PROTESTANT POLITICAL ASSOCIATION

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 1, 26 September 1917, Page 6

PROTESTANT POLITICAL ASSOCIATION

PUBLIC MEETING REV. HOWARD ELLIOTT'S ADDRESS The announcement that the new Protestant Political Association, was to hold its fii-st public meeting in Wellington attracted an audience that packed the big Town Hall from the organ loft to the back wall, although admission was by ticket only. The chair was ocoupied by the Hon. "\Y. Earnshaw, M.L.C., who said that in looking round at the vast audience and remembering that how Invercnrgill to Auckland similar meetings had been held, one realised that there must be questions moving among the people that required explanation, •and eolution.. It was a far cry back to some 35 yeais ago, to tho time y, lien Bishop Mornn,. the famous "fighting bishop," demanded money from tho Government for the education of Roman Catholic children. It was during thai, campaign that Mr. Donnelly, a etauncli Roman Catholic, rose to contest a seat in protest against his bishop. To-day the prelates of the Church were no further advanced in their attempted inroads on undenominational State education. From that day to this it had been a long, silent warfare in which one iio-"or Icnew who his enemies were. Their fight ought to be for the principle that their education should bo for Catholic and Protestant alike. (Applause.) Tho Catholics did not give their children as gcod an education as was given at the State schools. A voice: Liar! The interrupter was put outside by a constable. Fight to a Finish. The chairman, in continuation, said that their national system of education was a heritage, and it was their liuty to fi"ht for it to the last man. It was the belief of tho Roman Catholic clergy that, ns the constant dnip of water wore away stone they could gain their ends by pounding away at their politicians and leading men. He challenged Archbishop Redwood to say how they (the Catholics) were "oin" to educate the Catholic crildren in the back-blocks. Long ago, when ho had the honour to be member tor the Peninsula, and later for Uunedin City he had come into collision villi the Roman Catholic clergy. He said that The R-oman Catholicß had fongnl tho Protestant world- open and underneath, and, mentioning the activities ot the Catholic Federation, sa\d that the time was rotten ripe for them to take a stand and fight them to a ( finish. (Applause.) A Test of Loyalty. The Rev: Knowles-Smith said that in order to understand the reason for convening the meeting at the present time it would be well to reiterate eertam.leadirie principles in British life and citizenship. First of all, it was open lor anyone to choose what religion appealed to him. Hβ was n Methodist, and his friend, Hie Eev. Howard Elliott, was a Baptist, and believed that the Baptist religion went one better- (laughter)-,™! he dared say that their Roman Catholic friends considered'their religion even better. Well, they were entitled to their opinion. Still, he wanted to get it out of people's heads that they were all Orangemen out for the blood ot every Catholic. (Laughter and applause.) It was perfectly legitimate and right tor any section of the people to organise— from a minority standpoint.; (Laughter.) ■■Vnd if one-seventh of. the community had the right to organise.it was surely the right of the six-sevenths to do so. He knew that had to be done carefully, but as far as he was concerned he did not care a rap for the Solicitor-General.. The finest enlogy ever paid them was given on the floor of the House by the Hon. Mr. Herdman when he said, in answer to a question as to why tho "Tablet" was not censored, as was .sonio of the, Protestant literature, that if ho had done anything in that direction there would have been a howl from one end of the country to the other. He (the Attorney-Crem-ral) knew they were luynl, and would not make sucli trouble at such a time. (Applause.) Not only had their young men been called up, but many of their ministers had been called up, and were now in the fighting line; and 33 per cent, of their teachers had 1-een called up. But exemption was asked for the Marist Brothers. What were ihe Marist Brothers who objected to go to the front? Were they priests in holy orders? No! As far as he could see, they were daysschool teachers. They might be likened to probationary ministers. II that were tho case, why should they not be called' up as were their probationers? No Protestant Church had nsked for preferential test Church had asked for preferential treatment of its ministers. Many Methodist Church pulpits had been vacated; the Presbyterian Church had been denuded of her ministers, and so on, but they had never sque.ilod about it. (Applause.) They did not ask for the war, but now they were, in it they were going to win the .war. ' (Applause.) If. they were to do this they must say to ihe Government that they must stick to. their original principlo of no exemptions. (Applause.) > They would see, as sure as anything, that if Miis Clergy Exemption Bill wore pnsiod, that the Marist Brothers would be described as priests. None shsmld be exempted, he claimed, until at least 33 per cent, of- them (Hie Marist Brothers) had been called up. They were going to ; ; ght for the privileges of six-sev'ptiths of the people of New Zealand. He moral:—

