PROTESTANT RALLY

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIII, Issue 9954, 25 April 1918, Page 2

PROTESTANT RALLY

GREAT TOWN HALL MEETING SPEECH BY REV. HOWARD ELLIOTT. THE P.P.A. AND LABOUR MOVEMENT. The Rev. R; Knowles Smith (chairman of the Wellington Branch of the Protestant Political Association) presided over a crowded meeting at the Town Hall last night. In his opening remarks, the chairman deprecated the introduction of personalities ifito the fight on one side or the other, and stated that the Protestant Political Association, though a poliuca. organisation, was, not a party political body. They were tied neither to Mr Massey and his party, nor to Sir Joseph Ward and his party, nor to Mr Hindmarsh and his party. (Laughter and applause.) A returned soldier: ‘‘Why not? Why not ?" Voices: “Put him out!”

The returned soldier: ‘‘No—a returned soldier. No! I’ve done my bit; you go and do yours." Mr Knowles Smith then called upon the Rev. Mr Miller, of Feilding, whom he described as “a gentleman who has unfortunately sprung into notoriety, oy no wish of his own. but one whorn we regard as a man who will stand true to his principles, no matter what the cost," to address the meeting. (Applause.) Mr Miller stated that the Roman Catholics in New Zealand numbered one in seven of the population, but the sixth man had,, throughout given the seventh full rights’ of public meeting and free speech. Describing the assault at Feild incr oh the Rev. Q. F. Stookwell, Adjutant W&yne, ■of the Salvation Army, and himself, after the Rev, Howard Elliott's meeting at that, town, Mr ‘Miller contrasted with such action that of the Protestants of the Dominion; ami. referring to a threat to "do for” the Rev. Howard Elliott, he declared that if any harm should befall Mr Elliott ten men would arise in his place. (Applause.) fhb stake, the thumb-screw, and the scaffold had been, he said, the weapons of the Church of Rome where she had the power, and deceit and subterranean devices where she had not. (A/pplanso.) The Pope had come through this war morally bankrupt in the eyes of ‘.he world. HA had' made no protest against the Prussian outrage on Belgium, but when at the Marne the Entente Allies began to make headway he lannched against. them his peace proposals. He had shown himself incapable of appreciating the moral issues involved. (Applause.) NEED TO FUEL TOGETHER.

The Bev, Howard Elliott, who was received with applause, said that recent happenings emphasised the need tor all Protestants in New Zealand to pull together to secure the government of this country in the interests of ail the people of the country. Paying an eloquent tribute to those who had fallen at Anzac, he quoted a speech in which the Bev. Father Alphonao, of Orange, Australia, had said, that he was a Oath olio first and an Australian afterwards, and “I would like to see the word Anzac expunged from the language." ( l 'oh, oh!'’) They did not say "We are Protestants first and New Zealanders, afterwards," but they wanted New Zealand to remain "God’s own country” and a Protestant country. (Applause.)

P.P.A. AND LABOUR PARTY. Referring to the attitude of the P.P.A. towards the Labour Party, the speaker said that there had been some misunderstanding about it, quite unintentional on the part of some men, quite intentional on the part of others, and it had been promulgated with great industry by interested persons on' the other side. The P.P.A. stood for any man and any Church who stood for clean politics in —ew Zealand. (Applause.) The Labour movement was a movement fraught with the very, largest possibilities of good .(Applause./ Unionism had done much to lift the workingman's life out of the sordid circumstances of fifty years ago. (Applause.) Unionism was a thing to he treasured hy ©very working man. (Applause.) It was a wise thing for, every working-man to belong to his union if he wanted his trade interests protected and brought before the whole community. (Applause.) Unionism had done the large*, good to tie c'.viliseu working population. (Applause.) It was because he hod indubitable proof that her© in New Zealand there was being made, the same attempt to secure the control' of the labour unions of this country as was made in Australia to the absolute wrecking of the Australian Labour Party, tliat he had taken the stand he had. In Australia there was the very clearest evidence that years ago the Cardinal there instructed Roman Catholics to get inside the Labour movement; and they worked inside, and Labour had been split in two—the small section, the extremist section, the Sinn -Fein section, all going over and following the lead of,Dx Hannix, perhaps the most unpatriotic man in Australia; the other constituted the National Party that dominated the politics of Australia. The Australian Labour Party, which once was the pride Of the whole Labour world, had been split by the deliberate work and deliberate effort of the Church of Rome. (Applause.) Here in Now Zealand that movement had only begun, and to every union man in New Zealand he said, ‘‘lf you are a Protestant, watch your labour union.” He did not say, ‘Exclude Roman Catholics from your unions.” They had a right to belong to the unions; but the Protestant unionists should see that the Roman Catholics did not get control of their unions or of their political organisation. (Applause.) "ROME AND SINN FEINISM.”

