MEN'S MASS MEETING.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 249, 18 October 1907, Page 3

MEN'S MASS MEETING.

SOCIALISM t. CHRISTIANITY. STIRRING SPEECHES. MR BEN TIUOETT'S INDICTMENT . Each year tie men's mass meeting organised in connection with the sitting of the Diocesan Synod is more largely attended. Last night the Choral Hall was crowded with men, and it is safe to say that seldom have such plain statements been made on a public platform in Auckland, as those delivered by three of the speakers. Amongst tlose on tie platform were representatives of the labour organisations, including several officers from the Trades and Labour Council. The singing was led by Dr. Thomas, Cathedral Organist. The Mayor of Auckland (Mr A. M. Myers) presided, and the Rev. Canon Mac Murray conducted the religious part of the meeting. CHAIRMAN'S ADDRESS. The Mayor, in the course of his address, said the labour question was undoubtedly of great importance—the one problem to which civilisation must find the solution, or perish. (Applause.) The fact that the churches were devoting so much attention to it was one of hopeful augury, as showing recognition of responsibilities in connection with them, and proving that labour had the sympathy and friendship of these organisations which wielded so powerful and far-reaching an influence. (Applause.) Political power throughout the civilised world was passing more and more into the.hands of the masses, and they were showing a growing inclination to use that power to remedy what to them at all events seemed to be the injustice of the present distribution of the wealth which their labour played so large a part in. producing. (Applause.) The redress of grievances was always a slow and complicated business, and unless gona about with due caution and a due allowance for the infirmities of human nature, it might end in producing a Dew crop of grievances as intolerable as those that have been abolished. (Applause.), Mankind could not be divided into two classes, the wicked oppressors and the virtuous oppressed; and therefore everything could not be set right by the simple process of taking power from the first class and giving it to the second. Just laws were of little avail unless the community was inspired by the love of justice; and it was the function of the churcii, and of all organisations and individuals to remind men of all classes that their duties were more important. than their rights, and to inculcate on all a spirit of mutual forbearance and kindliness and brotherhood. (Applause.) If only the churches could succeed in inducing all their professed adherents to frame their conduct in public matters according to the dictates of the religion which they professed, they should find that.most of our social problems had very nearly solved themselves. (Applause.) SOCLiL EXPERIMENTS. Rev. G. W. Smailes (for nine years a member of the New South Wales Legislature) said he assumed there were a number of men whose faith in the Christianity of Churches had been broken or lost, and who were looking to other movements, social or political, for their redemption. He wanted to speak directly to them, because his convictions were gained in the stern, hard school of personal experience. He lad dreamed as they had dreamed, that social evil, economic wrongs, and industrial weakness could all be swept away by political means. In the strength of that faith he lad tlrown himself into politics, and won for himself a seat in tie Parliament of his State, and set to work to realise lis ideals. He had not time to tell oi the great • reforms tlat were accomplished in a few years—they were reforms that people were clamouring for— and after they were effected 1c turned to find a corresponding social advance. He>admitted that he found a larger poli- : tical liberty -and an easement of many of the burdens of State that lay upon the shoulders of; many of the struggling poor, but did he find what he had a right

