"RESPECTABLE" QUACKS.

NZ Truth, Issue 101, 25 May 1907, Page 1

"RESPECTABLE" QUACKS.

The Rev. J. J. North and His Push Seek Notoriety by Blackguarding "Truth" and John Norton.

Some few weeks aigo "Truth" had occasion to turnips searchlight on to cefrtain quacks, who, under the cloak of reMgdon, boodled and bamboozled the public. These .quacks are bad enough, but they ©nly deceive a small section of the community, the brainless, half-silly male, and the emotional, unreasoning female • but there is another brand of. quack m trie market, and he is a much more dangerous kind of cuss, from the fact that he ranks as respectable, vand is apt to force his perverted views on citizens of repute who are too busy or too . tired to think for themselves. They are men of education, . and men" -of standing m" the community; -and they trade upon' their that great bug of so-called ''society." An ordained minister of the Gospel, or a .wealthy person- who. is prominent church-goer, is . always looked upon as- the acme of • respectability, and such is his passport into all classes of society, although he may be the. greatest bounder-, humbug, or hypocrite i.ta /the lace . ot. Xfre-oartli. It is from this class of person that "all genuine reformers, since history began, received the ' bitterest opposition. Smug, self-satisfied, saintly snufflebusters have ever stnod m the path of democratic progress. With cant and cunning they have "kidded" ito the crowd, and crawled ,to the capitalist, and have so contorted the canons of Christ that 'the credulous are led to believe that the corrupt creeds disseminated by these crafty clergymen are identical with the .golden laws laid down by the great Nazarene. Whenever yet, with fewvery few— notalble exceptions, was there priest or parson, or pot-bellied pHlar of ■ the pulpit, who didn't play to the plutocratic gallery and pass the poor on; the other side ? The universal and unalterable law of the latter day church is to preach t 0 the po o r, ' and' placate the plutocracy. Paltry, pestilent fellows all' of them, who would be 'much; better employed if engaged m honest toil, than m endeavoring to teaoh better and cleaner men than themselves ' the way to pann Salvation -and the life everlasting. i. . • . : On Wednesday last a deputation consisting ' of the Revs. J. J., North, Glasson, Gibson Smith, and "Porter, and Messrs Aitkt-n, Barker, Reithe» Nicol, Edwin, and Helleyer,- waited upon the Minister for Justice and the Attorney-General to see if they couldn't; bounce the Government into suppressing the most widely read paper m New Zealand, to ' wit • "New Zealand Truth." Who the reverend gentlemen are, what churches tliey ret resent, and kind of a congregation they draw each Sabbath morn this paper does not pretend to know, but is quite prepared to prove that "Truth", has more readers m Wellington or Ohristohurch alone, tban the- whole of their conurbations rut • together. Yet these people have the bra>en effrontery to object to " Truth" on behalf of the community ! The community ! The oneeyed Pharisees. Are they so wrapped up m their own' conceit, so puffed nut with the exalted ideas of their own importance, that they ima^ne that they represent' the community. If the pragmatical Pietists have any right to petition" th» Govarmni n fc for ;the suppression of a newspaper, representing as they do a few hun- j fired of the community, then "Truth," \ at a low estimate representing <1 0,000 readers, siwely Kas a right ! t-t petJt>oii~ that these mischief-mak-. r jt, and strife-stirrers be arrested on a charge of malicious persecution. It Jia's ever been the way with these religious malcontents and their mulish followers,' Ibat they cannot see levond their own narrow enr-d. and cmnot extend any sympathy, cr .^fptit any tolerance to thoSe who do lint see. eve to eye, with them. They mistaVe their own Httle tinI'ot. rerverte.fi id^as, as )eing conir»rf»hf>n<five' of ■%? wiiote world's pr«vn >power. It never -jeems to dawn r.pon ihr>ir narrow minds ihat more brainy, tetter educated' and' eiupllv good living men with themselves hold entirely contrary views, and that such views must, if there be any justice m the world at all. be respected. But these gentry 'don't iwant to listen to other views, they