There were indications that there was in New Zealand a section _of the Labour movement very largely in sympathy with Borne and' Sinn Feinismj and the "Maoriland Worker” represented that section. It had been for the past two years or so one of the most active pro-Roman journals in New Zealand. (Applause.) More space had been given to pro-Romanism and Sinn Feinism than to anything else. (Applause.) A voioei "Not correct." Mr Howard Elliott: "It is correct.” Voices: ■'You are telling a deliberate lie!” '(You are a liar!" >

He know, added Mr Elliott, that the "Maoriland Worker" dia not represent the whole labour movement in New Zealand; and it never would, because the bulk of the workers were Protestants, not Homan Catholics. They wanted a genuine Labour movement, not a movement of extremists. (Applause.) He hoped that the Protestant workingmen of the country would come together; and it they could not form an organisation that would truly i-eproseni their labour aims and their Protestnnism. then let them join the P.P.A.. which would represent them far better than any Homan Catholic movement could, and help select its candidates. (Applause.) The attitude of the P.P.A,. to genuine Labour was that they hold out to It tho hand of utmost friendship, and said to genuine Labour, "Do the very best you can for yourselves and your movement, and wo will help you if you got the right men." (Applause.) For tho eeotlon of tho Labour Party jrhioh truckled to Homo and hoped to get

into power by the aid of Rome, they had got no word, and would do their beet to defeat it. (Applause.) There was a lie going round New Zealand to the effect that the P.P.A. had made an effort to suppress the "Maoriland Worker." He was glad to say that they had better work to do. (Applause.) They had made no effort to interfere with the full liberty of the paper. It could publish what it liked so long as it satisfied the Government. (Applause) .‘THE JESUIT IN NEW ZEALAND.’’ He proposed to overtake the Jesuit in New Zealand, who had got some years start, so far as he could by exposing him. The Minister for Customs, he complained, had stopped two book# (produced) coming into New Zealand for fear they might offend Roman Catholics, but he had'let 540 tons <of whisky come in lately. (Applause and laughter.) Tho “Green Ray" for March Ist. ISIS, had published a protrait of Archbishop Mannix. aud underneath it they put "Australia's greatest patriot,” though he was the man who said: 'The shores of Gallipoli are polluted bv bodies of our soldiers. ((Oh! oh!’’) It those two books were stopped, whv was not the "Green Ray” stopped? (Applause.) The Sinn Fein badge, produced, bearing the words "Ireland, a Republic.” had been allowed through bv the Customs Department. They could see those badges any day as the boys were going to school. The Catholic people were drawing JJISBO for tho carrying of their children to school on the railways of the Dominion, and the Nuns were allowed to travel free on the railways. And did they know that S’r James Al»n. when Mister for Education, had entered a wedge into their education system, which if driven home would split it from en<t to end? In 1914 he had amended the Education Aot, and the word ''Minister” ns substitution for the word "board” in clause US, thus putting the power in the hands of the Minister to approve the secondary schools at which scholarships might, be taken up. Almost without exception the Education Board had refused to approve any but a State secondary school, but since then tho Minister hud approved a number of Catholic secondary schools. Further, on March Ist, 1918, instructions had been sent round to the Clerks of Court in New Zealand that no return of the religion of convicted persons was for the future to be Rent to the Government Statistician. That, he supposed, was done, because those statistics had enabled them to show that their State school system produced better results than the Roman Catholic schools! and it v ,was a significant fact that similar instructions had been given in Australia. Such facts, he contended, showed that the Jesuit was at work in the land, and he urged them not to he content till the Protestant Political Association was the great political force right through the country.

On the motion of the Hon. Q. W. Eamshaw, M.L.0.. the resolution passed -it the afternoon session expressing the fullest confidence in Sir E. Carson ns leader of Ulster, and that of congratulations and thanks to the Grand Orange Lodge of New Zealand were carried with onlv two dissentients. A collection taken nn and donations nromiwd amounted to JBSO and the meeting closed ns it had begun with the singing of the Eoxologr and the National Anthem.