RELIGION AND POLITICS

New Zealand Tablet, 4 January 1912, Page 31

RELIGION AND POLITICS

+ _ HIS LORDSHIP BISHOP GRIMES PROTESTS •The letter on v ' Sectarianism and. Politics,' signed by 'Limelight,' and making certain allegations in connection with the election for the Westland seat, was discussed: by his Lordship Bishop Grimes last evening (says the Christchurch Press of December 26). ' - b His Lordship : said! that 'it was not his practice to take any notice of anonymous communications which affected him personally. The letter, .however, was a reflection on the clergy and Catholics"' of a district with? which he was well acquainted. When it appeared, ''he 1 telegraphed to the Dean "of the district, and to'the

several priests, referring them to the statements made inthe letter. His Lordship showed our representative the telegrams he had received in reply. '/■./ Dean Carew telegraphed Letter absolutely untrue as far as we are concerned. We took no part whatever in election.’ Later on the Dean sent another wire to the effect that the letter was a tissue of unmitigated falsehoods, and was unworthy of notice. The replies from the different parish priests-were to the effect that there was absolutely no justification for the statements made in the letter. One priest wired that there had been notoriously heaving betting on the Seddon v. Michel contest, ‘ hence these tears.’

Referring to the leading article dealing with the question of ‘ sectarianism in politics,’ Bishop Grimes said that the , editor of the Press had suggested that he had been misinformed as to the antipathy that existed to Sir Joseph Ward on account of his being a Roman Catholic. He could only say that he had been too well informed. He had positive information, from the best authority, that it was being urged that the great fault of Sir Joseph Ward, who was admittedly head and shoulders above his opponents as a statesman, was that he was a Catholic. This had been said by non-Catholics within his hearing.' He had been told by a non-Catholic, one of the leading men of a certain district, that a desirable candidate was not returned for two reasons—first, because he was a Catholic, and second, because the leader of his party was a Catholic. ‘ Assertions have been made as to the actions of clergymen,’» said the Bishop, ‘ actions which I know did not exist except in the imagination of those, who made the assertions. These things were repeated to me, and I made the remarks I did make because something I had said previously had been misconstrued. 1 pointed out that Catholics had a-- great power in their hands, in regard to their right of voting, and I asked them to wield that power as they thought fit,* before God, their conscience, and their country. I never asked them to vote one way or the other. I certainly did protest, as I would in the case of any member of my Church who was recognised as possessing the qualities of a statesman, against a man being hounded out of his place simply because of the unpardonable crime of being a Catholic. It is a very deplorable thing that in a young country like this bigotry should be brought to bear On our politics, and that a man’s chances should be lessened simply because he is a Catholic. -The advance of patriotic, upright citizens should not be barred because they happen to be 'of this or ‘that religion.’' The following letter, which explains itself, appeared in the Press of the same date: Sir, —My attention lias been called to the following paragraph which has appeared in the editorial columns of your paper: — ‘A Dunedin correspondent, on whom we can rely, informs us that every Roman Catholic in Mr. Millar’s constituency was seen on his behalf during the last two days before the election,’ the inference being made clear from the preceding and subsequent paragraphs, viz., that undue influence was exerted by the Catholic clergy on Mr. Millar’s behalf.’ As one of the clergy referred to I wish in the most

public-manner possible to give the statement an absolute and unqualified denial, and if ' the correspondent on whom you can rely will prove that either I or any one of my fellow clergy called upon 'one' not every one '•> of the Roman Catholic "voters and used any ' influence/ not undue influence,' or that this was done in the Church or out of it, I will present such a ,c reliable correspondent' with £lO, to be given by him as a Christmas gift to the Dunedin Hospital. I hope this will fix. once for all a most base falsehood. I have stated facts. I have not denied the right of clergymen, as other men, to use their influence when and where they may think it necessary.—Yours, etc., « V< '- .''-,'^""■■>. "" : - : .'.•■""■ ■' James Coffey^ : /_ -;-::.' '. "-■ ' - ' Administrator. :'■'" St. Joseph's Cathedral, Dunedin, December -24th. [Neither we nor ; our Dunedin correspondent said that the priests canvassed personally for Mr. Millar. Doubtless the work ■ was done by lay representatives of the Roman Catholic Churchy-Ed. the Press.]