THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH & LABOUR

Evening Post, Volume XCV, Issue 15, 17 January 1918, Page 2

THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH & LABOUR

EEV. HOWARD ELLIOTT IN REPLY

TO THE EDITOR,

Sir, —The letter over the signature of Mr. T. Gilmore, which appeared in your columns of the 7th inst., revealed at once that the hand that signed it is the hand of Esau, but the voice that speaks iii it is the voice of Jacob. Those who know Mr. Gilmqre recognise that the letter is a feat larger than the man. The author or authors, we suspect, must be for other/ where than in a -tramman's uniform. The writer is evidently a. Romanist, which Mr. Gilmore dis--claims being, and is versed in the Ro-*;! man tactic of abuse.- The letter is an.! attack upon me rather than a defence -I of the section of Labour tfiat Mr.' Gil-;! more claims to represent. It reveals the ! difficulty in which your correspondent finds himself, when he endeavours to stall the facts in the way he did, and ' took refuge in personal insult and misre-. presentation. .Slay I quieten his fears by assuring Mr. Gilmore that I do not intend to do with him as I did with certain Roman conspirators on a recent occasion—tumble them into the pit of their, own digging. I will keep him in evidence until I have exposed the intrigues of Rome with Labour leaders, so that all Protestant Labour men may know and save themselves and their movement from the. innocence of Mr. Gilmore and the guile of his friends. If I can do that'l' will be rendering no inconsiderable service to the true interests of Labour and perhaps incidentally to Mr. Gilmore himself.

I am charged with evasiveness when 1,, state specific instances and with ignorance when I state the facts, but Mr. Gilmore and his coroptors do nothing to furnish any proof that I am wrong, or evasive or ignorant. Your correspondent has claimed' that all the Labour men now sitting in. the House of Representatives are there on the vote of Labour alone, whereas eacli individual holds his seat through .the vote and influence of Rome. No-doubt this is humiliating to Labour, but will not Labour men do well to enquire carefully into the question as to why the Labour movement is in the parlous condition it is in to-day in New Zealand, and, in making that enquiry, I think they will require to start with the secret conference held.in Christciiurch as the result of which the Maoriland Worker passed from the control of the Shearers' "Union and presaged the formation of the' Federation of Labour? Mr. Gilmore has been completely answered by the able letter in your morning contemporary, written by "West Coast," in his contention that Mr. Webb is a representative of Labour. The proof abundant is supplied in the figures furnished by that correspondent. Not only was Mr. Webb beaten on the first 1 ballot, but if it had not been that Roman votes were officially directed to him he would have been beaten on the second ballot. If Mr. Gilmore wants more proof that Rome's influence was with Mr. Webb and recognised by him, let it be the fact that when Mr. Webb returned thanks to his supporters the Irish flag (the harp without the crown, a rebel flag these .days) was flown Jibove his head; -Again, let Mr. Gilmore explain why that same flag was flown from the strike office in Wellington during the 1913 strike, if Rome and Sinn Feinism are not identified with the official' Labour movement.

Tn the Wellington' South -election, when Mr. Hindmarsh was relumed, all the forces of organised Romanism were employed on his behalf. A priest approached a friend ot'Mnine. thinking him to be one of his own, saying: "Of course you are voting with us." That was explained to mean for Mr. Hindmarsh. I am not denying the right of the priest to become a canvasser if he chose, as Mr. Gilmore seems, anxious to assort, "but I say that Knowing" " Rome and her ways that priest's action indicated clearly the attitude of the Church of Rome in that election. That is not all however, for the members of Roman organisation boasted in this case, as in the Wanganui and Lyttelton elections, that they were instructed to support the m«n who now represent those, electorates in the House. It may be, of course, that they did not know what they were talking about or doing,. whilst Mr. Gilmore and his coadjutors 'do. In that case I must)* allow, your readers to judge whether the evidence is sufficient. In the Grey Lynn election it is common knowledge, and the figures supply the proof, that the Roman hierarchy had found the Hon. George Fowlcls insufficiently plastic in their hands, and there was a transfer of affection to one who was not suspected of any rigidity, and Mr. Payne scraped in with the aid of Rome.

