“THE FATE OF ULSTER”

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 8750, 4 June 1914, Page 11

“THE FATE OF ULSTER”

To. the Editor “N.Z. Times.”

Sir, “The Fate of Ulster” appears to be a favourite headline with _ certain. newspapers of the “Reform ‘ brand in this country, particularly the “New Zealand Herald” and the Dominion.” These organs affect to be the props and pillars of law and order, and hy consequence the implacable cpponents of everybody and everything tainted with the suspicion of disorder and lawlessness. Nevertheless they chuckle dally over the prospect of rebellion in Ulster, and they gladly give space to correspondence, the authors bf which say things the editors dare not say themselves. As these letters arc, generally speaking,. anonymous, there Is more than a suspicion that at least some of them are composed m thiv newspaper offices,, but in any case it> is an old device of newspaper editors to say through anonymous letters what they have not “sand”, enough to express in their lending columns. Hence I have noticed of late letter after letter containing cowardly, lying j and slanderous statements about Catnoho Ireland. The “Dominion”' and others of its kidney, having regard to the proximity of a general election m this country, are careful to shunt the responsibility oh their nameless contributors. It is an old game, but a contemptible one all the same. . Apart, however, frem the pleasure which these “Reform” editors appear to take in a prospective blood batu, there is something grossly inapt m *ll this piffling about Ulster. What right . have the Orange bigots to call themselves Ulster? Ulster . sends, a Home Rule majority tc the House of Commons. Armagh and Derry are taken as typical Ulster counties. Yet they contain respectively forty-eix and forty-two per cent, of Catholics, and. of the nine counties in Ulster, five are Nationalist. The “Refcmi” editors who'are stricken with concern about the rights of minorities would evident-ly-have us believe that the lareoOathi, hi minorities in Armagh and Derry are of Ho consequence; It is wicked for the majority cf the people of Ireland to aspire to rule their own country, but qfiite “the thing” that in that 'part of Ulster whore Catholics are the minority they should not only bo he,lets/but must not dare -protest! Personally, Mr Editor, i am a believer •in signed-journalism. 1 ecoin the mean persdhs Who attack Others, and in particular those who vilify the religious scruples of their fellcw-citizens, under the mask of anonymity. Accordingly I subscribe myself.

p. j. o’Regan. Wellington, Juno 3rd,