General

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVII, Issue 26, 31 May 1915, Page 6

General

The absence of any representative of the Irish Nationalist Party in the strict accord with a principle that has been followed for fully 30 years.. Previously the ablest members of the party were again and again tempted from their allegianf-p i'by offers, of Government place and emolument, and indeed for more than 50 years this method of depletion was effective in destroying every organised constitm tional attempt towards the restoration of Irish self-government. And hence the necessity for the introduction of a principle which the leaders ol the party have refused even under the present very exceptional circumstances to depart from. But in all things else the party is at the present moment a tower of strength to the Empire. In fact it may be said that Mr John Redmond is the Empire’s greatest and most successful recruiting sergeant. A discussion in a railway carriage on the war recently led to AV. Ritchie, sen.,, being charged at the Marton Magistrate’s Court on Thursday with using profane language. Mr Mackay appeared for defendant. From evidence given by the police witnesses, Ritchie was travelling in the train between Halcombe and Greatford, and remarked to a friend that the occurrences in the wan bad shattered bis belief in God. A lady passenger, remonstrated and he politely told her to mind her own business, and then added an offensive remark regarding the Diety. Defendant stated that *e bad a sou at the war, which was an inhuman one, and was causing him much anxiety of mind. Defendant was discussing the war with a friend and declared his conviction that a just God would not permit such atrocities to continue, and that after nearly two thousand years of Christianity, all the professedly Christian nations were at each other’s throEt. Defendant denied using the profane language complained of. Mr Mackay contended that Ritchie’s language was not profane as there had been no intention to annoy or would the feelings of any other person. His client had merely been discussing a problem which had been of absorbing interest to thinkers and poets of all generations. He quoted as instances the Book of Job, and the book the prophet Habbakuk, where he complained of the invasion of Judea by the Chaldreans, who were the Germans of their time, and bad treated Judea as the Germans bad treated Belgium. So long as a man’s bona fide uttered bis religious convictions, he was not acting profanely. His Worship, Mr AY. Kerr, S.M., stated that. Ritchie bad been guilty of technical profanity, although he had evidently been expressing bis bona fide opinions. Everyone had the right to express his opinions, but it must be done temperately; but no one was entitled to do so in such a place, or in such a manner as to cause pain or annoyance to others. Taking all the circumstances into account lie would dismiss the case.