toleration, they don't want justice : they want coercion and tyranny With themselves -holding the .sceptre of power as the tyrants absolute. . < * "• ■ ■• The principal speaker, and the most' violent, was that turbulent priest, the Rev. J. J. Norrbh, a Baptist parson, we believe, who. owes his prominence mostly to fads letters to the press amd the free advertising .begets vtfosrefbry> and m bis hald-heatieri battling against the totalisator ' and the billiard saloon, and anything else tih-at gives pleasure to the public and traps some of the tray bits, that 'tve thinks should find their, way into ;his collection 1 pli&te on Sunday. Now, North's speech, given before two ministers of the Crown, .four .other ministers of the .Gospel, and several "RespectaWe" citizens, can only be, classed, if put into the mildest phraseology as savagely vindictive, masieadihg and untruthful — a nice sort of speech ■ to- >be delivered by a professed followei 5 of Christ. It .is not nieoessarytd qxEote from' this' most im- ■ Christian" delivery, as it .is fully reported m another column, 'but certain remarks cannot be passed over, nor •certain statomen'ts be let pass without contradiction. • In referring to the recent case, the., Crown v. McKinInon, this poser as a public putistv I said that McKimnohV the manager of this, paper, had- evaded the law by. an "adroit absence," the inference clearly toeing that MoK jmmon had- purposely absented himself from • Wellington', jthat he mi<ght evade the consequences lof the article complained of. A .full | report of, this case was published' m | "Truth," and .it was North's duty to have made himself acquainted with the full facts before presuming to lecture the Attorneys-General- and tihe Mdnostex for Justice about' it. Had ihe read "Truth's" report,, he would have seen that McKinnon; swore upon his oaifeh, that <he was m Christ? church a full week and that; he knew absolutely nothing of the article's existence, and hadn't even seen the ma© who wrote it. Mr North, by his insinuation', "adroit absence," plainly infers that . McKinnon was lying- wihen. jbe gave his evidence. Why does be, not prompt the police to insftitu«te proceedings for perjury ? If. North had ibeen a man at all he would nbt .have made this . cowardly, dirty . inisiTHia-tiott, 'hut would , have stated straight out that McKdnnon's absence was ■■} pre-arranged. He possibly; thouigiht ,to escape being publicly brandded -as a liar, tout !he evidently forgot that, when the innuendo is sumciently marked as to make its meaning apparent, it nvay t>e takon as a straight'out sta'tem-eni). The Rev. J. J. North, minister of the Gospel and public purist, therefore *does sjot escape being publicly branded a® <a liar. • . • • ■ But this self-appointed guardian of the people's morals went further, and dedaiPed that this paper had connived at the defeat of the Government. Wihait he meant by that is not exactly clear, but he evidently means that it won the case by unfair means. If this is his contention, he must be branded a liar on this count. The case was decided on its merits. Dr. McArthur is too experienced a magistrate to be easily hoodwinked, and Mr Myers, the Crown Prosecutor, is not such a chicken at the bar that he would have let -the only witness called— the defendantgo out of the box without a severe cross-examination had he had ■ any reason to doubt his evidence. If this suspicious parsons would like to do a little crossnexamMing; himself, he is at perfect liberty to ask any questions he pleases concerning McKinnon's absence at that particular time and we promise to gi vo him * full and truthifM answers, and publish them"Tni'thy' "ouohred" the • Government, said Mr North. "Euchred" is good, particularly from the leader of 'the anti-gamSding push, at such a time and fesuch a place. But we are not nearly done with North's misreprosentatdons and misstatements yet. "Truflh," according, to his version, "euchred" the. Government, because when the Sydney edition was 'refused admission into the country by the late Mr S&ddon, Mr Norton had set up * printing plant m Wellington and got local workmen to do what had previously been done m Sydney. An absolute and impudent falsehood. Sydjoef "Truth" was never refused MsSfefeidk itfte $t£s e^eny, arid comes

