CORRESPONDENCE.

Waipa Post, Volume II, Issue 56, 27 October 1911, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

(Out correspondents opinions arc theU men; i/ic responsibility of editorial Hems makes sujjkknt ballast for the editor's shoulders. It is necessary that all letters for publication should bear the name of the 'writer — nut necessarily jot publication, but as evidence of good faith. J

TO THE EDITOR,

Sir, —Had intended not to appear soon in your correspondence columns, but owing to “ Mens Conscia Re.cti’s” letter in reply to the Rev. F. W, Clarke’s, it may possibly appear to some that I, in some manner, inspired that document. I desire to state that I knew nothing whatever of that letter or its author before learning of them in the POST, and even now my knowledge is limited to this source of information.

“Mens Conscia Recti’s” letter refers to this part of the Rev. F. W. Clarke’s letter in the POST of the 13th inst., which I quote as follows : —“ Moreover, the Rev. T. P. Lynch himself is not too precise as to ecclesiastical nomenclature. He invariably speaks of the Roman branch of the Catholic Church to which he belongs as ‘ the Catholic Church.’ Does he mean to repudiate the other branches ? ” He concludes that this omission of the word “ Roman ” before Catholic Church ” indicates on the part of the present writer “ a back number of crass bigotry.” This controversy was evoked in the previous issue by my letter of protest against the misrepresentation of the Catholic clergy of the United States and their people in that country in the No-License column of the POST. Yet the rev. gentleman evaded this plain issue, and struck out into the various subjects of license, no-license, and religion, as well as attributing to the present writer foul motives for daring to hold on these subjects any opinion contrary to his, just as if this Dominion were not a free country. But I deliberately refrained from following him into these side issues, nor have I requested anyone to do so, or to take part in any way in this controversy. And while Catholics, like others, are free to engage in religious controversies,yet noone will have, at any time, my consent or approval in entering into a newspaper controversy on our religious differences, as there are books and clergymen in the district capable of imparting, without the heat of newspaper controversy, all such desired information. Ivly parting words, therefore, on this subject are the expression cf my sincerest desire for peace and goodwill among the members of all Denominations in the whole community, with the assurance that no one had or will have my consent or approbation in a religious controversy in this parish.—l am, etc., T. P. Lynch, P.p. The Rresbytery, Kiliikihi, October 25th, 1911.