SECTARIAN BITTERNESS.

Northern Advocate, 22 January 1920, Page 5

SECTARIAN BITTERNESS.

In the course of his speech Sir Joseph said he had received many requests to stand again, but as the election took place so near Christmas he considered i,t not a right thing to interrupt the festivities with election strife. He accepted the position as a sportsman would. He was fully conversant of 'the bitter personal attacks concentrated upon him as head of the Liberal Party in nearly every electorate. The leading journals seemed not so much concerned with th" criticism of the Liberals as of Ith" "Wardists". He had been gathering information since the election and had secured evidence of literature that would be a disgrace to (the most bar baric peopl e in the world. In all his ministerial career he had never heard sectarian matters discussed in the Cabinet; he never had a consultation with the heads of the church regard ing ithe elections or political support; he had never been asked by his own oi any other church to use his position in any special sectarian interest; he had never even attempted to appoint anyone to the Public Service „n Account, of religion. H e challenged his opponents to prove their allegations to the contrary. He also referred to the Dominion's financial strength and to 'the need for combating Bolshevism throughout the world and concluded with thanks for the Party's kindly expressions of goodwill.—Press Assn.