SERPENT SECTARIANISM

NZ Truth, Issue 74, 17 November 1906, Page 7

SERPENT SECTARIANISM

Rears Its Head m Labor Circles. CATHOLIC WORKERS ENERGETICALLY PROTEST. Australian Laborites Should Take Heed—The Defeat of James Sexton—The Demand for Secular Education. Men m the Labor movement, and particularly those m the trade unions of Australia, would do well to take notice of the dangerous tendency on the part of the British trade unionist to meddle with educational matters as they concern the question of religious belief. There is, just now, m the ranks of the British trade unionists, a demand for purely "secular" education which is giving very grave offence to Catholics; i«n n£, ~ k?i y . to lead *° the withdrawal of ibU.UUO Catholic workers, it is said, from the Trade Union Congress. There also seems to toave been an unjust bias against Mr. James bexton, a well-known and respected Labor leader. Sexton is no trimmer, and he strongly resented the conduct of a trade unionist named Fred. Maddison, who is a member of the fiouse of Commons, and although a so-called Labor man, had supported the candidature of a capitalistic Liberal. Sexton's opposition to Maddison was •

MADE A PKETEXT by the miners' delegates— the miners' men m Parliament do not belong to. the Labor Party— to prevent Sexton's election to the Parliamentary Committee of the Trade Union Congress; but it is surmised that the real reason of Sexton's exclusion is that ho is- a Catholic. This dangerous leaven of sectarian prejudice which is thus beginning to work among British trades unions is a peril that should also be carefully guarded against m Australia. The Sexton and "secular education" matters at the Trade Union Congress are thus referred to m "Reynolds' . Newspaper" : — "The 'unkindest cut of all,' perhaps, m the rejection of Mr. James Sexton from ttite Parliamentary Committee of the Trade Union Congress, is the fact that it occulted m his own City of Liverpool, where the Congrfess met, and after he had worked laboriously m making arrangements for the comfort of the delegates. He is, also, the only man thrown off the

CABINET COUNCIL OF LABOR, all the old members, save him, being reelected. His visits to the lobby when he came to London to attend the meetings of the Parliamentary Committee will be missed. Mr. Sexton took his defeat with philosophic calm. It was the fortune of war, he remarked, m a speech after the declaration of the poll. It is understood that the miners' vote went against Mr. Sexton, and caused his defeat. The story went the round that the miners had resented Mr. Sexton's attack on Mr. Fred Maddison, M.P. for Burnley for going to speak for Captain Guest, the Liberal candidate for Cockermouth.

"It is threatened that no fewer than 160,000 Catholic workers, who are members of the various Trade Unions, will withdraw m consequence of the decision of the Trade Union Congress to .go m absolutely for secular education. If they do not actually withdraw altogether from the Unions, they mean to cease paying the levies for the support of Labor Ms.P., and the running of Labor candidates. The Catholics point to the fact that the Trade Union Congress declared for secular education a few hours after the issue of

THE CATHOLIC MANIFESTO, and threw Mr. Seiton off the Parliamentary Committee. •

"The Catholics contend that Trade Unionism has no business to interfere with educational matters at all, but should concern itself with looking after the wages and hours of labor of the workers. Education, they say, is outside the business of Trade Unionism. The Catholics argue that if there is one thing that they, as Catholics, can boast of, it is their unity, and if they are forced ro definitely secede from the Labor Party it will be a secession that will hit the Labor Party's organisation hard, and leave it with thinned ranks and a depleted purse. There are over 300,000 Catholics m the district known as the Catholic Federation, of which about 70,000 are children, and. another 70,000 who are not of the 'working ■ classes.' This leaves 160,000 workers, nearly all of whom are members of Trade Unions.

"While the DEFECTION OF THE CATHOLICS would be regretted, itf will not alter the course of the Trade Union policy m regard to education. The entire Labor movement educational policy is nailed to the mast (Catholics excepted), and that policy is secular education and feeding of school children. With over a million and a half of Trade Unionists, the withdrawal of 160,000 Catholics will not be seriously contemplated by the old Unionists, especially as Trade Unionism is on the increase.

"Tho only serious effect would be if the working men and women members of Trade Unions, who belong to the Church of England, were to be induced by a 'Church m Danger 1 Manifesto to follow m the wake of the Catholics. The Church of England people are as strong as the Catholics m their desire for religious education. But m view of tho fact that even Bishops and the Christian Social -Union have been arraying themselves on the side of Labor, it is scarcely probable that the Church of England will join the Catholics is a vritfcdrawaJ from Trade Union Urn"