CATHOLIC DISLOYALTY.

New Zealand Tablet, 14 December 1911, Page 2529

CATHOLIC DISLOYALTY.

TO THE EDITOR. , - . 5 Sir, —As a reader of your journal, I desire to make a few remarks on the above. In recent issues you have devoted some’ space to correspondence dealing with Catholic support to candidates at the general election. The first ballot is over

and the deplorable fact is revealed that from one end of the Dominion to the other the Catholic voters as a body have been traitors to their own cause. The figures of six electorates where Catholic candidates stood for Parliament are before me, and in no case did the candidate receive the Catholic support. Two of the candidates were pledged from the platform to support Catholic claims to schools, and their opponents declared against recognition of their claims, and yet we find that, in one electorate , where 1600 Catholic voters reside the Catholic candidate polled 490 votes. In another electorate where at one booth 103 votes were recorded, 98 of which were Catholic votes, the candidate pledged to support the Catholic claims received 36 votes, his opponent, a recognised ‘ wowser,’ polled 67 votes. This appears to be a sample of what is going on in the Dominion to-day. Therefore, what is the use of the Catholic vote at all. I am much mistaken if after next Thursday J. G. Ward’s mana does not further exist. Ihe ‘ wowser ’ whip will crack mercilessly on the Catholic people of the country and well have they deserved it. —I am, etc., South Canterbury. [To allay any possible heartburn we may say at once that this —which once again shows that at least Catholic voters do not take religion into consideration in casting their votes—is not from Timaru. We are not in a position to question the correctness of our correspondent’s statements; but from information received from many quarters we are able to say that better work has been done for the Catholic cause at this election than at any election for many years past. We quite admit that that is not necessarily saying very much. But it is a start ; and we are hoping for better organisation and a greatly improved condition of affairs before next election. —Ed. N^Z.T.]