irictfQ -ftfeisic^ipttjr' atiijie; presefoit ,'tim&j 3t m?gftlr;iin.tei:^t 'Mr' wortlitb'krwiW J3etidon - - TruOi^jiacfa^ jiJThiT-Py ,Jf ■fr' v ■■SpMU*» Jiwrf 1 Hflflh Hl"f^m<enit/alin', having- /'Truth'' debair&d from circulation . m the colony, ■would.; he. have sent his own private oa<Megra!ins,. at the time of th'e 'Frisco eartl% i uake/va.t considerable trouble to to himself, to "Truth" for publication,, or. [Would he, when m Melbourne, . have granted an interview to a "Truth" representative, and< stated that he admired much of its work •?•■ In .the face of th/i.s, -this ■: pestilent priest has the unutterable effrontery to assert that Mr Scsddon was the moans of having the admission of ' "Truth 1 ' into New - Zealand ' stopped . How mtiQh .notice can be taken of a man who nKses statements so wantonly wicloed; malicious . and false ? He gabbles. <qff the .most palpable . nonsense, this hoi ch-bdtoh of falsehood, at random, and expects two members of the Cabinet to take him seriously, and introduce legislation to suppress the most popular print m the country. How dare this impudent fellow, whose own testimony is so obocfe full of misrepresentations and falsehoods, impugn the evidence of a man whose moral record is as clean as his own, and whose standing amoflE his fellows is as high as that of J. J. North, or any other Biblehanger, m this or m any other country, or question the verdict of a Magistrate, Jus moral aqual and intellectual superior. Impudent, insolent "bounder ! ••• . ■ One more instance of this .North fellow's inconsistency and utter unreliability to speak with authority concerning "Truth." He said that the Press Association did not recognise "Truth," and that the .Association, at igreat financial sacrifice, had decided not to make use of certain advertisements, and that, m effect. "Truth" battened upon the money 'they refused. Is North just a blithering ass, or did he make that statement knowing that he ha-d no. data to go upon, rashly, and reck- v lessly, for the express purpose of prejudicing the minds of the silly push he had behind him and influencing the judgment of ■ the two Ministers whose favors he was seeking ? In the first place the statement is untrue. When "Truth" opened m Wellington, some two years ago, the Press Association, through its President, made application for and obtained a seat for "Truth" m the Press Gallery of the House. This favor was not sought for by "Truth"," but was sent by the courtesy of the Association. So much for North's statement that "Truth" is not recognised by the Press Association. If North really knew what the Press Association is, and what it is for, he would never have been guilty of talking such silly twaddle. In the ordinary way "Truth" has no use for the Press Association. "Truth" is the one paper, m Australasia that has its own correspondents and own office m every State. And what does Mr North mean about "Truth" scooping the pool m •advertisements debarred from the other papers. ■ Why didn't he pro-, duce a paper and point out to the Attorney-General some of the offensive advertisements. For the simple reason that they only exist m the imagination of the frothy bounder. "Truth," we believe, is the only paper m New Z^aloM that could Mvo witibiout advertisements, and if. Mr North will take trouble to examine our columns awd compare them with any other weekly m New. Zealand', that instead of "Truth" fattening upon advertisements barred by this precious Press Association., he will see that it is the so-called "respectable" press that fattens and battens upon the advertisers to whom they crawl and \ toady and smood'ge. North knows this well enough, and no one but a parson would have the gall to make such a statement without producing a paper and pointing iowt tihe prood of Ms ■asses: tion. We will dismiss North at tllisj, although nis dirty remarks about an absent man, John Norton, and his "general iflap'doodle ajbout the influence of the paper, would have been ■qiuite sufficient to have merifcad Ihis receiving a thorough trouncing. If Mr North will call at this office any Thursday evening, he will see "Truth's" Foster machine itumimg out the country. edition at the rate of 1'2,P00 copies an hour, and vhe will see a stack of parcels m the pub-lishing-room that, will put him into the blue horrors for a fortnight. He ia welcome to come. We would' like the opportunity of showing him the thousands of our citizen leaders he insults when'he makes his scurrilous attack upon the character of this paper. . . s ■ ■ • • • But (the Rev. J. J. was notithe only mem'beir of the 'deputation tha-t made an ass of Mmself, .by a longs way. Ex-Mayor Aitken, who introduced the crowd to the Ministers, made reference to the cleanliness of the Press of New (Zealand, -amid particularly the Press of Wellington. He didn't say a word, however, about North's pet print, the "Post" and its post-cards. He got a little more drivel oft his che>st aj&otot poisoning the community and whatnot. Then up sprang Missioner Moore, and m a most nathetic wail, delivered t<he sad fact that "Truth" was actually found m the forecastle | of cur coasted fcowts. He'd find it

