DR CHAPPLE, M.P.

Grey River Argus, 3 February 1911, Page 7

DR CHAPPLE, M.P.

INCIDENTS IN HIS EJECTION FIGHT.

WHY HE WENT TO NEW ZEA- '

LAND

VIGOROUS REPLY TO A LEAF-

LET

(Post's Correspondent.) Dr Ghapple lost no time on arrival in England. He left at once for Stirling's hire, where he has since con ducted an active campaign in defence of his seat. He had the enthusiastic support of the local Liberal patrty, Avhiah is led by Sir John H. N. 'Graham, of Laibert. Palling took place on Tuesday and the result was declar ed the following day. Although" the ex-New Zealander did not succeed in fulfilling his promised majority of 4000, he came out victorious over his Conservative opponent to the extent of 2696. .D(r Chappie polled 9183 votes, Mr R. S. Home, 6487 Di' Ghapple addressed the electors of .BJon|nyib}rid!ge ion SWlednesday of last week. Sir James B. Smith, who was oinable to be present, sent a fetter in which Ihe said:. "A, better or more able candidate to represent the true Liberalism of Stirlingshire does not ; exist.", • The meeting was thoroughly in • agreement with the democratic principles enunciated b} r the Liberal candidate. Referring to the Tory prophecies of civil war and ruin D.r Chappie reminded the electors that in 1837 -the Lords and the Tories prophesied that if .they gave Home Rule to Canada they would have Raman Catholic domination in Canada, and that the whole of Southern Canada would become a French republic, and they said they looked with alarm and distrust to the future. They had had that future, and there lhad been no Roman Catholic domination in Canada. While travelling through the United States recently a 'gentleman wtho 'had large ' commercial interests, said to him: "You Britishers do not 'know what you possess in Canada. It is the richest country in the world, and it is the most loyal of all your colonies." HOME RULE. To-day the Tories were making prophesies about Ireland. They said there would be Roman Catholic domination, civil war, separation — and with tears in their eyes they looked with alarm and distrust to the country's future. (Laughter.) Dr Chappie proceeded to deal with the vital issue 'Of the election and said the question was whether the peers or the people should rule tihe country. The Tories had dragged Home Rule into this election. He understood that Ulster had given an order for something like 100,000 revolvers, and he was led to believe that Cadbury, the chocolate mtamifactuTer, had been fulfilling the order ever since. He contended that Jdhn Redmond's scheme for Home Rule for Ireland might very well be applied to Scotland as well. Quoting Mr Redmond (himself and substituting the woird "Scotland" for that of "Ireland" the scheme was "what we want in Scotland is a Scottish Parliament, created by an Act of Imperial Parliament to treat with the management of purely national affairs." That was what they wanted in Scotland and could they deny to Ireland what they asked for 'themselves ? Questions having been invited, Mir Stein asked : Are you in (favour of some form of universal military service? Dr Chappie: I do not believe in uni versal military service. I believe in ■uni'Viers'al physical training. If we adopted such a scheme we would lay the basis of military service. Mir Wilson: If you are returned to Parliament would you vote in favour of the disestablishment of the Church of Scotland? . Dr Clhapple : That issue might come and when it does come -" Mr. Wilson: "Yes" or No"". •Dr Chappie: I will please myself as to that. Have you eaten the mutton chop you got yesterday? "Yes" or "N : o". (Lau/ghter.) Whenever that issue does arise I will vote in favour of the disestablislhment of the Church of Scotland. But in fhe "meantime the issue has not arisen, and I hope for a peaceful solution of that difficulty without the issue ever becoming a political one. CLEARING OFF TO NEW ZEALAND. Mr- Robert KMd : If you are again returned as the member of Parliament for Stirlingshire, it is your intention to dear off to New Zealand and spend you/r time there -instead of looking after the interests of your constitutents as you ought to> do ?

Dip Chappie : lam sorry the gentleman missed me. (Laugihter and cheers.) I cleared off to New Zealand some time ago after consultation with the two whips because I felt I had some business to do there which hid resulted from the fact -

An elector: Tell him all about it (Laughter.)

