CORRESPONDENCE.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VIII, Issue 677, 13 June 1914, Page 6

CORRESPONDENCE.

Letters for publication, and articles for insertion must be accompanied (not necessarily for publication), by the name of the writer, and, provided they are not offensive in any way, will be lublished as space permits. The Editor does tot identify himself with the opinions expressed by correspondents, and accepts no responsibility .. for them. The Editor. ' sir,—Mr Way, of the Social Democratic farty, gave an address in Te Kuiti on Sunday night last. As one of a few friends who took advantage of the Party's invitation to be present. I venture to give rny impressions—the Party, I am sure, will not take it amiss. My remarks, you may say, would have been better addressed to the chairman, on that night. Well, Mr Way showed his developed muscle and 1, besides, bear sincere testimony to his gift of a good popular delivery. Not being able to boast such gifts, I thought it better "bide a wee." In writing my few impressions, I assure you. Mr Editor, I neither invite controversy nor make compiaint. In the tirat place, many, many. Catholics very many Irish Catholicswill go a long way with tne Social Democratic Party when they detest and denounce injurious land aggregation, grinding trusts and monopolies, woman and child slavery, sweating 'of the weak and poor, and class legislation. You know, Mr Editor, we Irish Catholics,' aboVB all, have felt, or our fathers have felt, the oppressor's heel. I fancy I could tell Mr Way a few things about landlord tyranny and class legislation, and the other brutalities of which he justly spoke with indignation—things which would make his spicy lectures even more spicy still. Eiit, to make a comment. When Mr Way, or any other lecturer, in addressing a mixed audience, begins by declaring that he detests reflections on or sneers about, *\ny religious belief and, in the next breath, condemns a religious ■ tenet of millions, and sneers at another religions tenet of millions, too, well, Mr Editor, to say the least, Mr Way, or any other lecturer, contradicts himself. I only point out the logio of the matter to him—as an Irish Catholic priest and speaking for Catholics,we could afford to smile, and do smile,when such puny attacks are made against the "Rock of Ages"— "You may as well go stand upon the beach' And bid the main flood 'bate its usual height; You may, as Well go bid the lofty pines Wag their high tops and make no noise - When they are fretted with the gusts of Heaven" — As attack what Christ preached and held sacred. I sincerely assure Mr Way and the Party that, though they sway a small crowd,though they make enormous progress—and in some respects I wish, for the world's good, they may—though even thay sit in the seats of the Ministers in power—still, it is no use: the bulk of God's creatures are at heart God-fearing; they will go far to redress evils, but never will they revolt against that God and His Providence and Gia Love.

If lam asked: Hofa can you make sach a sweeping pronouncement? Well, the history of the past, the tendency of tha present, the huarf, of Chr atianity sound and true for Christ and . Kis teaching—these make me quite safe in the pronouncement. In the next place. Mr Editor,-we were urged tc vote tha Social Democratic Party to power, and than a statement was made—l speak from memory and 1 eubject to correction —that, with Nsw Zealand gradually becoming Socialistic and leading the nations—good luck to her—no nation would dare attack her. Well, Sir, when an ordinary man looks around on Germany, Britain, Japan, Russia, and even China, and looks at the hammers at the anvils of the worid, and hears the clang on the armourplates of the world's battleships and weighs the whole position bo, to the ordinary man, I say, such statements, while capable of catching votes ars pure and simple "raimeis" —as Pat says ccmmonly—"ramish." Thirdly, and, Mr Editor, this is the important point for those who3e vutea Mr Way and bis Party strive: la the Social Democratic Party lawabiding or lawless —in the methods to be used when opportunity offers? Is ft respectfully and reverently tolerant towards all God-fearing men, or is it anti-religious, veiling its opposition dishonestly for the present, except when a sneer gives the case away? When Mr Way declares himself a man of peace, one who detests dynamite and in the next breath speaks of the "long shovel" for disposing summarily of the employing classes, and of ''placing them in the front before the invading Jap with the prayer that the Japs shoot straight" h ha, then, either a joker out to catch laughs or is he sincerely a prophet of his party's creed?

I believe, in conclusion, that until Mr Way changes his style, he ia not a good man for his party. I think lam giving him good advice wh«n I tell him: The man he addresses are, many of them, "tinder the heel"; they look for sound, well-thought-out programmes, not for cheap sneers and venerable jokes. Even a ready, eloquent, tongue will not put the Party in power. If Mr Way doubts me, let him ask tha voter of New Zealand who thinks, even a little. I do hope, Mr Editor, I won't either get the laugh against me or get a doing for being A CATHOLIC PRIEST.