PROTESTANT POLITICAL ASSOCIATION.

Otago Witness, Issue 3347, 8 May 1918, Page 22

PROTESTANT POLITICAL ASSOCIATION.

ADDRESS BY REV. HOWARD ELLIOTT. A public meeting, under the auspices of the Protestant Political Association, was held in His Majesty's Theatre on the 2nd. Hie doors were opened at half-past 7, and such was the crowd in waiting that the spacious building was crowded within a few minutes. Many hundreds of people were turned away. The meeting was started at 10 minutes to 8 with the singing of the National Anthem. . The Chairman (Rev. W. Scorgie), in his opening remarks, said that Protestantism was the foundation of their civil and religious freedom. Protestantism went back to tho martyrs of tho cany cnurcn, back to the apostles, back to the patriarchs. The young men at tho front to-day were Protestants. was only the shirkers who were not Protestants. —(Applause.) Although it was said the Roman Catholic Church was always the same, it must bo remembered that it could turn protestant with a very vigorous protest whenever it suited its purpose. What about the Roman Catholic Church and its protest against conscription in Ireland today?—(Applause.) What about its protest against tho priests and the Manst Brothers going to the war?—(Applause.) It was not the Church of Rome they had to face—it was its politics. It was not m the religious sphere that they were met with danger, but in tho political sphere, and the great purpose of tho Protestant Political Association was to meet that Church in the political sphere and to counteract its audacitv and its duplicity.—(Applause.) Tho Rev. S. Morris (North-East Valley Baptist Church) said the spirit of Protestantism had won all the privileges and all the liberties they possessed. The motto of the association was, " Equal rights for all—soecial privileges for none"; and it asked for nothing for itself that it was not prepared to grant to the other side. Against its neighbours it had no grudge or enmity. For himself, he had a wholesome regard for those who were not Protestants, but for the system they represented he could have neither honour nor respect. It was said that Rome was at peace with all men, but under tho apparent peaceful state there was a current of cunning and scheming which was working subtly all the tune. Rome hated anything of a disturbing nature, because it meant publicity and exposure of her methods and aims. The hope of the association lay in wakeful watchfulness, because, as someone had said, Protestants' sleeping times are Rome a reaping times." The Church of Rome worked for itself alone. This was a spirit that was anti-national. They had only to read the Tablet to know how anti-British was the paper that was supposed to express the thought and the opinion of the Catholic community. If they looked at that paper they would understand that Romanism was anti-national. On the subject of education he contended that 'the present system must not be tampered with.—(Applause.) It was all very well for people to attend a meeting and applaud, but they must get into the association and help it m all ways they could, and not leave tho work to a handful. Let it not bo forgotten that there was a Roman Catholic Federation.—(Applause.) A collection was taken up to defray expenses. . The Rev. Howard Elliott, national lecturer for the association, was received with hearty applause, and on the call of someone in the audience a verso of " For He's a Jolly Good Fellow" was sung, followed by cheers. Mr Eliott congratulated tho committee which had arranged tho meeting on its success. He had been informed that a crowd at least equal to his audience —if not larger—had been turned away from the doors—(applause).—and he regretted that arrangements had not been made for an overflow meeting. Speaking of the conference in Wellington last week, he said that it represented every shade of opinion and every* class in society—from tho working man to tho rich landowner, from the professional man to the man who was working as a farm labourer. It also represented all the churches save one.—(Applause.) The platform was difficult for that single church to subscribe to. All tho Protestant churches were represented. There was no little significance to be attached to the fact that the movement, which was not yet a year old, had gathered in so many members, including member* of all the Christian Churches in the land. —(Applause.) The development of the association had not yet been estimated as to its possibilities for good—indeed, a leading man in New Zealand remarked to him recently. "I have been for 25 years in tho politics of this country, but I have never seen any movement like it. No man can estimate what the influence of it will be on the politics and life of the dominion."— (Applause.) At present the association had 60 or 70 brandies. Some of tho country branches numbered 2000 members, and in Auckland city the membership ran from 12.000 to 20.0CO—(Applause.) The devcionmeut had been such that the conference had" endorsed the recommendation of the provincial conferences in January to- raise a fund of £IOO,OOO. The gentlemen who were prepared to take up that proposal had both the resource and the ability to bring it to a successful issue. It was also intended that, during July, there should be a campaign in order to enrol 100,000 members on the books of the association, and he had the greatest confidence that that number would be obtained, if not 120,000.—(Applause.) Some people had said the association should not havo been started till after the war. He did not agree with that view. While they were assisting to carry on the great struggle in which the nation was engaged there were also home duties that must bo attended to. Germany had her ambitions and Rome also had her ambitions, and in this country, where there was a Roman political organisation, the Protestants must also have an organisation. —(Applause.) Unless there was a Protestant organisation their opponents would win

