Flings at Things.

Maoriland Worker, Volume 3, Issue 92, 20 December 1912, Page 1

Flings at Things.

Frank Morton once more.

Sorry to have to hale him again into the centre of the stage and project the spot-light of publicity upon him. He is very much hurt because of some recent ''Flings" in The Worker.

One can almost envisage the tears that fell as ho was scribbling his usual piffle for the "Wanganui Chronicle."

In which he wails that The Worker "devotes over a column to abusing mc because I decline to admire that dangerous, shallow demagogue, Semple." Adding that "Abuse from The Maortland Worker is a very precious compliment to a man."

"Abuse" comes with ill grace from a man whose abuse of Semple—foul, slanderous, lying abuse—was the reason for and justification of our reply.

Here are some sentences from the screed now under notice:—

"If Semplo had died under the constable's baton instead of the poor fellow he had duped, it would have been better for all of us, and vastly better for Labor.

"But Semple does not get near constables' batons. Ho is not) that sort."

Will Mr. Morton kindly define for us what these sentences are?

If they are not abuse, what are they?

Worse —they contain insinuations so gross that tlicy can only bo described as contemptible calumniation.

Then lie slanders the Federation by penning the statement that "so far, tho Red Federation's attempts to cause moro disturbances and misery at Huntly have failed."

When he knows—or ought to know — that tho Federation has never attempted to cause disturbances or misery at Huntly, but all tho trouble has been caused by tho directors of the coalmining companies because of their currish victimisation of union officials, and because of the disorganising and disrupting tactics of tho apostles of scab arbitration.

Morton alleges that he doesn't care twopence for attacks, "anonymous or opcm." Well, lie seems to have keenly felt our remarks, which were thoroughly justified, though a scribbler of tripish trivialities like Morton is hardly worth taking serious notice of.

His innuendo about anonymity in newspaper attack is beneath contempt. This paper's "attack," as he chooses to call it. had editorial sanction, and was not an at! nek by an individual on another, hut by Tnr, Worker itself against a journalist who had indulged in slanderous abuse of one of the Federation of Labor's principal officials. It carried the "weight and authority," as lie phrases it, of this newspaper, and tho writer had no private malice to vent against Morton, « » * Morton's comments on The Worker are not unfunny. Would you liko to read them? Not particular, eh? Well, 'twould be. a pity to deny you anything that may tend to relieve the drab monotony of existence, so we'll rescue them from the obscurity of the "Chronicle's" columns, and let you have them. Attention! "Hero was a paper." Moans Morton, "that had a good chance and flung it away. Had The Maort„and Worker gone steadily to work as a- clean, democratic weekly (That is what it is.— Ed. "M.W.") it could easily have justified its existence. But it was lured from the path of its duty by the* gross baits of Syndicalism, till at length It became so befuddled with its own

folly a_ to take Bob Semple seriously. That was the beginning of the end of The Maorti,and Worker. No paper can live if it has to support a man like Semple through thick and thin. This paper had to defend every abominable outrage perpetrated by the Red Federation at Waihi. It even had to glorify tho screeching females whose Infamous clamor mado it impossible for deoent women to go into the streets Its posl« tion became, and has continued, fcbsolutely pitiable."

Good Hevingsl

Ah I but if Morton's comments on The Worker are not unfunny, these opinions pn the little professor will make you laugh out louds

"What is genuinely needed is a Labor newspaper run without hatred or malice on honest democratic lines—something akin to the page edited in the 'New Zealand Times' by Mr. W. T. Mills. One may frequently differ from Mr. Mills, but he compels respect and justifies sympathy. He stands solidly for law and order and the decent way of doing things. Ho holds that the workers' fight must be foughTi through the ballot-box. Unfortunately, his journalistic style is rather heavy and trite, or he might bring out such a newspaper as would do good and remote many prolific causes of misunderstanding."

He might—wo don't think I