POT AND KETTLE IN POLITICS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18387, 1 May 1923, Page 5

POT AND KETTLE IN POLITICS.

Sir, —To anyone who observes : and thinks for himself, nothing could move clearly, attest the hopeless narrowness of the partisan mind fchffh the outcry . against the Rev. Howard Elliott's political propaganda. Particularly edifying is the sustained shriek of abuse from Mr. : Hol-. land's supporters, for, observed in alike conditions, the resemblance between Mr. Holland and Mr. Elliott .is strangely twin-like, and it ■is : precisely from this deep-rooted likeness that their surfateo antipathy is derived. In their, respective "vocations," these two men are as rival bagmen soiling different brands of'■ the same article, and both are abnormally endowed with the qualities that go to the making of successful bagmen. Both have "cheek and jaw" in infinite abundance; both* are extremely narrow-minded; the vision of both is shadowed by "the dead hand" both incessantly assail phantoms conjured out of ' their own prejudices. Neither has the faintest freshness, originality, or distinction of thought; each con-: ceiym himself ate divinely appointed to the Satanic mission of stirring up hatred between the different sections of oar naturally -peaceful and compact little nation. Mr- Elliott is, perhaps, less egoistic, less pretentious, more sincere, but he Is no match 1 for Mr. Holland in the ' diabolical art of inflaming the mors violent passions of the ignorant; for Mr. Holland caa do this and. yet retain iu some quarters the reputation" of being personally a saintly creature, "but no one yet appears to hare j figured Mr. Elliott in a- halo. -'j As; already said, these few© men were ] observed in like conditions. Slight differences of method, however, were notice- j able. Mr.- Elliott fed the larger audi- ! ences and showed some 'tolerance by an-.j swerinz-objections with apparent pleasure, j Mr. Holland, on the other hand, rudely , insulted'those who ventured the slightest j dissent from the roost false and vicious ! anti-British tirade I had ever listened j to. and had so envenomed the atmosphere ] that any questioner. could - only venture! to put his' question. at the risk 'of; per. ] sonal violence from Mr. Holland's ad- j mirers. . ! No Catholic must interpret this letter as . in. any sense an approval or -.dtsap- ] provat of Mr. Elliott's propaganda, .-. lbs ■ object is to invite religious, people of all I faiths to-nullify the outbursts of every ] sect and party against tie other by ap- :j plying to ail .of .them the theory of their j being, rival b&jrmen with materialistic km- > bitions is' which no Christian can ■ have j any concern. ■ Incidentally, "keep religion I out of politics" is a- "slogan" that entails ] 'some rather humorous propositions. Mmy Socialists, for instance, , declare their reli-; gion to lie Socialism. Arc these, then, to keep their religion out of. : politics? ■ Of course, massy 'of them, on getting into Pad Lament.. have demonstrated that this can be done without. difficulty, bat the kridy . religious man knows that his religion is as 'indispensable to him at all times' as -his breath. Biacs, Wats©.,