style="background-color:#66CC00;"
| Haldimand
| | ||Con
| align="right" |19.66
|-
| colspan="4" align="center" |Margins > 20%
|- style="background-color:#66CC00;"
| Manitoulin
| | ||Con
| align="right" |20.40
|- style="background-color:#EEBBBB;"
| Fort William
| | ||Lib
| align="right" |20.80
|- style="background-color:#66CC00;"
| Middlesex North
| | ||Con
| align="right" |22.18
|- style="background-color:#66CC00;"
| Glengarry
| | ||Lib
| align="right" |24.20
|- style="background-color:#66CC00;"
| Norfolk South
| | ||I-Con
| align="right" |25.34
|- style="background-color:#EEBBBB;"
| Kenora
| | ||Ind
| align="right" |25.79
|- style="background-color:#66CC00;"
| Norfolk North
| | ||Con
| align="right" |26.18
|- style="background-color:#66CC00;"
| Lambton East
| | ||Con
| align="right" |28.01
|- style="background-color:#66CC00;"
| Perth South
| | ||Con
| align="right" |28.40
|- style="background-color:#66CC00;"
| Middlesex East
| | ||Lib
| align="right" |28.53
|- style="background-color:#EEBBBB;"
| Hamilton East
| | ||S-Lab
| align="right" |28.55
|- style="background-color:#EEBBBB;"
| Waterloo South
| | ||Lib
| align="right" |29.12
|- style="background-color:#EEBBBB;"
| Hamilton West
| | ||Con
| align="right" |32.07
|- style="background-color:#66CC00;"
| Victoria South
| | ||Con
| align="right" |37.94
|- style="background-color:#66CC00;"
| Essex North
| | ||Con
| align="right" |42.18
|- style="background-color:#66CC00;"
| Wentworth North
| | ||Con
| align="right" |44.42
|- style="background-color:#66CC00;"
| Middlesex West
| | ||Con
| align="right" |51.18
|}
{| style="float:right; width: 350px; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;"
|-
| colspan="4" align="center" |Liberal (27 seats)
|-
| colspan="4" align="center" |Margins 5% or less
|- style="background-color:#F5F5DC;"
| Algoma
| | ||Con
| align="right" |0.61
|-
| Bruce West
| | ||UFO
| align="right" |1.30
|- style="background-color:#F5F5DC;"
| Toronto NW - B
| | ||Con
| align="right" |1.60
|-
| colspan="4" align="center" |Margins 5%10%
|-
| Lincoln
| | ||UFO
| align="right" |6.16
|- style="background-color:#F5F5DC;"
| Parry Sound
| | ||Con
| align="right" |8.98
|-
| Russell
| | ||UFO
| align="right" |9.59
|-
| colspan="4" align="center" |Margins 10%20%
|-
| Northumberland West
| | ||Con
| align="right" |10.64
|- style="background-color:#F5F5DC;"
| Perth North
| | ||UFO
| align="right" |11.21
|-
| Prince Edward
| | ||Con
| align="right" |11.56
|- style="background-color:#F5F5DC;"
| Bruce South
| | ||UFO
| align="right" |12.24
|- style="background-color:#F5F5DC;"
| Durham West
| | ||Con
| align="right" |12.40
|- style="background-color:#F5F5DC;"
| Nipissing
| | ||Lab
| align="right" |12.70
|- style="background-color:#F5F5DC;"
| Brockville
| | ||Con
| align="right" |12.94
|- style="background-color:#F5F5DC;"
| Stormont
| | ||UFO
| align="right" |13.43
|- style="background-color:#F5F5DC;"
| Prescott
| | ||UFO
| align="right" |15.67
|- style="background-color:#F5F5DC;"
| Welland
| | ||Con
| align="right" |16.49
|- style="background-color:#F5F5DC;"
| Kent West
| | ||UFO
| align="right" |17.31
|- style="background-color:#F5F5DC;"
| Toronto SE - A
| | ||Con
| align="right" |17.55
|- style="background-color:#F5F5DC;"
| Toronto SW - B
| | ||Con
| align="right" |18.10
|-
| Cochrane
| | ||Con
| align="right" |18.69
|-
| colspan="4" align="center" |Margins > 20%
|-
| Oxford North
| | ||Con
| align="right" |20.51
|-
| Windsor
| | ||Con
| align="right" |27.18
|- style="background-color:#F5F5DC;"
| Toronto SW - A
| | ||Con
| align="right" |27.72
|- style="background-color:#F5F5DC;"
| Ontario South
| | ||Con
| align="right" |27.94
|- style="background-color:#F5F5DC;"
| Toronto SE - B
| | ||Con
| align="right" |33.84
|-
| Ottawa East
| | ||Lab
| align="right" |38.54
|-
| Sturgeon Falls
| | ||Con
| align="right" |41.46
|-
