MR ISITT HITS OUT.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11254, 7 December 1914, Page 5

MR ISITT HITS OUT.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir,—Unable to support the Bible in schools referendum, forced upon the free churches as a condition of partnership bv the Anglican Church, I have avoided strife, alike with Anglicans find free churchmen over a crusade I cannot join im but the main object of which commands my intense sympathy. I deplore sincerely the religious ignorance in'which many of our children are growing up. I believe it possible to deyiso a scheme that "'ill overtake that ignorance and yet avoid persecution or injustice to any section of the teachers or people, and I wiil support a. referendum on such lines. Because this is my. attitude strife is forces upon me. I am not in the eyes ot those with whom for forty years J have stood shoulder to shoulder in ~eligious and temperance work an honest man. acting on genuine conviction I am a politician opposed to the Bible ami trimming my sails to catch votes. \\ itimi the last few days a circular signed bv the Rev J. Paterson and an official of the League lias been distributed in my electorate telling the electors to vote for Mr Toogood because he supports the referendum. ' Mr Toogood, who when he last stood for Parliament was an absolute opponent, to -bible reading or teaching in the Sta.e schools, having been suddenly and conveniently converted as the result of a conversation with the Rev J. Paterson, Mr Paterson, alter nearly six months' residence in New Zealand, instructs the electors to ignore any claim my life among them may have given me upon their confidence and support and remorselessly down me in favour of his recent and disinterested convert. Modest Mr Paterson. Unless I an wrongly informed as to his ago I was speaking against the lack of Bible teaching in our .schools and doing my best to supply that want to the children of the Lawrence State school in 18v4,-i.0., about nine years before Mr Paterson was born. Perhaps that is the reason why the ladies who carry Mr Paterson's missive from door to door inform my constituents that they must not vote for a turncoat and carefully explain that the epithet is not to be applied to my opponent. Sir, the young reverend's assumption ludicrous. Surely if mv old friends deem my political destruction a dire necessity the coup de grace should not be administered on behalf of the free churches by a young gentleman six months old as far as New Ze-alaud is concerned, who knows nothing of \ew j Zealand conditions or ol' the rival claims of Mr Toogood and myself on the confidence of this community. I am riot at all alarmed, but I protect against the indecency of my attempted taking off. What about Mr Paterson\> consistency? In giving evidence befo'-o the Parliamentary Education Committee Mr Paterson admitted that his referendum might work hardship against certain teachers and frankly stated that 111 his personal onnvon these teachers should be safeguarded. Yet Mr Paterson urges my constituents to vote for my opponent because I cannot support <a referendum that does

not provklo a conscience clause ior teachers. I am, etc , L. .M . IS ITT.