CORRESPONDENCE.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXX, Issue 11921, 18 July 1906, Page 7

CORRESPONDENCE.

A Retrograde Stop.

TO THE KDlTOft

Sir, — Ia this evening's '"Herald" an advertisement is inserted', calling a meeiing of those interested in forming an Orange Lodge Wanganui. Surely this is an unwise thing to do. Orangemen, I understand, formed their society in 1795 to uphold the Protestant religion, aud its political power. What then is the use of Orangeism to-day !•* Here in Wanganui we are all of us a happy family, in spite oi our religions, and irreligious differences. The Roman Catholic and the Protestant, the Jew and the Gentile, the Christian an<J the Rationalist have all tacitly agreed to disagree, and no sign dt sectarian bitterness can anywhere be noted. This is as it should be, and Wanganui is to be congratulated on its freedom from those religious disputes and wranglings which so often mar the good relation* that exist between tho various religions in the Old World, and it is to be very much regretted

that an effort is now to be maile to stir up strife where only peace and concord had previously reigned. The Orange movement* is essentially a movement designed to fight the Catholic Church, but does the Catholic Church need fighting nowadays? I cannot believe it. At any rate our Catholic citizens in this towH of Wanganui arc a credit to the place. They very rarely, if ever, cruise dissention or strife, being prepared to judge their neighbonrs according to their deeds rather than by their creeds. Sir, I hope this movement will receive the well merited contempt of the level-headed citizens of Wanganui; and that the Catholics aud Protestants will continue the good relations that have hitherto existed between them, is the sincerest wish of a RATIONALIST, jftonday, July 16, 1906.