According to Conviction

Editor Evening Telegram,

Dear Sir, - I am a believer in our people, in their sense of justice, their sense of duty and their common desire for a share of the happiness, and well being that is rightly theirs. I pray that each voter will have the decent courage to vote according to his conscience and free will and not be intimidated by any man or class or creed to vote otherwise.

For myself, I shall certainly not vote for a return to RESPONSIBLE Government as it existed in 1933. I find I cannot be true to my conscience and vote for it, as it existed then or for years previous. Why in the name of all goodness, couldn't some of the Conventionists offer some reformed or remodelled form to take its place? No, I cannot be a party to a backward trudge to destitution, dole and starvation. Responsible Government proved itself completely incapable of giving our people a decent existence, either in their childhood, manhood or old age. It did not safeguard our national health. It could not present a workable economy. It forced us on a diet which was a disgrace to humanity whether free or subjugated. Lastly, presenting its awful record of under-fed children and adults, its terrific high T.B. rate, and under developed manhood, as evidenced by the rejections of the war recruiting board, it threw in the sponge.

The system was wrong. The people are still paying dearly. Responsible Government as it was, and as those who advocate its return, wish it to be, never did or ever will fulfil the aspirations of our people.

I shall vote for Confederation with Canada. I believe it to be the right and sane choice of any Newfoundlander for a solution to all of our biggest problems, - which must be solved before we can progress. By union we unite, we do not have to buy Canada, neither do we sell Newfoundland. As in marriage, so is union. Canada will offer us as her dowry, her culture lower costs of living, benefits of her industrial accomplishments, higher health standards, better transportation, stable economy, Family allowances, old age pensions etc. and a decent chance in life for our youth. We shall be a member by right at her councils, and also therefore at the world's. What shall Newfoundland bring as her dowry? Let us bring ourselves. The hones [sic]God-fearing, free, energetic, couragous [sic], enterprising, people that we are - a race of people whose characters have been tempered in many fires of adversity. Let us bring our country, with its beauties, its advantages, its disadvantages - let us bring together this great British North America for the Common good.

It will be a blessed day for us who live, and for those yet to be born as Newfoundlanders if June 3rd is the day of our betrothal.

God grant it may be.

Yours truly,
YOUNG VOTER

May 28, 1948.

Reproduced by permission of The Evening Telegram. From "According to Conviction," The Evening Telegram, 31 May 1948, p. 6.