Canada’s federal Liberals had a great deal to smile about on this date in 1904. Led by the great Sir Wilfrid Laurier, the party cruised to victory in a general election, earning 51 percent of the vote and an increased majority in the House of Commons. This was the third general election victory in a row for the Laurier Liberals.
By the time the polls closed, the Grits had won 137 seats of the 214 up for grabs, besting their previous total by nine MPs. As for the Tories, who were led into the campaign by a new leader, Robert Borden of Nova Scotia, they won 75 seats with 46 percent of the popular vote.
The Laurier years continued on.