THE ROHAN CATHOLIC CHURCH AN» LABOUR

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 97, 17 January 1918, Page 6

THE ROHAN CATHOLIC CHURCH AN» LABOUR

REPLY OF REV. HOWARD ELLIOTT. Sir, —The letter over tlie signature of Mr. T. Uiliuore, which appeared ill your columns of January 7, revealed at once that tho hand that signed it was the hand of Esau, but the voice that speaks in it is the voice of Jacob, 'those who know Mr. Gilmore recognise that the letter is a feat larger than tho man. 'J'lio author or authors, wo suspect, must bo looked for other where than in a tram man's uniform. ih° writer is evidently a Romanist,. which ,Mr. Gilmore disclaims being, and 18 versed in the Roman tactic of abuse. The letter is an attack upon me rather than a defence of tho section of Labour that Mr. Gilmore claims to represent. It reveals the difficulty in which your correspondent finds himself when no endeavoured to stall the facts in tho ivay be did, and took refuge in personal insult and misrepresentation. May I quieten his fears by assuring Mr. Gilmore that I do not intend to do with him as I did with certain Roman conspirators on a recent occasiontumble them into a pit of_ their own digging. I will keep him in evidence until I have exposed the intrigues or Rome with Labour leaders so that all Protestant Labour men may know, and save themselves and their movement from the innocence of Mr. Gilmoro and the guile of his friends. If I can do that"! will be rendering; no inconsiderable service to the true interests of Labour and, perhaps incidentally, to Mr. Gilmore himself. I am charged with evasiveness when I state specific instances, and with ignorance when I state the facts, but Mr. Gilmore and his co-optors do nothing to furnish any proof that wrong or evasive or ignorant. \our correspondent has claimed that all the Labour men now sitting in the House of Representatives are there on the vote of Labour alone, Whereas in truth cach individual holds his seat throupli the vote and influence, of Rome. No doubt this is humiliating to Labour, but will not Labour men do well to inquiry carefully into the question why the Labour movement is in the parlous condition it is in to-day ni New Zealand. In making that inquiry I think they will require to start with the secret conference held* in Christchurch, as the result of which the "Maoriland Worker" passed from the control of tho Shearers' Union and presaged the formation of the Federation of Labour. Mr. Gilmoro has lieen completely answered by the able letter written by "West Coast" in his contention that Mr. Webb is a representative of Labour. The woof abundant is supplied in the figures furnished by your correspondent. Not only was Mr. Webb beaten on the first ballot, hut if it had not' been that Roman votes were officially directed to him he would have been beaten on the second ballot. If Mr. Gilmore wants more proof that Rome's influence was with Mr. Webb, and .recognised by him. let it ho the fact that when Mr. Webb returned thanks to his supporters, the Irish flag (the harp without the crown, a rebel fla<r these days) was flown above his head? Again, let Mr. Gilmore explain why that same flag was _ flown from the strike office in Wellington during tlie 1913 strike if Rome and Sein Feinism aro not identified with the official Labour movement. In the Wellington South election, when Mr. Hindmarsh was returned, all the forces of organised Romanism were employed on his behalf. A priest approached a friend of mine thinking him to be one of his_ own, saying: "Of course you are voting with us. J-hnt was explained to mean for Mr. Hindmarsh. I am not denying the Tight of the priest to become a canvasser if he chooses, as Mr. Gilmore seems anxious to assert, but p I say that, knowing Rome and her ways, that priest's action indicate! clearly the attitude of the Church of Rome in that election. That is not all, however, for the members of the Roman organisations boasted in ' this case, as in the Wanganui and Lyttelton olec-1 tions, that they - were instructed to ; support the men who now represent those electorates in the House. It may be, of course, that they did not know what they were talking about or doing, whilst Mr. Gilmoro and lus ■ co-ad] utors do. In that case I must allow your readers to judge whether , the evidence is sufficient. In the i Grey Lynn election it is common knowledge "and tho figures supply the [ proof, that the Roman hierarchy had found this Hon. George Fowlds insufficiently plastic 'in their hands., and ; there was a transfer of affection to ; one who was not suspected of any s rigidity, and Mr. Payne scraped m i with tiie aid of Rome. i These aro tho facts in each case. What ; do they moan ? Rome never supports » anybody without there is ft i quo. 'What is Rome expecting of iho u representatives of Labour, and what > is tho bargain that has. been struck, I do not purpose following Mr. wl- • more through all the length of Jus revilings. I will content myself with ) dealing with some of the most pulp- • able of his misstatements. It is sjll leged that I supported Mr. J. J. Sullir van for the Farnell seat. That is abl solutely untrue. I neither spoke, - wrote, canvassed, or voted for .Mr. , Sullivan. The denial . ot Cardinal ■ Moran's command to his men to get » control of the Labour movement m r Australia is farcical. that. prelate, 1 following the line pursued bv the Jesuits throughout the world during t the last thirty years, did issue those . instructions, and the fact is well known and has'been known for years, and laughed at, until bitter experience brought the matter home to true Labour men. Let any person peruse the speeches made and reported in .ho Australian Press during the recent election campaign aiid the more recent referendum campaign, and say that tlie Roman Church had not sought to capture, and had in fact captured, the Australian Labour Party. Mr. Hughes referred to the 'Black Hand" in Australian politics. What did he mean? I have before me tho report of the "Sydney Morning Herald" of a speech delivered in Sydney liv Mr. -Tames Robinson, who "To-day, Romanism and the. Labour Party aro the same thing. The P.L.Lis composed of T.W.W.'s. Sinn Feuu'i'S. and Fenians." The P.L.L. is the inner circle that dominates the Labour movement. The Protestants ha.'e i been driven out of the Labour I at -> I in Australia. Perhaps that k why Mr. Gilmoro savs: "Australian Labour is more virile and cleaner and mom powerful to-day than ever." if this saying reveals Mr. ideals of a Labour Party. Evidently 1 he agrees with Mr. Holland. Take again tho statement of a prominent Canadian Labour leader, President Wilkinson, of the Amalgamated Carpenters' Union of Canada: Untiei normal conditions tho Jesuits Cuiitiol 65 per cent, of the vote of tho Congress of the American Federation of Labour, and under extraordinary circumstances they can control 7o or 85 per cent, or the \otes." . . . The same policy is being pursued m New Zealand. That it has not been os successful here as in Australia and the States is due to the fact that the Federation of Labour was so badlv led that it blundered into the grave ere it had time to become the instrument of Rome, but the remnant, that wing of the Labour Party, is being used, as I have shown, to secure the well-being of the Church, e.g.. in the recent wjt<? on the coa- o crip,tlonof'#lai , .is;- -Rome

