MR. DUNCAN AND THE BIBLE IN SCHOOLS LEAGUE.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLVIII, Issue 286, 9 December 1914, Page 8

MR. DUNCAN AND THE BIBLE IN SCHOOLS LEAGUE.

{Published )-.y Aubangement^

[TO miS KDJTOR.]

• Bir, —I understand that some little liitch lias arisen ia connection with i&p secrecy which it was intended •ebould be muhitfiined on the, fact fhftt Mr John. ihnu»an. had been •djosen as ithe only official candidate .'©£ the BI bio in F.Uifo Schools League for. the Wairau electorate. It- seems "thai an- official 'card ;had been issued Via. all staunch ..supporters of the .fceague balling upon, them ito "work ftm^ vote " for Mr John l>uncan" ■(pr£Oted in large. hoavy type) "the •official candidate or' the Bible in State •Bahools Leaguo'' (type fairly heavy, fcufc not so large); the- object being, ia said, to fcfcij.' up Leaguists, ac jrell, as oithet" syrnpatihetic-looking rtajividuals,'. ■by notifying them that ..Bar Duncan had handed himself over t^.^ijiiQiri, ior the timo being,, and in for thiaV concession he was to *g placed at tHe top of the poll. But k*& PQ'° " X(i Yaw somewhat greasy. .pYom whji,t I can eafcher <on the inafc•it«r, sonio wag, jyho ib evidently pos'.Spsged of a prutty wib, seeing the joke, •duplicated Che Bocrefc information csara by an extra fchoiifiand or two, aad cu-culattd (.hewn right throughout, the electorate, .".nd cojiMpquently tha game is up, puk!' Mr l>!incan is H-orealed to Hir> pnbljo under the warmer of the* "/lililo in State. Schools Xeairnc." ll L >ii.-;v. : -f■•..•••.*;. %•■ the

candidate, that ho should have lent himself to the League, as it is unfortunate.for the League also that they should have forgotten themselves so far as to obtain .a pledge on this question, it was not fair to Mr Dimcan; >theyshould have remembered that many candidates will always pledge themselves when any number of votes are to be caught. However, the. wag has rendered a splendid ser- j vice to his country, and the whole of the electors for Waifau" are now in the know; the boy in -the street can tell you that Mr Duncan is the "official candidate of. the Bible "in State Schools League,"- and is this not as it should bo? Every person has a perfect right to know wliat the candidate's ticket is-foetore he votes; and why the secrecy? The cause is supposed to be a gcod^onc, and I am sure that "Mr Dnncffri is the last gentleman to be ashamed of his policy and banner; and why ...should "The League" attempt, to desejrt him as bheir "official candidate" a«d call for secrecy? Mr Duncan, T am sure, is thankful to the wag for ithe;.publicity he has given to the great cause, and •all is we'll. But the joke, Mr.Jklitor, lies in the comparison of the two cards; they arc similar to the letter, but, being printed in different ■establishments, one bears .the imprint "Wakelin" (the original), while.the other, the fatal duplicate, bears 'the .imprint "Pope"; and so far as is j ascertaiuable the "Leagiie's" quarrer is with the word "Pope." "Laugh I and the world laughs with you." VERITAS.