His family established several businesses including a lumberyard, general store and blacksmith's shop.

As a young man, White and his brother took over the family business and became wealthy as they supplied the steam engine industries.

He first ran for the House of Commons of Canada as a Conservative candidate in the 1872 federal election in the riding of Renfrew North but was defeated.

Debates over the Manitoba Schools Question were particularly divisive, and brought down the government of Sir Mackenzie Bowell.

White opposed the government's policy that favoured Catholic education rights as he believed that it interfered with the provincial government's right to set education policy, but, as Speaker, remained silent on the issue until the 1896 election campaign.