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POLITICS AND RELIGION

AN ELTHAM CIRCULAR. AN APPEAL TO PROTESTANTS. CHARGE AGAINST LIBERALS. (Special Reporter.) Eltham, Lost Night. Mr. Astbury addressed a well attended meeting of electors at the Eltham Town Hall to-night. The Mayor (Mr. G. W. Tayler) presided. After referring to a number of questions which he has already dealt with at previous meetings, Mr. Astbury read a circular issued by the Protestant Political Association. The circular stated:

"A responsibility rests upon every Protestant of this country to see tkat none but true Proteitante and loyal subjects of our noble Empire are elected to represent the people. The Protestants of New Zealand can, expect very little from the present, Leader of the Opposition Party, Midi while he is their choun bade* a becomes an easy matter to decide TpMdris the right man to support at tMs time. Those candidates who BOflport Ward indirectly are supporting Home, and those who proved disloyal dorlog the war. I desire to urge upon members and sympathisers the paramount importance of securing a solid von» for the man possessing staunch Protectant principles, and who will not tefcrate any interference in political life by men or associations who are enemies, of our glorious'constitution, and who* are ultimately seeking by all manner' of intrigue to undermine and weakenj the British Empire." The circular was signed by Ira J. Bridger, president of the Eltham branch! of the P.P.A. (Boos and groans from the audience).

Mr. Astbury said he had taken the cir- , cular to Mr. Bridger, and had asked him : if it expressed his sentiments. Mr. Bridger replied: "Yes." Mr. Astbury then asked: "Am I disloyal?" Mr. Bridger replied: "The circular doe», not say you." Mr. Astbury told Mr. Bridger that he. had two boys who went to the 'front.' One had returned, and the other had not If the boy who returned voted for him,, would he then be disloyal? The cir-' cular said those who supported Ward were disloyal, and it meant that thoie who were supporting the speaker were individually supporting Rome. He eaid the circular was a downright insult to* the men and women to whom rt had been sent. ' (Hear, hear). A voice: Would Mr. Bridger say liowi many of his people went to the fwmtT' Mr. Astbury: I said to Mr. Bridger: "I am supporting Ward, and the inference from the circular leaves no doubt as who the electors should support. It contains a suggestion that the man on the other side is 'more loyal than I am."

Mr. Astbury then read a list of local prominent Liberals, some of whom were strong Protestants, and he referred to a roll of honor he had seen on which there were forty names of men of the Catholic denomination. These men had been of the same flesh as themselves, and had given of their best. Some had made the supreme sacrifice. Were thev disloyal ? . A voice: As good as anv Bridger that ever walked! Mr. Astbury then quoted from a letter appearing in the TCltham Argus, in which Mr. Bridger had said that there was nothing further from the intention of himself or the executive than to ;; attribute disloyalty to the Liberals. "If," "said Mr. Astbury, "the circular had not been dragged into the light of day the letter in the Argus would never have appeared." He did not altogether blame the man responsible for the circular. Mr. Bridger was prejudiced, and he may have put his name to it without reading it, but if the question of religion was going to be -dragged in, political life was damned. Mr! Anbury said he was not going to come hefore them if it was going to be a question of how he worshipped. A voice: Shame!

Mr. Astbury said many good men anrt women hnd been led away hv this kind nf thing, but if they .would only read history they would find tlint the great men and women of the nation were those who were independent of denomination. They should try a-nd pet J ft higher level than net out by the circular. He hnd tried to fight a clean fight, and he hoped to continue in the nairte way till the end. At the conclusion of the meeting ft motion of thanks to Mr. Astbury, proposed by Mrs. Kelliher, was carried with acflamntion. Tho letter in the Fltham Argus referred to by Mr. Astbury was as follows:—"My attention has been drawn to an advertisement inserted by Mr. Astbury in your columns in which he sayst at his meeting to-night he will reply to the circular issued by the Protestant Political Association ''questioning the loyalty of the Liberals.'" I only wish to say, sir, that nothing was further, from the intention of myself or the* 1 executive than to impute 'disloynlty to the Liberals. Do we not know how many thousands of Liberals have lost their sons in their loval fight for Empire? In the face of this fact how could we attribute disloyalty to the Liberals? If Mr. Astbury, or any of his friends can construe silch a charge into the P.P.A. circular referred to, I most deeply regret it, aud assure him that no such base charge was evtr intended by the Association.—l am, etc., I. ,T. Bridger, President Local Branch, P.P.A.^

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/TDN19191209.2.46

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Taranaki Daily News, 9 December 1919, Page 5

Word count
Tapeke kupu
882

POLITICS AND RELIGION Taranaki Daily News, 9 December 1919, Page 5

POLITICS AND RELIGION Taranaki Daily News, 9 December 1919, Page 5

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