D<r Chappie: I know df I do not satisfy him he will not vote for me. (Laughter.) I came to this .country about eighteen months a,go without having any 7 intention of permanently staying here, and I left my business affairs in a state of chaos. ■ I ,tried to settle these business affairs by cor•respondence, but I failed.. On consulting the two whips, .tthey said: "If you want to clear up your business affairs in -New Zealand, you had better go now and ireturn in. time for the general election." I am glad to tell 'the 'gentleman who has asked

the question that I have returned in time not only to fight the election, •but to win at. (Loud cheers.) A- vote of confidence in Or Ghapple was carried ivith only four dissentients. Mr Robert Kidd, who wanted to move, an amendment, being greeted with such a hostile reception that his words couild not be heard. A SCANDALOUS LEAFLET. Before the meeting concluded, Sir John Graham referred to a leaflet which,' he said, was a most disgraceful tiling to come from the Conservative Party in Stirlingshire. It was headed "The Great White Peril," and related to Dr Chappie's Book, "Tihe Fertility of the Unfit." During last election the assertions made in rhat leaflet were refuted, he said, yet the Tories had brought the matter up at the last (moment again. (Cries of "Shame!" land 'hiss.es.) Tihe leaflet was a most one-sided one, and only extracts from the book ware given and not the exact thing. It misrepresented things entirely. The leaflet was a scandalous one, and if Mr Home was a gentleman he would (repudiate lit. '(Loud cheers.) Sir John concluded by expressing the hope that on election 'day Dr Chappie would ,get such a majority thait Mr Home and bis committee would be driven out of Stirlingshire — a hope that was received with further cheering. "STAB IN THE DARK." The parish (minister of Siamannan, who supported Mr Home, the Unionist candidate, made reference to Dr Chappie's book entitled "Tne Fertility of the Unfit," and said in Mr Home they had a candidate whose sayings or publications did .not cause a blush of shame to mantle ith'e brows of (his supporters. The Unionists also again issued the pamphlet headed "The Great White . Peril— Electors Beware." When Dr- Chappie held his meeting in Siamannan he vigorously replied itc the attacks. He said he was prepared to meet anyone face to face upon the 'issues that were before •them in fair and square argument, but -he understood his opponents were not prepared to meet him in sudh a manner; but in a sly, underhand, un scrupulous method .they tried to damage him in the eyes of the constitutents by malicious slander. He passionately exclaimed : "I repeat, the •man who made -the statement did so> maliciously, and it is false. I do not care who the man is or what pulpit he occupies. (Loud cheers.) Are there no issues before us, are they not sufficiently important to take up our time, or is my (position so strong —(A voice: "That's at")— that it is necessary to. go behind my (back, and in some malicious way try to undermine me ?' This little circular, this thing- (contemptuously) is called The Great White Peril.' I suppose I am the 'Great White Peril' ?"

If any of the electors had read the book and read the leaflet, he continued, they would have seen "that the leaflet was a malicious slander, lying in every line, absolutely and de libera'tely false. iDic Clhapple then an alysed the leaflet, pointing out that the damaging quotations attributed to him were culled from other authors for the purpose of destroying arguments against 'his point of view. He never, wrote, saiid, or thought such things. It was criminally wicked to quote out of his book a.nd attribute such sayings to him. When he published tihe book, "The Fertility of the Unfit," in 1903, the preface was written by a clergyman, one of tihe imost. sain'tHy onen who ever preached the laces of whose shoes the parish minister of Clamannan was not worthy to unloose. (Cheers.) Were the statements made in order to discredit some of his an-guments against the House .of Lords ? To his ■mind the motive was to trip (him up. It was a cowardly stab an the dark. (Cheers.) . ■ ■]

At the last election Dr Ghapple obtained 10,122 votes, and Mr Home. 6417. Although there is a reduction of ; 1009 in the /majority, local Liberals attribute it to various contributing circumsances, and state they are quite satisfied with the splendid majority of 2696.

The rush for the Hauraki lands' is .going- to ibe a record one (prophesies the Thames Star) '.and the portion to be .balloted for next month will find applicants itiimiblin,g- over each other in their anxiety to secure one 1 of those favoured sections. It is ibegfnnrng- to be recognised that these swamp lands have . illimitable'possibilities,, and tih'atin tihe oiot. distant future the .great Hauraki'Tplains, when thoroughly drained and grassed, vail >be one of itihe show districts of New Zealand, carrying more stoclc iand occupied by a .larger number of co,mfortaible ihoimcsteads, than any area of land in ithe colony.