AN ODIOUS SLANDER.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 13979, 12 May 1913, Page 4

AN ODIOUS SLANDER.

The Chronicle This morning takes the opponents of the Government to task for their “attempt to misrepresent the attitude of Mr Massey and his colleagues towards Labour," and asserts that there is no evidence to he got anywhere in the Dominion that the attitude of the Reform Party towards Labour is to-day net what it was prior to the last election. This is a fairly broad assertion, but is not quite according to fact. Numerous instances could he quoted in proof of the statement that the Masseyites are not in real sympathy with the Labour Party, as instance the frequent attacks made upon it by the Massey newspapers.- One instance will suffice. In a recent issue the Christchurch organ of the self-styled “Reformers” made a slanderous attack on /he Labour Party, and in reply thereto the Lyttelton Times, under the heading “Ah Odious Slander,” says; 'V

We have not the slightest objection to our Reform friends setting up the “Socialistic”. bogey in any guise they please for the purpose of frightening timid people into their own political camp. It amuses them, or at any rate keeps them occupied, and does not hurt anyone else. Hut when they proceed.'to describe the Labour Party as “a party which bases its methods upon a denial of the cardinal principles of Christ’s teaching” it ( is time for every lover of fair play and decency to protest. The description is an odious slander on a large body of men and women,which is : made none the less shameful' by its ludicrous inaccuracy. If there is one political party in this country that has adhered at all closely to the cardinal principles of Christ’s teaching in its efforts to promote the welfare of the’masses it is the Labour Party. If there is one party that has shown less regard for these principles in seeking- its own interests than ■ the other parties have it is the party that is now posing with blasphemous effrontery as the champion of righteousness. We are as much alive to the mistakes of the Labour-Socialists as the Reformers are, we deplore them more because we realise how sadly they arc injuring the cause of progress; but common honesty compels us to admit, that as a class the workers pay greater Attention to the teachings of the Sermon on the Mount in their private lives and in their public activities than do any of their opponents. Of course there' are black sheep and'very stupid sheep in the Labour fold, as there are in both the Liberal fold and the reformed Conservative'fold; but: no political party need he judged by the worst or the least intelligent of its members. As our friends have given their infamous slander a particular application by referring to the recent municipal elections we should, like to ask them which half-dozen of the Moderate* candidates for the Christchurch City Council have done half as much for the association cf Christian, in the broadest sense, ■ with municipal politics as Mr J. McCombs and Mr D.'G. Sullivan have done. To imply that these two gentlemen belong to “a party which bases its methods upon a denial of the ’bal'dinal' principles of . ’Christ’s teaching” is an insult to the intelligence of the community and an outrageous injustice to a large body of earnest social workers, '