the day. Already they had their politicians in New Zealand practically bowing down to Rome. Rome had a majority in the House of Parliament. It might be said, "How many Roman Catholics are in the House?" As a matter of fact, there wore only five — Sir Joseph 'Ward, Sir James Carroll, Mr Poland, Mr Jennings, and Mr Webb—but one of these had slipped off recently.— (Laughter.) Someone would ask: "What can four or five men do in the House?" but it had to be remembered that thero were also 31 wobbly Protestants, who would vote for Rome, and tho wobbly Protestants are a greater menace to Protestantism than Rome itself. —(Applause.) Rome was always flourishing a big .stick, as Father Coffey often did in Dunedin, and somo people took more notico of it than they should. A responsible man in Parliament said to him recently, "The Catholics arc so strong," and he replied, "Yes, they must be, seeing they are only one-sevonth of the population, while wo are six-sevenths, and they must bo strong when they have you by "the car. "Yes," he said, "but what can the Protestants do? What Government can they put into power?" Well, at present they could not put any Government into power, but in 12 months' time they wouid put in the Government they wanted.—(Ap plause.) The politician had only one sense. Ho was always feeling round for votes, and whichever way tho votes were going he would go. Then, the other day the Mayor of Dunedin was asked to take tho chair at that meeting, and his reply was that, as the association w r as a political body, ho could not sec his way to associate himself with it. But two or three nights afterwards the Mayor took the chair for Dr Thacker, who made an attack on the Reform Party.— (Applause.) Ho had been told the Mayor had political ambitions, but they did not want any more wobbly Protestants in Wellington.—(Applause.) The Roman Catholic organisation must bo opposed, and the only hope of its opponents was in standing together shoulder to shoulder, and saying to the Government: "The Protestants demand that you shall administer the laws impartially, withoit fear or favour; that you will see that there is no distribution of offices of the State to any one section of tho community to the exclusion of others; and that you will always see that, with justice before your eyes and tho fear of God in your hearts, you will do what is right, and stop tho things that have been going on in New Zealand." —(Applause.) In tho past the Roman Catholics had got men into Parliament by dividing the Protestants ; but Rome could not put any man into Parliament on her own vote, and the moment the Protestants of this country stood together all hone of Roman domination was gone.—(Applause.) Speaking further of the influence of the Roman Catholic Church, ho said that during the last 11 years every amendment of the Education Act had given an advantage to Rome, and presently she would step in and get what she wanted. —(A Voice: "Never!") If the Roman Church did not possess the power sh..- desired she would use subtlety and chicanery and every dodge that could bo thought of." The Roman Catholics referred to the present system of education as godless, but the criminal statistics of the country proved that the State schools produced a better class of citizen than did the other schools.—(Applause.) Then the Presbyterian, Church of England, and Methodist Churches had to pay rates, but not so the Roman Catholics. There was no Roman Catholic school in this country that was paying rates in the ordinary sense. They might pay water rates, but even 'then they asked for a reduction. They were now asking for endowments and for a share of tho education vote of £BOO,OOO. _ _ Fortunately, however, the present Minister of Education had always said no.—(Applause.) And while Rome had been making a noise about a grant for her primary schools, convents, and Maris't Brothers' schools she had all the time been sniggering at her opponents, because Sir James Alien had so manipulated things for her in 1914 under an amendment of the Education Act, when he was Minister' of Education, that she was quietly given the scholarships in her schools. This was all done quietly and without tho people knowing it. and while the politicians in tho House were half asleep. That was a wedge that, if driven home, would split tho national system of education from top to bottom. Then, in Dunedin something was being done that was not done in any other Roman Catholic school in the country, and it was the first violation of the Education Act on this point. He referred to the fact that the Christian Brothers' School was being paid a grant from the State for technical education. That meant the breakdown of the system of technical education. How was it done ? It was done secretly, and no one seemed to know how. The Protestant Political Association said that this Jesuitical interference with the national system of education must stop.—(Applause.) Concessions were given to Roman Catholic children on the railways, while Protestant children attending the national schools had to pay. Last year £ISBO was paid in this way on behalf of Roman Catholic children. Theso were tho things, that crept in, and no one was able to say how they got in. Thero was also evidence - of Jesuitical influence in the Justice Department. A circular had been issued to all clerks of court and Supreme Court registrars, instructing them that in sending- in the court returns of convicted persons to the Government Statistician they were not to give tho religion of the convicted person. That information ought to be furnished, and not withheld. It was a guide in many ways—for one thing, it would always be a vindication of Protestantism, —and it ought not to betaken out of the statistics by back-door, Jesuitical influence.—(Applause.) Cabinet seemed to know nothing about it. and even tho Minister of Justice gave a look of surprise when it was brought under his notice. The speaker alleged that the same influence was apparent in the Postal Department, and quoted the inquiry in Auckland into interference with literature posted by the association. The Customs Department was also under the same influence, and would not allow certain books to come in, notwithstanding that tho contents of one of _ them had been read by millions of people in the United States and Canada. Yet the Tablet and tho Green Ray were published, notwithstanding the damnable disloyalty they displayed.—(Applause.) Ho was pleased to be able to sav that in this matter the Otago Daily Times had taken a stand that no other paper in New Zealand had taken. —(Applause.) By the fearlessness and tho courage of its editor it had held up to the whole dominion the anti-British and disloval sentiments that the editor of the Tablet had given expression to from time to time.—(Applause.) Tho speaker also dealt with the administration of the Military Service Act, and spoke of the exemptions granted to tho Roman CathoKo

Church. Wind; that church could not get by legislation it secured by regulation, and Sir James Allen had done more for Rome than any other Minister, barring Sir Joseph ward.—(Applause.) In a forcible conclusion, Mr Elliott strongly urged his hearers to join the association.

A number of written questions were answered. One question was: "What is the attitude of the Protestant Politieal Association to tho Bible-in-schools?" Mr Elliott said the attitude of the association to tho Biblo-in-sohools and to prohibition was one of absolute neutrality. Every member of the association was free to do as he chose outside tho organisation. Its members were divided on those questions. They could all meet on the common grounds of Protestantism, and follow their own beliefs in tho matters of tho Bible-in-schools and prohibition.—(Applause.) On the motion of the Rev. S. Griffith, seconded by Mr R. W. Hall (local president of tho association), the speakers were heartily thanked for their addresses. The meeting was closed with the singing of the Doxology.