PROTESTANT ASSOCIATION.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIX, Issue 205, 28 August 1918, Page 6

PROTESTANT ASSOCIATION.

(Published by Arrangement.)

FIRST ANNIVERSARY. REMARKABLE PROGRESS. GREAT ENTHUSLASTIC MEETING. One of the largest meetings that has yet been held in the Town Hall took place under the auspices of the Protestant Political Association last evening. 'Ihe building was filled to its utmost holding capacity, and it was stated from tile platform that some iiUU people had to be turned away. Tlie meeting opened with the singing of the National Anthem. Mr. J. S. Dickson, M.P., presided, and in his opening remarks, said the meeting was really tile first anniversary of the Protestant Political Association. It was fully twelve months since the first big meeting of the Association was held in the Town Hall to protest against the censorship of Box 91_, and it was about thirteen months since the P.P.A. was started. It was a matter of regret that Ministers of the Crown were not there, lis the present meeting was one of the largest ever held in the Town Hall. The chairman introduced Mr VV. D. More, tlie new organiser, whom he described as an able man. The meeting was important, he explained, because of the probability of a general election in the near future, and at least one other organisation had manifested in the past what |Kiwer unity gave. Nothing was better than good healthy opposition, and under the new organising secretary the P.P.A. should develop to he a power in the laud.

FIGHTING FOR FREEDOM. Mr. More began by reference to the enthusiasm and greatness of tlie meeting, and the fairness and justice which are underlying the P.P.A. movement. The P.P.A. liad nothing to apologise for, and that night there would be nothing said tliat would reflect against it. The P.P.A. came into being not to be cajoled or intimidated by the Papists of this Dominion, but to fight for freedom on broad liberal lines and to fight against political and ecclesiastical graft. The charge had been laid that the Association was waging war against the religion of the Roman Catholics, lie wonted, as the lirst thing in his speech, to enter an emphatic denial of that charge. The Roman Catholic religion expressed the devotional ideals of ninny millions of people, and they should be allowed to pursue their devotions in peace. Rut behind and within that organisation was the most powerful political corporation the world had ever known. Tlie PJ?.A. wished to allow the Roman Catholics to worship with them, but would not put up with any league within that religion that opposed the freedom of the people.

The Association wws told it was fighting religion. It was not. It was fighting politics—a power introduced to have its will of tlie people of New Zealand through the priests.

After discussing details of the Jesuit movement, be held he had established that Rome was a political corporation. .Hid that its activities were not good for this country. Were people present willing to bear" up mildly under the will of this corporation? (Cries of "No!")

THK MEN* WHO PIED. He was ready to make every allowance for the stand that had been taken by the Roman Catholics on the side of the Allies. " I do not believe," he went on,

"in saying there have been no Roman Catholics who have fought, for tbe Allies. There have. I would pay a splendid tribute to thoso men of other faiths than mine who have fought shoulder to shoulder with the Protestants, and dyed the same field with their blood. - ' But the sacrifice of the blood of a Roman Catholic soldier was no better in God's sight than that of a Protestant soldier. The sacrifice of tbe Roman Catholic chaplain was no greater matter to glory about than the death of a Protestant minister. Tlie Pope had sent peace notes. One of these stated that jicace could be made on the basis of mutual reciprocal condonation. "Hut we arc fighting the bully of Europe. We don't want peace, on thoso terms. We are loyal to the Allies." (Enthusiasm.)

SOLDIERS IN IRELAND. The speaker went on to allude to the countries where he said the Roman Catholic doctrine was against the interests of the Empire. In Ireland Home Rule was an issue at stake. The Irish wanted Home Rule and the English Parliament said they would give it them. Then Lord Curzon said that on the Home Rule question there were two things against this. One was the Sinn Fein movement, and the other was that the Roman Catholic priests were threatening their adherents with eternal damnation if they voted for conscription. There were 80,0*10 soldiers in Ireland, and they were not at the front because the Roman Catholic priests were inciting the people against England. In Ireland, in Canada and in Australia the influence of the Roman Catholics was against the best interests of the Empire. Therefore the Association had the right to fight against it. (Cheers.)

The speaker thenjpiotod from the leading article of a recent issue of the "Tablet" dealing, he said, with the neccasitv of teaching children Irish history. In that article England was called the tyrant nation. The speaker then read a definition of sedition. Do you think, he asked, that article is seditious? He said the article had "been placed before the Solicitor-General for consideration, and they were asking him if the article was sedition to take action under the War Regulations, and suppress the "Tablet."' Tho P.P.A. were loyalists in spite of all things said against them. They 'were not running away from challenged, but were fighting opposition on a clear, clean issue. ...

His concluding appeal was: "Protestants, organise against the power that will if it comes here, as 6iire as its history is written, destroy your liberties aa it has destroyed the liberties of others before. Protestants, mobilise. Organise. Then when the day comes use thi only weapon that may be used by a clean, free people. That is, your vote at the ballot box. (Loud and prolonged applause.)