These are the facts in each case. What do they mean? Borne never supports anybody without a quid pro quo! What is Rome expecting of the representatives of Labour and what is the bar-gain that has been struck? I do not purpose following Mr. Gilmore through a]l the length of his revilings. I will content myself with dealing with some uf the most palpable of his misstatements. It is alleged that I supported Mr. J. J. Sullivan for the Parnell seat. That is absolutely untrue. I neither spoke, wrote, canvassed, nor voted for Mr. Sullivan.

The denial of Cardinal Moran's command to his men to get control of the Labour movement in Australia is farcical. That prelate, following the line' pursued by the Jesuits throughout the world during the last thirty years, did issue those instructions, and the fact is well known aud has been known for years, and laughed at, until bitter experience brought the matter home to true Labour men. Let any person peruse the speeches made and reported in the Australian press during tho recent election campaign and the more recent Referendum campaign, and say that the Rome Church had not sought to capture and had, in fact, captured the Australian Labour Party., Mr. Hughes referred to the "Black Hand" in Australian politics. What did he mean? I have before me tho report of the Sydney Morning Herald of a, speech delivered in. Sydney by Mr. James Robinson, who said, "To-day Romanism and the Labour Party arc the same thing. The P.L.E. is composed of I.W.W.'s, Sinn Feiners, and Fenians." The P.1.-.E. is the inner circle thafc dominates the Labour movement. The Protestants have been driven out of the Labour Party in Australia. Perhaps that is -why Mr. Gilmore says, "Australian Labour is more virile and cleaner and more powerful to-day than ever." If so, this saying reveals Mr. Gilmore's ideals of si Labour Party. Evidently he agrees with Mr. Holland.

Take again the statement of a prominent Canadian Labour leader, President Wilkinson, of the Amalgamated Carpenters' Union of Canada. "Under normal conditions the Jesuits control 65 per cent of the vote of the Congress of the American .Federation of Labour, and nuder extraordinary circumstances they can control 75 or 85 per cent, of the votes." The same policy is being pursued in New Zealand. That it has «ot been as successful here as in Australia and the States if? due to the fact that tlio Federation of Labour was so badly led that it blupdered into the grave, ere it had time to become the instrument of Borne, but the remnant wing of the Labour party is heing used, as I have shown to secure the well-being of the Church, e.g., in the recent vote on the

conscription of Mariete. Rome is the enemy of Democracy and the friend of Autocracy. Popes Leo and Pius have pronounced against the sovereignty of the people within the last twenty years, whilst the Roman clergy throughout Germany recently preached on an appointed day ,upholding the Kaiser and the House of Hohenzollern, and denouncing any attempt at revolution. Rome may cajole democrats, but she never helps them. It is against her creed and practice. Why, then, do Labour men djtlly with an organisation that would use a.nd curse them' at the same time?

I pass Mr Gilmore's statements concerning Labour speakers and papers and their attitude to' Churches and religion j by simply referring your readers to the columns of the Maoiiland Worker for the past two years, where they will find yards of bitter pro-Roman matter. ' Mr. ■ Semple's addresses speak for themselves. The denial by Mr, Gilmore as to the constituent members of the last Labour ■conference is worthless in the face of the testimony of men who know that assembly and its make-up. It was, as is the 'American Federation of Labour, 1 predominantly Roman. Mr. Gilmore and iiis friends have to face ami answer, if they can, the aocttrmijation<bf damaging evidence that is available from the United States, Canada, Australia, and New ■Zealand, showing that Rome is nftei 1 Labour, and Labour does not appear to J become aware of the fact until Rome has I her boot on the mouth of Labour and has wrought Us ruin. I want the Labour j men of New Zealand to a.wake to the j facts before it is too late. If they will but see to it in their unions that Rome does not gain any preponderance in her executives and conferences, and further, watch the reputed leaders of Labour that no secret treaties are made or intrigues worked, then Labour may come to its own. A true Labour party is needed. ! and for such a party there is a great) future, but the old hands, the dead hands of the past, must be cast from the helm of its fortunes.—l am, etc., HOWARD ELLIOTT. Auckland, 15th January.