Partisanship or Purity: An Endeavor to Create Racial Strife by Politicians

PARTISANSHIP OR PURITY AN ENDEAVOR TO CREATE RACIAL STRIFE BY POLITICIANS A Political Move in Which Firebrands Figure Too Much of a Loyalty Cry and the ‘Old Flag Business Cause and Effect It is regretable that the Sun and the great political party it speaks for in this province should be so persistent in its hostility to the French people of Quebec province. The following communication with its appended editorial explanation appeared in the Sun this week: Boston. Mass, Oct 13 To the Editor of the Sun: Dear Sir- Being a reader of your daily paper and a voter of your city and of true loyalist descent, I have a strong feeling in the welfare of my old home and a strong desire to see the old flag defended by the government of Canada. Now I would like to ask through the columns of you valuable paper what was done with those students in a Quebec college, who only a few months since marched the streets of that city and pulled down the British flag and cheered for the enemies of England, and if the dominion government took any steps to punish such rebellious conduct, or if the government gave its approval by its silence. Yours, A LIFE LONG LIBERAL Not much was done about it. Mr. Tarte defended the students. The opposition members were rather disposed to excuse them on the ground that they were young and excitable and had been incited to the outrage by the incendiary appeals of Mr. Tarte's paper. In Canada the race-spirit is easily touched, here we have two races. Estrangements are easily made and sometimes, when the firebrand politician shows his teeth national solidarity may he ruptured. If some of the leaders of the Conservative party do not wish to allow Catholic Conservatives to keep in line in supporting that party then there is no easier way of causing a rupture than to engender and promote a racial strife. When politicians are sent abroad politicians such as Foster with a national reputation—to espouse the candidate of a religious-politico firebrand like Hetherington, then is it not time to call a halt in the loyalty cry and all that talk about the "old flag.” By such actions as these the respect and, in a great measure, the adherence of Catholics to the Conservative cause must lie weakened. In Quebec we have a French-speaking province we can understand that the natural attachment of our English speaking people of all denominations to the throne and crown of England should lead them to resent even a hint of disloyalty in other parts of the Dominion. The communication in the Sun with its comment is, we think, nothing more or less than a political dodge and as such, another slap in the face at the many good Catholic Conservatives throughout New Brunswick. We are not approving of the students act by any means, but we disapprove of the journalistic means employed in bringing it before the public at this late hour. Inflammatory partisan literature of this nature does not do any real good. If the Conservative party fathers all acts of this kind it must seem reasonable, to say the least, that they should also assume the responsibility of all other campaigning devices, which have been in vogue since we have been made acquainted with the announcement of the coming general elections. There have been many canvasses used in our province by both parties – Conservative and Liberal alike – they are too many to enumerate. We will not endeavor to go over them all that would be a vain endeavor and time lost. In conversation with good Catholic Conservatives THE FREEMAN has learned that they repudiate the attacks made on their faith by Hetherington in Queens .The man from Queens was assisted by the standard bearer of the party in St. John, Foster. The canvas made was a disgraceful one, and stamps these politicians as dangerous foes to many good citizens’ rights and liberties. It is evident that the Cromweillian days have not yet left our land. Every pretext for a religions cry has been taken advantage of. Our feelings are not respected, our altars are held up to ridicule. The “old flag" business, the “loyalty cry;” et al, has been done to death. We have to be a nonentity in the eyes of these past masters of insulting invective. More than one politician has taken the stump in this unholy campaign. They are known and can lie pointed out. It is not the FREEMAN’s intention to cause strife, but we intend to carry the war right into China and demand that modern weapons be used and that the musketry and political shot of ancient times be thrown aside. Politicians of today must come out in the open with arms hard to meet the public. They should stand on their political records alone and not that old, old story of race and religion. Our boys in the Transvaal have fought side by side with Britain’s bravest. No question was asked as to what their religion was when the call of arms was sounded. The French Canadian as well as the lad of Irish descent valiantly dawned the Khaki for Queen and country. Their record has been a glorious one. The victory, has been won. In such a manner should the political flight be contested. Cast aside all racial feelings, honor a man or a party for his worth. Let the victory be one of purity, not of “partisanship.”