SUCCESS OF THE MOVEMENT. Rev. Howard Elliott said the meeting was a striking proof of the words of the false prophets that the P.P.A. wad dying. The growth of the movement in New Zealand covered expectations for three years. Over 70 applications were in for the P.P.A. to establish branches. There were six other organisers over the Dominion besides Mr. More and himself. A well known politician had asked a membere of the executive, "Is the P.P.A. as strong as we think it is?" To this the answer was, "At any rate, if the P.P.A. i 3 not strong enough to put people into Parliament, it is strong enough to keep them out." And be called to the notice ( of the people that wherever any public

positions, such as school committees, education, and hospital boards had interested the P.P.A., its candidates had gone in by substantial majorities. 'THE "INDEX EXPURGATORIUS." Only recently the Government of NewZealand had issued a series of war regulations to the l're6s, and they were so stringent, so menacing, that tlie Protestant people looked at them askance. He dwelt at some length on these regulations, and gave instances of their working. Then he pointed the conclusion that they were meant more than anything to hinder the New Zealand Alliance: and the P.P.A., and he stated that it was a governmental tyranny.

He held up a list of books that were banned, and another list purporting to be good for reading, and went on to say that the publications banned for circulation in New Zealand were permitted as reading matter all over the rest of the Empire. The speaker spoke of one of these books written by Dr. A. Robertson in 190!), which prophesied war in Europe in I ill'- or 1914. That had stated that in 1912 there would be an incident to disclose whether Britain would back France. This came to pass—the Panther incident. Then he hail written that in 1914, probably in the Balkans, an incident would eausc war. If Dr. Robertson had lived in earlier times he would have been called a prophet. The book he referred to was British to the core. It was a great appeal to Britain to wake up. The censorship of this book was one of the most significant incidents in New Zealand. '" And if we are not going to let the Minister of Customs exercise his autocratic sway over the whole Dominion, then let us tell him so." The speaker talked of other publications censored in New- Zealand, and continued: " It is .•» good job there is a 1.1.A. in New Zealand— a great organisation which can Hood the Government with resolutions from great meetings. l'*or were it not for such an organisation the freedom of the people w.uld soon be hindered. T wish Ministers of the Crown were here to-night, to see this crowded ball, and see the 7,eal and earnest enthusiasm that burns every individual here for the cause they know- is right."'

He bad been handed a slip which stated that 45!) new members had joined the Association during tbe evening. He knew there would be 41 other enrolments, for tho meeting simply had to provide . r >oo new members. Later it was announced that 5(50 enrolments were received. In Wellington the speaker had asked for £_00. and £.100 wns handed in. In Hawera he had asked £fifl and had received £100. He wanted .CiOO from that great Auckland audience during the evening.

NE TEMERE DECREE. Mr. Elliott spoke then of the Ne Temere decree, describing it as Home's war on Protestant women. The charge had been laid that tbe P.P_A. defamed Catholic women. That had never been. Letters hud been taken Improperly, and were made public. By tlie Ne Temere decree the Pope withheld all sanction to the marriage between a Catholic and a Protestant, and declared tho children of such marriage to lie illegitimate, unless the ceremony was performed by and on the terms of the Roman Catholic Church. It was a direct insult for women and their children It was a danger to homes. All the marriages were invalid, according to tbe Roman marriage law, unless performed before a priest or a bishop of Rome.

Rome said no marriage ■was a marriage unless solemnised in the Roman Church before a Roman priest. She had set up her law- as siijie.rior to the law of New Zealand, and challenged Protestants to oppose it. Then Rome said the Ne Temere decree applied only to mixed marriages, but the speaker held that there was a passage of tlie decree which made it against all marriages whatever, whether solemnised in Protestant churches or before a registrar. Protestants never aspersed Roman Catholic marriages or children. The Roman Catholics did not do as Protestants did. and if they had the power they would force every man and woman in this country to do their will or brand them with tbe brand of infamy and of shame. It was the policy of the Protestant Political Association to fight this, and to have the people help them.

As a conclusion to his address, which was marked by frequent outbursts of enthusiasm. Mr. Elliott moved the resolution: "That this meeting of more than .'IOOO Protestant electors of Auckland views with dismay the action of the National Government in prohibiting tho admission nnd circulation in the Dominion of loyal patriotic Protestant literature, and records its lack of confidence in the Hon. A. M. Myers on account of the obvious partiality exhibited by him in this matter to the Romanist section of the community. Further, this meeting expresses its alarm at the menacing nature of the recent war regulations relating to the Press and publications in New Zealand, and warns the Government that the oppressive use of the extensive powers entrusted to them by the people will result in the forfeiture of the confidence of the great body of Protestant majority of citizens. That copies of this resolution be forwarded to the Hon. the Acting-I'rime Minister, to the Hon. A. M. Mvers. and to the Press."'

Dr. H. Dundas MacKenzie seconded the resolution, which was carried unanimously, and the gathering dispersed after singing the National Anthem.