What Are We Thinking Of?

Editor Daily News,

Dear Sir - A little boy held a piece of candy in his hand. A bigger and older boy grabs it from him. The little boy protests but is knocked down and kicked and his candy is taken from him. When he gets up the bully says: "I got what I wanted. You can do nothing. Let us be friends." But the little boy has spirit and he goes to a policeman and the bully is summoned and his rotten conduct is unfolded and he is punished.

England and Canada, two big bullies, have beaten up little Newfoundland. The Newfoundland Confederate "big men," aiders and abettors, say in unctuous triumphant tones: "Now that we have beaten you let us work together for Newfoundland. Of course we think more of ourselves than Newfoundland. We beat you by cheap propaganda, by cheap lies. We used sectarianism in our talks and in our letters. We prevented the people from learning the truth. They will find out the truth later but it will be too late then. Anyway you can do nothing about it, so let's work together."

Imagine, join with men who thought more of themselves than their country. Join with men whose campaign was financed with Canadian money. Join with men who wrote letters breathing the worst form of sectarianism. God forbid we should ever join them. We shall ever fight them at the bar of public opinion.

Confederation was conceived in iniquity. The plot started some years ago to force Newfoundland into union. The politicians of England and Canada have nothing to be proud of. Russia could not do the job any better. History will judge their conduct properly and it will be a story of broken promises and of national bribery, a crime against a peaceful and contented people.

Idealist in his very fine letter in Tuesday's issue expressed the views of a very large section of the people namely that they will always be Newfoundlanders.

We who tried to defend Newfoundland can hold our heads high. I need never blush with shame. But we hold no truck with the others. Let us fight to the last ditch.

Yours truly,
NEWFOUNDLANDER ALWAYS.

Reproduced by permission of The Toronto-Dominion Bank. From "What Are We Thinking Of," The Daily News, 5 August 1948, p. 4.