EVADING THE PLAIN ISSUES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 2923, 15 August 1925, Page 2

EVADING THE PLAIN ISSUES.

WELFARE LEAGUE REPLY

(To the Editor)

Sir, —In our eritieism of an address by Mr. Ben Roberts we showed that his claims to the effect that his party the sermon in the .Mount mid is .at all times on Constitutional lines are not borne out by facts. It is no answer for him to throw off at the League, that is not argument. "What we wish him to do is to explain wen the religion comes in as relating to the class hatred displayed by his party. We note that he side steps what was presented about the. mieonst it til innnl •■Councils of action" policy, which his party lias endorsed. Instead of boxing the compass, as lie does, we invite him to fnee the definite statements we

make that his party advocates class consciousness, class war and class hatred, which i- opposed to religious principle; that it nets, on occasions, on nnconst it lit ional lines nnd that its profession of having a mom,ply of right human feeling is niter sham and humbug. TTis use of the word revolutionary in the sense of change, spitirual or otherwise, does not exclude tlie fact that political revolutions are very closely allied with civil war, bloodshed and widespread destruction. That is tinn volutioni-m which many socialists mid communists are advocating to-day ami Mr. Roberts cannot get iiway from the evidence’ that his socialist party has been much in,dined to tov with this revolutionary

spirit whilst professing' it is only for constitutional methods.

It is pleasing in learn that your t urrcspondrni reads the Bible. Me suggest, however, that lie should not mix the texts. His ([notation "Tim hind is Mine, it shall not be sold forever" should not he coupled with the words “what God has joined loud her let to man put asunder.

T!i(, two texts do not relate to the

-mine mutter. It is sheer nonsense to argue that “the Labour Party Ims Seiiptural warrant for its land policy.” ’flic Reform Party might a-, well argue t lint there is Scriptural warrant lor its freehold policy because under the freehold the land i-, not sold forever. It is held by : lie owner with the reservation that the State may take control provided at nnv time there is the necessity to do so.

it is lowering the Bible to use ii tor pane purposes of any kind. To urge Ilmt. “Labour and religion me imlissolunbly one” is somewhat foolish talk. Labour in the purely human sense certainly means ser-

vice but iii the political sense we ib.ubl if anybody etui say wlmt it means. In politics it is represented, a ; meaning; various and oven conliidirw dm-trines. The League is

mi "separating work into one class

~mi religion into another" when t( contends that religion should not be eon fused with party politics. IT is not n question ot class at all. To use religious profession for political unity ends is a practice that

doe.- no! commend itselt to our people in gcm-ral. To set up the siaim;,rd ihnl unless you belong t<> our politieiil party you are no; of the line religion would he to create division.- inimical boih to religion and noiit ics

}j' tbe politics of Mr. Roberts ,limit succeed on their merits

alone they are not likely to pvo\ e wortliv bv masquerading in the ,-loak of pretended religion. When hr- take- in hand the matter of explaining' hi- party s land policy wo shall lie glad to give his statement our full attention, as we have not found anyone yet who could explain. In this connect ion we ask him to coniine himself strictly to the .subject and not to mix it with other questions which have nothing to do with the land policy. We are. Your- etc.. MX. WELFARE LEAGUE.