Something Like 'Stuffing'

New Zealand Tablet, 8 November 1906, Page 23

Something Like 'Stuffing '

; It •is a 1 somewhat ' significant thing that the people 1 who in these 1 countries raise the j)eri'oc[ical about the ' stuffing" of ' the "pablic^ service "<yfitV 'Papists ' are- precisely those who on- TDerided^ kneWlake an oath or 'obligation' never to give 'xheir yote : ' or fluence to any Catholic^ at parliamentary or 'municipal' elections: -When last|'-'this bitter cry'^ was "raised, '"'flic ' Tablet ' took a hand in the' game ' which <is 7 suf-: ficiently remembered to this "day. We s have frequently referred to Belfast, Derry, and Portaddwn a s sVanding" examples of what that same party" would" accord 1 ' to Catholics in these countries -if" the opportunity offered: The 'Deny- Journal,' in 'a recent issue, gives thtfiaV est returns of -Hhe position of *the Catholic majority" in the City of., the Foyle. "Out' of a population " of--'* 3'3 ' 42,000, theie are ■ 25,000 Catholics and 17,000 'n'oiiCatholics. The bulk of the Catholic population intlie* city live in. one quarter. And" by -a piece of .scandal^ ous jerrymandenng, the Catholic" area is ■ so 'sliced among the non-Catholic areas as : to give 'the 1 privilegedminority an overwhelming vote in municipal administration. . - • , '-• - '* , , . The ' Glasgow Observer ' of September 22 condenses as follows the figures of the ' berry. Journal ': 'In the Corporation, to begin with, there are 27 nohCatholic members against 13 Catholics, and' in every committee of the- Corporation the same" proportion obtains. The Corporation officials are almost exclusively Protestant— the Town Clerk, -the Assistant-Town Clerk • ' the Treasurer, the City 1 Accountant, "the 'City Purveyor, the. Cfty Analyst, the- Medical --Officer of Health, the sanitary ! .officers, -the electrical' -engineers; the registrars, the collectors of - rates, even the swordi"" " bearer. and mace-bearer ai*e -all Protestants.- In- the =Pire> Brigade there are lL.nOii-Cathblics out of a dozen firemen.-, In- tha Harbor 'Commissioners'' there-is o'lie Cath-olic-.-against 14' Jion-Catholics.' -The "dfficials,' down • "«ti< the last -inian, . are rion-Catholicsy- "of - dourse. 'In ' the Asylum- Board, the Bridge =- .Commissioners; ; 'the Board of Guardians, 1 and : the Prison' Committee- the' disparity • is 1 : maintained- Everi =in tlie list of ' City. Magistrateswhese the,, appointment" rests with '-the G'overnment-^ there- arc ;29 non-Catholics against-18 "Catholics on the Bench, vr The Uniqmfctfs, .who have the majority O n J the Corporation, -;ma^e"-it ' a-^standing. -rule ;'tha't c iio Catholic . shall be perm-it Cedy woCcupyw oC cupy > : the'-oflice'- -of-- Mayor'. This, '* adds O w coiitempor'&iy ,-'-'- is what Unionist.' tolerance-rcomes^Ho, i whel ; c- Uiiionists haTe^- tlie. swa^::iit^:C^aCHtflic^townsV^sueh 1 'as : DufiUhX3ork,»,liimerkatr".attd« GahVa'y, ifon-Cktnolics'^arS" lowed by-. their GatholiC' ; felloV-citizens''- -to attain to any-i. position -to-^tvMch '-*<theijf merits 'entl-tle 'them. v lt' is only^ Unionism -"1h J - Ireland >'«whiclu 'pVaidtise^'ihe nio'sf exclusive iatolerance where^its vo'taries'-vliave the power to do so. 1