| colspan="4" align="center" |Conservative (25 seats)
|-
| colspan="4" align="center" |Acclaimed
|-
|Addington || || ||
|-
|Hastings North || || ||
|-
|Kingston || || ||
|-
|Toronto NE - A || || ||
|-
| colspan="4" align="center" |Margins 5% or less
|-
| Timiskaming
| | ||F-Lab
| align="right" |0.89
|-
| Peel
| | ||Lib
| align="right" |0.93
|-
| Grenville
| | ||UFO
| align="right" |1.00
|- style="background-color:#F5F5DC;"
| Wellington South
| | ||Lib
| align="right" |1.01
|-
| Sudbury
| | ||Lib
| align="right" |1.62
|-
| York North
| | ||Lib
| align="right" |2.63
|- style="background-color:#F5F5DC;"
| Ottawa West
| | ||Lab
| align="right" |4.21
|-
| Hastings West
| | ||Lib
| align="right" |4.38
|-
| Muskoka
| | ||Lib
| align="right" |4.39
|-
| Huron North
| | ||Lib
| align="right" |4.43
|-
| colspan="4" align="center" |Margins 5%10%
|-
| Lennox
| | ||Lib
| align="right" |5.39
|-
| York East
| | ||UFO
| align="right" |6.87
|-
| York West
| | ||F-Lab
| align="right" |7.61
|-
| Port Arthur
| | ||Lib
| align="right" |7.74
|-
| Toronto NW - A
| | ||Lib
| align="right" |7.86
|-
| Frontenac
| | ||UFO
| align="right" |7.99
|-
| Leeds
| | ||Lib
| align="right" |9.18
|-
| Rainy River
| | ||Lib
| align="right" |9.92
|-
| colspan="4" align="center" |Margins 10%20%
|-
| Simcoe West
| | ||UFO
| align="right" |10.92
|-
| Toronto NE - B
| | ||I-Con
| align="right" |17.59
|-
| colspan="4" align="center" |Margins > 20%
|-
| Parkdale
| | ||Ind
| align="right" |37.90
|-
| colspan="4" align="center" |Independent-Liberal (1 seat)
|- style="background-color:#F5F5DC;"
| Waterloo North
| | ||Lab
| align="right" |13.85
|}
Impact
The result was highly skewed as a result of the way the ridings were drawn up. The Ottawa Journal noted, "The arrangement of electoral districts in Ontario (and throughout Canada) is such that a farmer’s vote has practically twice the effect of the vote of any person resident in cities or large towns. Ottawa, for instance, with 110,000 population elects two members to the Ontario Legislature; Carleton County on one side with 20,000 people elects one member; Russell County on the other side has a population of 40,000 and elects one member."
The UFO emerged from the vote with the largest bloc of seats, joining the eleven Labour MLAs to form a coalition government. Liberal-UFO MLA David James Taylor of Grey North, "Soldier" MLA Joseph McNamara of Riverdale and Labour-UFO MLA Karl Homuth of Waterloo South were also members of the governing caucus giving Drury's coalition 58 seats in total, a slight majority.
The Ontario Liberal Party, led by Hartley Dewart, increased the size of its caucus by a small number, despite turning over more than half the seats held. The Conservative Party lost ground to all other parties, despite receiving the most votes.
The election had several sweeping results:
:* only about two dozen MPPs from the previous Legislative Assembly were re-elected;
:* notably, Conservative William Hearst was defeated by a Labour candidate;
:* Beck and Proudfoot were also defeated by Labour candidates, despite the decision of the Conservatives and Liberals not to contest the seats;
:* three clergymen were elected;
:* eighteen returned soldiers were elected; and
:* all anti-Prohibition candidates were defeated.
Upon hearing the news of the Conservative defeat, Hearst noted:
Three days after the election, James J. Morrison, Secretary of the UFO, reported on the way he had addressed the need to form a working majority in the chamber. He released the following statement:
Ernest C. Drury agreed to lead the new government as Premier of Ontario, and a UFO-Labour coalition cabinet was formed. Although he was vice-president of the UFO, Drury had not been a candidate in the election and had to run in a by-election to enter the legislature following his appointment to the office of Premier.