PROTESTANT POLITICAL ASSOCIATION.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 54, 6 March 1922, Page 9

PROTESTANT POLITICAL ASSOCIATION.

(To the Editor.*

•"mi , . — Your condemnatory reference to this coterie of intolerants was timely and commendable. Its constituted local champion would have Uβ to believe it is a tolerant and amiable body. Tt is anything but that. To draw the attention of the multitude there are people who would stand in the middle of the road on their heads. The organisation under view reminds ib of the fable of the fly which fastened on the revolving ■wheel of the coach and exclaimed, "See what a dust 1 am raising."—l am, etc.,

CIVIS. (To tbo Editor.)

[ Sir, —I am unable to refrain from I making a few remarks on the latest 1 effusion of Mr. J. F. W. Dickson, the ! present P.P.A. potentate. Our learned friend states (inter alia): "We, a non- | religious body, have repeatedly pointed out that the P.P.A. is out to fight (inter alia) the dominattan by any religious body—Protestant or Roman Catholic— in our local or Dominion politics." Can any of Mr. Dickson's numerous proclamations be more completely absurb than this statement? I invite the gentleman to make public through these columns a list of Protestant "religious bodies" which the P.P.A. has endeavoured to check in the above manner. He cannot answer by asserting that the only religious bodies requiring a curb are Roman Catholics. W_at is the object of the P.PjA. itself other than political domination? What is the significance of the P.P_\. "ticket" in connection with every election whether for Parliament, power board, school committee or local body. If the P.P_A. is a non-religious 'body, perh_ps Mr. Dickson can say how many Roman Catholics have been included in these "tickets" for various elections during, say, the last two years. It means that the P.P.A. is out to rid politics of Roman Catholics without regard to the ability ■or integrity of any person. This is apparently Mr. Dickson's idea of British justice. It is interesting to note that ""just and equitable patronage" is one of the planks of his platform. Does Mr. Dickson honestly believe that the exclusion from politics of all Itonran Catholic. (for that is what he would have) is just and equitable 1 Thank goodness there are some decent, fair-miuded people in our community who care not whether a man be Protestant or Roman Catholic as long as be be a good man. Summed up the sole object and purpose of the P.P.A. seems to be to foment sectarianism. Certainly that is the result of the efforts of that body. It is a laatter for extreme regret that such practices are allowed in these times.—l am. etc.. A XO'y-CATHOIJIC.