An Auckland Fanatic

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXI, Issue 27, 2 July 1903, Page 18

An Auckland Fanatic

Somewhere in one of his ' affcrisms ' the ' philosopher of the Sandwich Islands ' compares quarrelsomely bigoted people to a "blind, mule. They are, says he, anxious to kick, but kant tell whare ' The representatives of this class in New Zealand make up in noise what they lack in numbers, brains, and respectability. They are over anxious to kick at ' Home,' although" they cannot always tell just where to strike. And the proof of their iitne&s to criticise her doctrines and practices lies in the fact that the blind creatures have never seen the cover of a Catholic theological work and could, not tell a syllogism from a haystack. The antics of one of the more violent of this, order cf fanatics created what might easily have been a serious disturbance in Auckland lately. He exposed in his window a number of coarse and outrageous attacks on the Catholic Church.

Trouble ensued. Protestants as well as Catholics were angered and disgusted by the exhibition. In the interests of public tranquility the police removed the offensive placards. The offender was haled before the local Police Court and ordered to find a surety in £50 to

eep the peace for six months. In the course of an Editorial article on this ' curious proof of the noxious influence of extreme sectarianism,' the ' Auckland Star ' said : 'It is not surprising thalT the outrageous language employed by the offender who figjured in the Court this week should have stirred indignation among the members of thp Church attacked. It will be an evil day for us all if over our professors of religion come to believe that they can best illustrate the merits of Christianity by reviling the faith and outraging the most sacred feelings of all and sundry with whom they do not happen to agree.'