DEAN POWER AND THE WORKING MAN—NOT DEAN POWER AND POLITICS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 153, 4 December 1914, Page 6

DEAN POWER AND THE WORKING MAN—NOT DEAN POWER AND POLITICS.

To the Editor, Sir, —My invariable rule, well-known to the residents of Hawera, is to keep entirely apart from party politics and not notice anonymous letters: I like to encourage pluck and manliness, and to discourage anything like an attempt to Btati in the dark. Since, however, "A Yocrnan" had no means of discovering my rule, I shall favor l him this once by explaining my uestion. He asks for the report of a sermon delivered by me twelve months ago on the occasion of the industrial crisis. My text was, •r rather my texts vrere: "Blessed is he' that understandeth concerning the needy and the poor," and "The masterly inactivity of the Premier, who contents himself with suggesting an arbitrator, and who, when his suggestion is refused, looks calmly on while the farmers and working-men of the Dominion are af each other's throats, is the scandal of the universe." The sermon preached by me on these texts was based upon the writings

of such moderate critics of industrialism aa Pope Leo the thirteenth,'Hilaire Belloc, Bamsay Macdonald, and G. K. Chesterton. I shall be very pleased to comply with "A Yoeman's" request and publish the service in e.xtenso if he will bear the expense. He is evidently a* sea as to the motive of my intervention, and as to my right to respectfully suggest to Mr Massey how life should treat intorjectors at a meeting. Let me enlighten him. First of all, my intervention was not in opposition to Mr Pearce, nor Was in favor of Mr Morrison, as I was careful to remind my congregation who had been grossly, wantonly, and needlessly insulted by Mr Massey, and in defence of the working-man, who was making up nine-tenths of my congregation and of overy Catholic congregation in New Zealand. Then as to the right of interrogation—it is the absolute right of 'every elector in a democratic state to question orally or in writing, as he chooses, one who solicits his confidence or his rote, and to reasonably interjeot when questions are refused. How else is he to get at the mind of the candidate or claimant, especially if he sees that sucli candidate or claimant is, wittingly or unwittingly, obscuring issues? I am in a position to note abundantly constitutional theory and practise on this point. "A Yeoman" might more readily accept the theory admitted and the practise adopted by such well-known local politicians as Sir Joseph Ward, of Awarua, Mr George Pearce, of Alton, and Mr •Quin, of Hawera. In Hawera, on the eve .of last election, Messrs Quin and Pearce kept up a running fire of interjection during Sir Joseph Ward's speech. The wholo audience more than oifce demanded* the ejection of these gentlemen, but Sir Joseph Ward very smartly and decidedly reminded the audience that Messrs Quin and Pearce were wit]iin their rights as citizens of a democracy. Being a statesman, a man of wide edifc cation and a gentleman withal, he did not call Messrs Quin and Pearce "Red Feds," Though subsequent events proved that they were more entitled to the name than are the four young Catholic men who had that opprobrious appellation thrown at them by Mr Massey, because ; their interjections had struck home. I might also quote a lot of learned document i to show that the chairman at a meeting should watch the speaker as well as the interjector, and see that <eacli conducted himself. But let me give one notable examplo which' our chairman might have followed no le.w than twenty times during the progress of Mr. Massey's • meeting. Some few years ago Mr Poole, M.P., and the late Mr T. Taylor, M.P., gave addresses in Hawera on prohibition with Mr Barton in the chair. To an interjector from the audience, Mr Poole said: "Have you been taking whisky, to-night?" whereupon Mr Barton jumped to his feet, and, in spite of loud and sustained protest from ninety-nine per cent, of the audience and a charge of bias from the other speaker, Mr Barton insisted upon protecting and continued to protect "respectful burgesses from insult." I referred to a roar of triumphant hate from a body of young men in the body of the hall, but a certain anonymous wiseacre who hears with hig eyc3 reminds me that the'centre of the hall was not -visible from the seat I occupied. What awful stuff people can get published anonymously? If I can now or at any time oblige "A Yocnian" or any other, I shall only be too happy to do so. Only he must sign his name, and for the present, avoiding as much as possible party' politics, restrict himself to what will cither uphold' or attack the rights and the honor of the working nun.—l am, etc., I P. J, POWER, Hawera. P.S.— I Those papers that copied tho report of my remarks, please copy this also. 1