ORANGEMEN AND LOYALTY.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 90, 17 April 1922, Page 6

ORANGEMEN AND LOYALTY.

OKAITD MASTER'S WARlfllfO. RESPECTING SOCIALIST TEACHINGS. Orangemen aeeembled at St. Andrews Hall at 2 p.m. yesterday and headed liy the Temperance Guards Silver Band and Poneonby Boys' Brass Band went in procession to the Town Hall, the route taken being via Customs Street am! Queen Street. The proceeeion was a long one of about 600 strong. At the door of the Town Hall a considerable number' of Orangewometi, in regalia, awaited the arrival of the procession. R.VV. Bro. J. S. Tttokxon. 1.P.0.M.. occupied the chair, in the absence through illness of W. Bro. T. T. Garland. D.G.M. The address was given by RJ\V. Bro. the ttev. Knowle* Smith, G.M., who took for hie theme ''Loyalty.' , "We have in our midst to-day men who profess to be leaders of democracy." exclaimed the speaker, "and we also have, throughout our cowntry. a number of socialistic Sunday schools for the education of the children in the principles of democracy. They are working , co that out of them shall come a strong ■party which in the years to come shall ccntTol the destiny of our Dominion. ' win give you a few examples of the teachings given by the leaders* of these Sunday achoole. You have just sung that splendid Christian hymn, 'Onward. Christian Soldiers.' Kotr listen to the version taught in socialistic Sunday schools: "Onward, Christian soldiers, duty's cans* Is plain. Slay your Christian brothers, or by them be slain. Pulpiteers are spouting effervescent swill. God above Is calling yon to rob and rape and kill. c Onward. Christian soldiers, rip and tenr and smite. May the gentle Jesus blees your dynamite." The speaker also gave other instantes of vulgar and irreverent passages from the . Communist catechism said to be need. He said there was great danger for the future in these schools and something would have to he done to save, the country or she was doomed. Mr. J. H. Phillpot ably presided at the organ. AX INDIGNANT PROTRST. SOCIALISMS' EMPHATIC DENTAL. An emphatit'. and indignant denial of the statements made by the Rev. G. JCnowle* Smitli respecting the teaching* in the Socialist Sunday schools was voiced this morning by 'Mr. O. Moßrine, superintendent of the local Socialist Sunday-school, and Mr. J. A. Lee, president of the local Lab«ur party. '"The 'blasphemous parody of the hymn, 'Onward Christian Soldiers, , stated by the rev. gentleman as being a sample erf what is taught and sung in the Socialist Sunday schools, is an offence to all de-cent-minded people," mid Mr. Mcßrine. "We protest very strongly against the statements made, which are grossly untrue, and calculated to prejudice the minds of all decent people against the Socialist Sunday school. The hymn book we use, and which is the standard hymn book of the union of Socialist Sunday schools, contains no parodies of any kind, and nothing that can by the widest stretch of the imagination be termed blasphemous. "Aβ to the Remark* a'botit our alleged catechism, we have no catechism. We have a set of precepts, which are recited by the scholars. Nothing within them can be construed to express either disloyalty or contempt for religion. There is no reference of any eort to the Boy ■Scout movement or to the Union Jack, any more than any reference is contained in the catechisms of other Sunday schools. Our Sunday school is advertised regularly in tfce Press, and visitors are always vrctcorn'e. We consider, in short, that the statement made hy the Rev. Knowles Smith is revolting, not only to decency but to the common sense of every proper-minded citizen."