OLLA PODRIDA.

Te Aroha News, Volume XVI, Issue 222050, 13 February 1900, Page 2

OLLA PODRIDA.

i [Br Quiz-.] In Thursday's. News there appeared a letter over the signature ‘A True* Britisher.’* If the- sentiments ex. pressed in that letter, are-truly British, .let all who can, thank- God that they are not Britons.. Aod as for those who cannot so give thanks,. have, mercy on their souls., /But stay—\ are these sentiments truly British ? * Is the term British synonymous with all that is mean and sordid ?: Rypxitr inc'ude even thing thut a. geiKous. man loathes? ‘-Quiz’ has-the ijtnprest sion that he has heard this term used in quite a different sense He has heard, «>f Britishfairplay; British lbve of He has heard: that, on British soil, alii" men are free* and that, freedom of speech, won at the dear, price of the> blood of our- forbears, has=beeomfi an. inalienable right..,. What thipje you,, reader? Is the true Britoiraotuated by motives that, would fill with ahhorv*— rence the soul of a third-rate Hottentot,, or is he, as we have been/tapght; to believe, brave and true, unmoved ; by defeat, temperate in the. hour of, victory, generous in. his dealings even, with an. enemy?. If the, latter, the:communication, of: ‘ A.True Britisher is a gross and scandalous libel,. TrueBritisher!. Oh,, my Sunday hat!:

The gist of this precious lot ter is a* i suggestion, that: the people of, Te Aroha. should boycott a man.beeaiuße he is a ; Boer!! Is it a.crime to be bom a Boer ?r And is it not natural that a. Boer should sympathise with his own people ?’ Let-; us try to put ourselves indris place..'’ (Suppose our- own beloved countrylucked in deadly grip with’ France.. One of: us ig,. domiciled. om Fiench soil,. Would nolk his heart go out in sympathy to tfc® dggr old land ? J If an a»my of his counfcymen held at: bay a; •superior force of the enemy, would not his bosom swell with pride ?. ' Reader,., you.know what the answer would be ■it is ready, on your lips before the> x /question can be asked. Moreover, Briton-in such- a position would not , judicially.consider whether or not his.A, countrymen were justified in putting.; ,their quarrel to the 'dread"arbitrament of war. Of course, he ought to .care* fully argue out for him self the qges«<fion.of who had. the right; ihei ..quarrel;. and yeti ‘ Vive la.-Efanoe’ iff France wata right: Biit he wouldn’t,. Tt* would be quite enough for him that. his country thought it: necessary, to* fight.. Britain, was against Fiance,, therefore he was. Perfectly illogical, and quite natural. Very likely, if theopportunity came - in. hisp way, he « ouldl say- straight out,, in-, -brutal, fashion, what> ho thought of French-:-men. And if sufficient-Frenchmen* wereat.hand they’d scrag ; hitn upon: the- British newspapers hewl about French., cowardice and in/" justice.. Surely if it is right, for a.-. Briton to carry his patriotism abroad! with him, it is right foraforeigioenr toto do the same.- -

There are always, wiseacres; who,somehow contrive to read" into what a* man writes a meanings th.at. he d&esn’t; mean. .‘ Quiz’ therefore .takes this, opportunity of saying that he believes; it to be for the greatest good of thegreatest number Great Britain* should be paramount in South(Africa,, and that he sincerely desires the early and .complete success of the Britielu armies. He thinks that every loyal! Briton should,make his countries cause his own: But at the same time ho* thinks it* &i piepe of- fatdous. folly to • assume that the enemy, has no case,-; and to treat? him as an abandoned scoundrel.. The Boer, from his;pointof view, can make out a good^come —a case that nine out of. ten men, .if put,; in his plhce; would think good.enough, to defend to the last Weconsider that our case is, still better,, and we intend to thrash him.. Tu* for.-1 our credit’s sake, let us administer the > I thrashing with. dignity.and magnanim-.-1 ity. I

There can be no doubt that, the proposal to boycott a Boer, because he is a Boer, will meet with scant favour ih« Te Aroha. The natural’good, feeling’ and good sonse of the people will lead\ them, to the idea with the contempt it deserves. Not. only will' they •decline tO> boycott him, bnt they—orat any r«Nh theimeeat majority of them —will frgefy aCmit that he is right to sympathise with; his I i» fact that he ought to- be kicked if he didn’t. Sb long as he conducts himself as a law abiding citizen, com* mitting no act calculated to the constitution'of his adopted.coifntry, I they will be quite content that hoi should enjoy all the- privileges of a-j British citizen. At the same* time, I there are certain, restrictions that anyl right minded Boer, domiciled in al British country; will consider aa.bind-l irrg;. He will* remember thpfc' bisl

adopted country is. providing him with the means of subsistence, that he it enjoying the security and protection afforded by its government, that h< is daily using the benefits accruing from its economic And remembering all this, he will have th< decency not to force his-views upon an unwilling listener, nor to speak, intemperately when ha meets. Brills! citizens desiring to. eater into discussion with ham-. la criticising a polio: that he conceives to be wrong, he wil avoid terms calculated to give offence Sh uld he, neglecting these wholesomi restrictions, abuse or insult pur nation our. i.up-r.al government,, or oui Queen, it will he quite wit&n thi rights and privileges of, the neares Britisher, who is'ibig' to knocl him down. But boycott Turn— hah l-