is the enemy of Democracy and tbei friend of Autocracy. Popos Leo and Pius have pronounced against and cursed the sovereignty of the people within the last 20 .years whilst the Roman clergy throughout Germany recently preached , on an appomtcd. day upholding tho Kaiser and the House of Hohcnswllern and denouncing any attempt at revolution. ', Homo may cajole democrats, Iwifc she never helps them. It is against her creed and' practice. Why, then, do Labour men dally with ai= organisation that would, use ai\d curse them at the snme

time? L , I pass Mr. G'ilinore's statements concerning Labour speakers and papers' and their attitude to churches and re-' ligiou by simply referring your readers to tho columns of the "Maonland Worker" for -the past two years,, where they will find yards of bitter pro-Roman' matter. Mr. Semplo's addresses speak for themselves. The. denial by "Mr. (filmore as to the constituent'members of the last Labour Conference is worthless in the face or tho testimony of men who know that assembly and its make-up. It was,, iis is ' the American Federation of Labour, predominantly Roman. Mr. Gilmore and his friends have to faca and answer, if they can, the iiccumn'lation of damaging evidence that is available from the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, showing that Rome is after Labour, and Labour does not appear to become aware of the fact until Rome has her boot on the mouth of Labour and has wrought its ruin. I want the Labour men of New Zealand to awake to the facts before it is too late, and if they will but see to it in their unions that). Rome does not gain any preponderance in her executives and conferences and further watch the reputed leaders of Labour that no secret treaties are made or intrigues worked, thenLabour may come to its own. A true Labour Party is needed, and for such a. party there is a great future b b the old hands, the deadI hands; <rf the past, must bo cast from the helm of its fortuneS - 1 ""HofclW ELLIOTT. Auckland, January 15, 1918.