to expect-to- find, that .with the outward ' changes had come inner changes, that there. • had been produced, a. higher: manhood, a sweet content, a true-peace?-''He had to admit that the Tesult of-that search threw him back-.upon. the.conviction that these things,. after all, were only experiments, salves upon the social wound, the thin skin on top, but lying beneath was still the awful sore. It was not'possible-by "any known law'to turn hate into'love, greed into benevolence, or selfishness into brotherhood. Socialism was at heart materialistic. It dealt with systems,and souls. It put environment first and character second. . He was a Socialist, though probably Mr Tillett would not brand-him. as the right sort. Still he considered Christianity the truest and purest socialism. (Applause.) Socialism - put environment first, character second; ■ Christianity put "character first, environment ■ second. (Loud applause.) Socialism said;-"What is thine is mine." (Cries of, No.). Christianity said, "What is mine; is thine." -(Ap-; plause.) He did not say that intelligent socialism ignored character, or that intelligent Christianity disregarded environment, but the distinction was' that socialism emphasised the condition, Christianity emphasised the man." ' • (Applause.) Socialists said a healthy condition made a. good man, not that; good men made a. healthy condition. Socialists were aiming at setting up a system which depended for its birth and its continuance on .-the possession by- humanity .of the qualities of benevolence, unselfishness, breadth of soul, and love of heart, and for the development of these qualities the socialist system made no provision whatever. The solution of. this question did not lie in making better and newer machinery, hut in making' better men. (Applause.) Apply Christ's standard; and they were forced to conclude that that government was not best which best governed for material ends," but that which in governing produced the highest and best > in mankind; apply Christ' 3 standard to the educational system, and they were forced to conclude that that was not the'best system which, by neglecting the moral needs of the youth of a country, fitted_ it only for intellectual and industrial war, and not for Christian citizenship. (Great applause.) PROBLEMS OF LABOUR. Mr Tillett, who was' received 'with pro. longed applause, said he recognised that the church nad played a very important part in the history of the world; but in nearly 2000 years since the Church of England was born out of the'lusts of King Henry the vTH., it "had signally failed in comprehending its duties to the people.'. Christ was not crucified because he was religious, but because he took the part of the poor,-, and did not mingle with the rich. Socialists never said anything so damnatory about the rich as did some of the. Apostles. Producing a copy of the New Testament, Mr. Tillett read tbe first six verses from the fifth chapter of James, beginning:— "Go to, now, ye rich men; weep and howl for your miseries that shall come np° n yon." Mr. Tillett next-referred to the training of young men for the ministry, asserting that instead of circumscribing their study to theological training, they should be given a' little ■ systematising, and some sociological training, and made to pass an examination on industrial and social conditions; learn what the raultitude meant, its. needs, its miseries," wretchedness and weakness. They would then be better able to prcacl Clfist, bring the multitude to the Church from the highways and the byways. (Applause.) The clergy were mostly drawn from the middle class. He objected to Mr. Smailes claiming virtually a monopoly in Christ for the Church as against Socialists. "Why," said Mr. Tillett, "I got the London dockers to give three cheers for Jesus Christ." ' (Applause.) Reverting to the church, Mr Tillett said: "Why, Rockfeller could get into any one of the churches." Mr. Tillett next referred to environment as the cause which determined character, an£ gave his experiences, as an alderman of London, regarding the sickness and mortality in congested areas. If there was less preaching and praying, and more helping and loving one another, there would, he said, be better Christians in the world. He had come to the conviction that the Church and socialism were antagonistic. The support of the Clurcl was mainly derived from the employing class. In a large majority the ministers were from the same class. The instincts of property were deeply rooted, and the class distinction was as much the bane of the Church as the social organisation. The socialists' spiritual horizon was broader and nobler and richer in its glow than the horizon of any • church. They did not want to interfere with any religion, but they wanted to undo the social system that made for murder, and to secure healthier homes, bringing about such conditions that the multitude would be saved from ,the misery, crime, wretchedness, greed, and sordidness' existing to-day. "I ask the Church," said Mr. Tillett, in conclusion, "to help us socialists to fight against such ■ a sad state of tilings. (Applause and cheers.) IS CHRISTIANITY A FAILURE? Bishop Neligan, who addressed the meeting, and was received with great applause, expressed gratification at the candid criticism of Mr. Tillett, although he would not vouch for his Clurch history. (Laughter.) The Bishop referred to drinking, gambling, and impurity as the three strongest indictments against the Church. In Auckland city and suburbs there were more than 80 licensed hotels, while the estimated expenditure-"on drink per head":of population was £3 11/. Judging by the Church of England alone this was more than three times'what was Contributed to the Church, and a man might therefore say Christianity was a failure. Then take the police returns, and they had 1235 males and 172 females arrested in the city and suburbs for drunkenness, and all but four males were convicted. He was not a teetotaller himself, and could speak with a perfectly free hand; he was" going to ' make the indictment against Christianity as strong as he could Then he turned to gambling, and he defined it hf the Tenth Commandment. He knew of no other definition, and defied any man in tie world to find, any other-definition;-it was the ,sinu of. covetousness, the most devilish sin that could enter into the soul of man. He would- take the race meetings at Auckland, Ellerslie, -Avondale, and Thames. ; There were eleven meetings in the year, | only 28 days of racing, and the gross total put through the totalisator at the club's course's was £343,198.-' "Talk! about socialism and equality," 1 he said. "Give mc ..- T JS 100,000 of that money, and « < ; 'il : -~'- will benefit New Zeal.and with every penny of it." (Applause.) The Turf Register also had rules to guard the men who were ashamed to enter their own names. Then there were two-up schools. (Ap~: plause.) They might say all: this showed the faiulre oi the Church. :

The Bishop next dealt with impurity, referring in plain terms to indecent post cards, impure conversation and actsi There were 70 known women of ill-re-: pute in Auckland, and no doubt nuin--bers- f of;' ;: ptlers. ■ .uDknow. "There were * - eighty-* *--ialleh '"women"'" "in Homes tlat night, and thirty-five were ' "first." .. " Where are the blackguards who brought them there?" asked the Bishop. If the Church had failed there also, on whom would they lay the blame? Was it tie:clergy who kept the tote going? (Applause.) He' wanted them to join in fighting impurity. There were employers and employees already in the ranks. They should join also in finding "the seducers/ and though the grand jury might throw out a bill for tajring and' 1 feathering, there was always a convenient duck-pond handy. " Besides the lack of co-operation it appeared they did-not" know each other enough, .and this they should remedy by., .-making- beter friends; -of ; the clergy. They were all wanted to join the union with .the motto, " Fear God; honour the King, love the broth-: erhood."..' r ' /, •<: :..