HOWLED DOWN

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLV, Issue 289, 10 November 1925, Page 5

HOWLED DOWN

MR J. H. THOMAS AND THE MOB

DANGER OF MINORITY RULE

LONDON, Septj 22. Mr J. H. Thomas, M.P., found the opposition of the Reds too much for him when he attempted to speak at a demonstration on Newcastle. Town Moor on Sunday. The meeting rvas organised by the railwaymen, and thousands of people wore present. The earlier speakers -were listened to, but when Mr Thomas rose someone from behind the platform shouted: “There stands the traitor.” The chorus of the “Red Flag” was shouted, women joining in the demonstration, and Mr Thomas, unable to make himself heard, remarked to those on the lorry which served as platform: “I won’t compete with them. I don’t -want to speak if they don’t want to hear.” He then offered to give any objector ten minutes’ lease of the platform, and the offer was conveyed to the left wing section, without any appreciable result. Mr Thomas stood up again. “It is the best evidence of the danger that will come to this country by mob and minority rule,” he declared. “If theso people have any case they ought not to be afraid to allow me to state the other side. It is because they ere afraid that they resort to mob law.” The sympathies of the bulk of the audience were with Mr Thomas, who protested against a handful of people stopping freedom of speech.

MOB. LAW RATHER THAN COMMON SENSE.

He had been denounced, he continued, because he had the courage to tell the people when he believed they were wrong. He would continue to do that, in spite of the howling mob that refused to hear him. The chairman declared the demonstration over, but Mr Thomas got up again and spoke for a few minutes. The real cause of their troubles, he said, was because in the main the workers refused to think for themselves. “Just imagine the absurdity of those people ■who are to-day denouncing the present system,” he added. “I can denounco the present system, but what I denounce is the ignorant and selfish men who will not have the courage and common-sense to vote for an alteration in the system. These people are more content to rely upon mob law than upon common-sense.”

“GOD HELP THE COUNTRY.”

Amid more interruption he shouted: “If these are the new leaders of democracy, then God help the country. Because I know they only represent a minority, I ask the working class to deal with them in their own way.” Mr Thomas then left the platform, and a meeting was hurriedly arranged to be held later in a local theatre. At the night meeting at the Palace Theatre Mr Thomas had a good hearing from a large audience. Referring to the incident of the afternoon, lie was asked: “What about SaklatvalaP” “I disagree with Saklatvala’s views almost as much as he disagrees with mine,” he said. “I detest his views, but I would never deny him the right of freedom of speech. What they have done by their silly action is to make Saklatvala a martyr, which he wanted to be.”

Referring to the minority movement, Mr Thomas said there had always been minority movements, but they had been movements for progress. The only contribution of the minority movement to-day was to lie about and villify officials of the union. It not only lied and villified, but it was subsidised from Russia.

Hubbub broke out at this, and stewards threatened to eject an interrupter.

Mr Thomas answered many questions. One was asking if he would vote for the affiliation of the Communist Party with the Labour Party. “Not only will I not,” said Mr Thomas emphatically, “but I will do all I can against it.