ah ,:the state-room,, too; 3i 'ho looked.D6€jSfi*t poar; .-silly Missiqiier Moorer knwv^js^fof4A**^^^ pi"" the 'ftjreeastb' i/lfan Afoore is himself ? Of course, he knows, but he won't admit, it... The sailor-man loves "Tru-th*' because has ever been the . sailor-man\s champ ion, and has done more for the betterment of lids condition by expo?in>g : coflin-ships, the villai hy of rascally ; . captains, and parsimonious owners, thiain all the Moores todi Missit>ris : m Australasia. Tracts and stale bams : are no good to Jack. ' H-e' taints h is lit-er'a-ture like his lkiuor^solid, and not too much water wittV it; rlt'was this gentleman that wanted to know if the Russitan' method: couldn't be' adopted, and the objectionable parts blotted ou-t. The balmy ■ bleater b - And, all another cpuld fiad/tio. fi sij was , thiat they wan i t?ad. •/.thasj "tr fetched., rag" su^ppressad'. ■'■■'• v ;Wh^- :^th-is gentlena'an blur-tod out this foible little say, he spoke m-uoh; more, wisely than 'he knew. Unconsciously >be ..vioiced the senliiment'l'of vtho •wliole.: , deputatdon. Let tthere be; np..sidcf-st)2'pp-i'ng of the fact. That d&piiiatiotf wants to sop "Truth" a«d' tihe. notorious • Norton wiped out of exjstcMe, •. tlie pape*r defunct, aoid tihe TOian ;in a teion's ceil.. And why'do^hey want t^iis ? Because' Norton ajrtd' "^T-ruth'J^haye pricked them on the" raw. 'iTa^e mad e i?hem I wiince by throwing' the" searcMight of publicity upon ;their crohk doings . Their troiiib.'lesiajblout'.'tihe'. morals ' W the 'people: :,.%^y--ffear this journal, and it galls tJi^:'|o see the populace toy it s6. Readily'. -If. it is of any interest or ; news'to ttiehi, . "Trutih" can 'boast |ihe. largest" weekly . circulation m l^ew. Zealand more readers m. a bttylik^; Wellington 'and Ohr.istchurch .-thap-the: tviiole bang lot of the BiWe^b^n^erS; .'w>ho were present have listen:ers their sermons iti a month;... It' is because pfthsis that they are so bll?t?ef . - ■TPney " cannot persuade the peoptel $o< oonje:- r td church ap-d" boycott "Truth," So they would ejjdeayour to force , tiie /minds of th& majority in.'tpac6eiJtiiiff' thfelr oy,«n ivarrow doctrines. by Act . of Parliament . Vafe^^pe^^iPiJH'e^^nd-m^n-ey ridden, as this country is, the time is still f-ar distant, we hope, when .a , Govmnm^rtt will be fbutod weak chough to be coerced by aprti.tinij? push of pra^mia'tioal. parsons and 1 plute^lovtes parveniiis and ..'p.urityposefs, whose . petoilant piffle and poisonous, poppycock would miake all proper-roiraded persons puke. ■ • '«■•'. • The parsons have good reason to hate. "Truth."' During the last few years there have been some archscoundrels among the clergy of Australasia, and .whilst the daily press has been painfully silent m rc^rd to their cronk doings, being afraid to offend the "respectable" and advertising patrons, of the various joints presided over by these cronk shepherds, "Truth" has been particularly active m seeing that their wroni/zj-doing' has been, b rough tj to' light, and that they have fared m the way of sufierinv m the pillory of publicity, just the same as the offender m lowly circumstances, w,hom the parsons . and the "respectable" press aforesaid always hold uji as a, shocking example. To go over the 1 list of . ordained scoundrels whonv "Truth" has exposed . during itsdaeer would fill . too much space; ■ but there are a; few choice speciihc'ns who might be recalled for the benefit of North and Qo., just to show them that all the blackguards m the world are not to be found m ''Truth's" various offices. A nice duck was the Rev. Wilson, of Queensland. "Truth" got on his trail and let the, public hnow all about his pornic doings. He was sentenced m Brisbane for an unnatural offence, and after doing his stretch, his friends got' him away to England, where the dirty beast repeated his wickedness and is now working out a sentence m an English gaol. Then there was the Rev. M\ Cutts, of West Australia. . "Truth" paralyzed an incredulous public when it published an account of his most shocking immorality. The Rev. Janvesi, a Westralian Wesleyan wowser,'was another, and likewise the Rev. Rdchairdson, Church of England pastor, who was "silenced" for tampering with little girls. Coming to Sydney, there was the tricky Tremayne Dunstan. whom "Truth" drove out of the city by exposing his fraudulent practices. He went to America, was kicked out of his church and returned to -Sydney and ran a bogus marriage bureau. A beautiful sample of the holy man. In our own country "Truth" was the only paper to make known the reason of the flight from Christckurch of the Rev, Dick Murray, who got his servant girl into trouble and basely deserted her and his wife and family.. But why continue. "Truth's" . list' bE exposed parsons and professed pietists is a long and ominous on?. Is' it p.ny wonder that the holy hypocrite, the; smug sanctimonious wants "Truth" suppressed. " They would as' soon fa^e the devil as see a true picture of themselves portrayed m the columns of that notorious Norton's filthy rag. But let Ihem' rant and rave- and tear their hair. "Truth" is here to, stay, nor will all the threats and ■winnings and bombast of the parsonical push rleter 'it from exposing every public abuse that comes under its ken.