Charles M. O'Brien

Charles Macnamara "Charlie" O'Brien (March 2, 1875 – February 23, 1952) was a Canadian socialist activist and politician in Alberta, Canada. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1909 to 1913.

Charles M. O'Brien
Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta
In office March 1909 – March 1913
Succeeded by	Robert E. Campbell
Constituency	Rocky Mountain
Personal details
Born	March 2, 1875 Bells Rapids, Ontario, Canada
Died	February 23, 1952 (aged 76) Los Angeles County, California
Political party	Socialist Party of Alberta, Socialist Party of Canada
Occupation	activist, politician, former railway worker, miner, logger

Biography

O'Brien was born at Bells Rapids, near Bangor, Hastings County, Ontario to John Patrick and Matilda (née Price) O'Brien. His father, J.P. O'Brien perished in the sinking of the boat the Mayflower at the Madawaska River, in 1912.[1] He worked in the logging, mining industry and in railroad camps.[2] In 1899, he came west to Alberta while working for the railway, the Crowsnest Pass line of the Canadian Pacific Railway.[3]

Becoming a "dedicated socialist", [3] he joined the Socialist Party of Canada and became a national organizer for the party, and leader of its Alberta branch.[2][4]

O'Brien was a skilled orator and author,[3] drawing comparisons to prominent activists Bill Haywood, Jack London and Eugene V. Debs, in terms of his impact in Socialism in Canada.[4]

O'Brien ran for the Legislative Assembly of Alberta in 1909 in the new Rocky Mountain constituency, and, despite not garnering official union support but much support among the district's coal-miners, was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta in the 1909 Alberta general election as a member of the Socialist Party of Alberta, narrowly defeating Liberal John Angus Macdonald by 32 votes.[3] He was the first Socialist member elected to the Alberta Legislature. It was said that O'Brien's election to the legislature "reflected a growing radicalization" of coal miners in Alberta; O'Brien's constituency at the time was mainly miners.[3]

The local newspaper, Coleman Miner, blamed his election on his supporters buying the vote of naturalized immigrants, saying:[5]

"The election just past goes to show just what little interest was taken in the affairs of the province by the thinking people, especially the votes of the Rocky riding. The Socialists deserve great credit for the way every man of them got out and hustled; also the supporters of the Independent who were made up of, principally, the working classes—including Dagos and Slavs who neither read, write, or speak, our language. These people are herded to the polls like so many cattle and voted according to instructions from their leaders who are paid well for the service rendered. The services of these men are always at the disposal of the highest bidder. Surely this is a disgraceful state of affairs, never-the-less true.

— The Coleman Miner, March 26, 1909[5]

During his term in office, he worked to improve conditions for the miners, having run on that platform in his election bid. In December 1910, he introduced an amendment to the existing Coal Mines Act, proposing many additional safety measures in the industry.[6] O'Brien also initiated a bill permitting the Alberta government to protect an apparent Russian fugitive (charged with murder for assassination of a Russian governor and arson) by refusing to extradite him back to Russia if investigation showed that he faced political persecution back in Russia.[7][8][9] He would also participate in the Alberta and Great Waterways Railway debate. O'Brien set a provincial legislative record, delivering a speech to the house on February 13, 1912 that was 5 hours and 50 minutes in length. He still had not finished his speech when the session was adjourned for the day.[10]

While in office he continued his Socialist activism, giving speeches to promote it. In 1909 he was arrested while giving a speech near a highway in Regina. A crowd of 500 had gathered to listen, which resulted in O'Brien's arrest for obstructing traffic.[11] An account of his political position is available on-line under the title "The Proletarian in Politics The Socialist Position As defended by C. M. O’Brien, MLA in the Alberta Legislature." In 1911 he engaged in a Canada-wide tour to promote Socialist ideals.[12]

The Trades and Labour Congress of Canada endorsed him when he ran for re-election in 1913.

In the 1913 general election, he doubled his vote as compared to 1909 but was defeated by Conservative Robert E. Campbell, by just over 80 votes.

O'Brien moved to Los Angeles, California around 1915,[13] where he died in 1952.[14]

Electoral history

1909 Alberta general election results (Rocky Mountain)[15]			Turnout N.A.
	Socialist	Charles M. O'Brien	555	37.83%
	Liberal	John Angus Macdonald	520	35.45%
	Progressive Conservative	H.E. Lyon	392	26.72%

1913 Alberta general election results (Rocky Mountain)[16]			Turnout N.A.
	Progressive Conservative	Robert E. Campbell	1099	43.56%
	Socialist	Charles M. O'Brien	1018	40.34%
	Liberal	William B. Powell	516	20.45%

Footnotes

1. "C. M. O'Brien's Father Drowned". Blairmore Enterprise. Blairmore, Alberta. December 4, 1912. p. 4. Retrieved February 18, 2014.
2. Western Press Association (1916), Northern who's who: a biographical dictionary of men and women especially compiled for newspaper and library reference, New York City, Portland, Oregon, retrieved February 18, 2014
3. Finkel, Alvin (2012), Working People in Alberta: A History, Athabasca, Alberta: Athabasca University Press, ISBN 9781926836584
4. Labour (St. John's) - Google Books. Retrieved 2014-02-19 – via Google Books.
5. "O'Brien, Socialist, Elected By A Majority of 32". Coleman Miner. March 26, 1909. p. 4. Archived from the original on 2014-02-23. Retrieved February 18, 2014.
6. "Amendment to Coal Mines Act". Edmonton Bulletin. Edmonton, Alberta. December 7, 1910. p. 9. Retrieved February 18, 2014.
7. "C. M. O'Brien Secures Assent to Fedorenko Resolution----All Quiet Today". Edmonton Capital. Edmonton, Alberta. November 19, 1910. p. 1. Retrieved February 18, 2014.
8. "Russian Refugee Committed". Strathmore Standard. Strathmore, Alberta. October 29, 1910. p. 3. Retrieved February 18, 2014.
9. "Fugitive Will Be Protected". Claresholm Review. Claresholm, Alberta. November 24, 1910. p. 7. Retrieved February 18, 2014.
10. "C. M. O'Brien Now Has The Record". Edmonton Bulletin. Edmonton, Alberta. February 13, 1912. p. 1. Retrieved February 18, 2014.
11. "C. M. O'Brien, M.P.P., Arrested". Coleman Miner. Coleman, Alberta. August 20, 1909. p. 1. Retrieved February 18, 2014.
12. "C. M. O'Brien Is Now In Ottawa". Edmonton Bulletin. Edmonton, Alberta. June 27, 1911. p. 9. Retrieved February 18, 2014.
13. Chas M O Brien, "United States Census, 1930", FamilySearch, accessed February 18, 2014.
14. Charles Obrien, "California, Death Index, 1940-1997", FamilySearch, accessed February 18, 2014.
15. "Election results for Rocky Mountain, 1909". Alberta Online Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2010-03-24.
16. "Election results for Rocky Mountain, 1913". Alberta Online Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2010-03-24.

External links

• Socialist in Alberta: Socialist History Project
• Legislative Assembly of Alberta Members Listing