THE PROTESTANT POLITICAL ASSOCIATION.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17592, 24 September 1917, Page 7

THE PROTESTANT POLITICAL ASSOCIATION.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —As chairman of the crowded nicotine hold at the Opera House on Thursday evening, 1 draw your attention to tho fact that not a word has appeared in your paper to indicate tho defence put up by the association against tlio political clamour hurled against it by vote-catchers in Parliament who have not stopped to inquire into the real facts of the case. It is only right that the public should know that the association has a defence and has publicly pleaded “not guilty,” It was pointed out that tho letters complained of were not assertions, but interrogations regarding tho truth of certain allegations mado freely in Auckland, and already reported to tbcpolico authorities that they might ho inquired into. They were made by advice of counsel specially strong that they might bo sent through tho Auckland Post Office as test letters for the purposes of the inquiry. Besides, they were written oti the understanding that they were private, letters never intended for publication. As a matter of fact, they were not read publicly .in the Court of Inquiry. Instead of beinp; put on the defence, the Protestant Association has a right to ask, as I asked on Thursday evening as chairman, “ Who is responsible for reflecting on a certain Church b.y publishing private letters which should not have been censored, or, if censored, mado public'without an explanation of their origin and purpose ? Who in Parliament threw political mud at a man who was absent and could not return the compliment? Who sheltered themselves behind the privileges of the House and made statements they would have hesitated to make outside? Who sought, to introduce from Ireland into this land of equal rights and privileges that tyranny known as the boycott?” It was pointed out that if the charges ■were true the Political Association would have been acting contrary to its own platform, which is ' not to attack the creed of any Church or to offend the religious sensibilities of its members, but equal privileges for all and special privileges foi none. I stated what I state now, that before taking tho chair I had carefully read a special report of tho inquiry sent mo from Auckland, and a verbatim report of Mr Ostler’s famous speech, endorsed by himself, and honestly came to tho conclusion that the organiser of this association was a much maligned man and came out of the inquiry with clean hands. To show that neither ho nor tho association had done- anything to be ashamed of and were not afraid of publicity, it was announced on Thursday evening that tho association was going to publish a verbatim report of the postal inquiry, properly authenticated, and allow the general public'to judge for themselves. As British subjects, we claim the right of fair play in Parliament and, in our newspaper offices, that and nothing more.—l am, etc JOHN DICKSON.