That this meeting of ilie citizens of Wellington, under tho auspices of ho Protestant Political Association, protests against the injustice which has Leeii dono to the public sohoole of the country t>} r the total exemption till now of Marist Brothers from military service, which tho State School teaohcrs have been required .to render, and have rendered up to. 33 per cent, of their male ftnfi. The.meeting calls on Government to end this vicious differentiation in favour of sectarian; schools by at once placing a 33 per cent, re- . quirement against Hie staff of tho Roman Catholic schools. The meeting further believes that the mere exemption* from now on of all school (enchevs, as lias been suggesleiT in Parliament, will not meet the situa- • tion unless a.sacrifice proportionate to that already made by tlie public schools be first required from private schools. Mr.' C. C. Stewart seconded the motion, which was almost unanimously carried. The chairman declared the motion carried with less than half a dozen dissentients. One opponent to the motion was a lady in the gallery, who vigorously held up both hands arfull arms' length. \ Out for Fight. Mr. Howard Elliott expressed appreciation of the' reception accorded nim, which ho took was moro for the causo he represented than for himself. Throughout the country there was a rising feeling to combat the forces that were fighting agffinst Protestantism. There wero many pressmen and stenographers present and'ho took it that they were all anxious to presorve every' word that fell from Tits lips for the benefit of posterity. Tho military domination of any country, ho bdlieved, could very easily become, a tyranny. Anyone would believe trfat tie was going' round throwing lighted matches into haystacks. Theru had been smoko and 11 little fire, but the striking of the matches had been done by someone else. No one had over said JJuit the Roman Catholics had no right to form their federation, but as soon as they (the Protestants) began to organise tliey immediately T>cgan to cry out that thev (the Catholics) were being persecuted. They would' Ire false to their fathers, to the heritage given them, did they not fight. They stood for equal rights for all. but special privileges tor none. (Applause.) The necessity of organising nad been laitT upon them, ana they would not rest or stay their-'hand until the Protestant were banded together and Parliament was brought to see that there was a power in the land other K"ftn that wielded -by the l'.oman Catholic*. Ho believed that thev would bo organised within one year, and that no man would bo returned to Parliament who was not

true to Protestant thought in the issues placed before them. He spoke of the existence of organisations which were aud always had been opyosed to the war and conscription. Now hoie, in a time of war, there was a vicious attack on their educational system. And it was the same in other parts of the Empire. In Canada the tinio had come when the people had said that they would send no more men until conscription was brought in, but the Roman Catholics said they would not have it. But the Protestants organised and told Sir Robert Borden to go ahead with conscription, and they would stand behind him. Australia had been brought almost to ruin, but on tho Protestants organising, these men who were opposed to conscription had ,been thrown out of Parliament. There was also a movement in South Africa to stir up feeling in favour of a Republic, nnd to break away.from England. There had been published in Dunedm, from the same office as the "Tablet," a paper which advocated republicanism. That paper was first published in December aS " When "the Hill Slipped."

In the platform of the association they did not intend to mention or criticise in any way whatsoever the Roman Catholic rel'igion, their ways or manner of wor-. ship, but when, through thoir federation, they entered the sphere of politice they laid themselves open to criticism-just criticism. Referring to the 6 o'clock vote in the Houfie, the speaker said that when "tho hill slipped"—(applause)—it nearly buried some of .tho members, and it would be not only a big financial less to many people, but to the Roman Catholic Church. (Applause.) He hoped that they would all take a careful note of the division list, and that all would pin up the speech of tho Attorney-General, so that they would never forget it, because at the next election in New Zealand ttiere was going to bo a great fight, and they had to be ready for it. (Applause.) Iney must lose no timo in enrolling mrabew and organising. The P.P.A. hoped by next election to be able to name a enndidato for every electorate. He kiwi visited Parliament, and whilst the™ had noticed tho astonishing number of bald-heads"-those who had grown old in '.he ways of Parliamentary ein. (Laughter.) Ho had not visited the Le?is ative Council (More laughter.) Ee looked forward to the time when they would be able to put there a block of 30 or. 40 young, vigorous New -Kealandere, trained m the ,vavs of Protestantism, with tho cuurage er^Ti-eS^ l^! Son said: "Bring your children into the Civil S'l^rtttanTnt^ nomination, which was f J^ Roman Catholic, on the '«««£««£ Labour organisations He could not epeak for Wellington, but he asked the sndience to.inquire into the position here, and also, in the same re?ard, to "leetnff o? the City Corporation, and send h information along to the P.P.A., rtioii would make use of it. finally the speaker made an appeal for oil E«>d Protestants to enrol themselves as members of the association, and quoted the nledne card of the P.P.A. P The meeting concluded with a vote of thanks to the speaker?, moved by Mr C. D. Macintosh, and a vote of thanks to the chairman.