NONCONFORMISTS AND VARIETY ENTERTAIN- MENTS ON GOOD FRIDAY.
[To THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR:] SIR,—In answer to two correspondents in last week's Spectator who complain of my remark, "How Nonconformists can agree to variety entertainments on Good Friday and Easter Day is a mystery," I beg to refer to Dr. Macnamara's letter in the Daily Telegraph of April 18th, in which he tried to explain away his statement that if the parson could not compete with Iolanthe, so' much the worse for the parion, by saying that the holding of a variety entertainment on a Sunday was after all a matter for the decision of his friends of the Camberwell Club. Of course it is; but a president who remains in office must surely be taken to be in agreement with his committee. One would have thought that the Non- conformist conscience would have revolted, and resignation would have been the result. This House of Commons contains a very large number of Nonconformists. Will they propose and vote for an amendment to the Licensing Bill which shall make variety entertainments illegal in clubs on Sundays and Good Fridays ? During the second-reading debate did one. Nonconformist raise his voice against the practice ? Did Mr. Lloyd George burl one thunderbolt in that direction ? I do not for one moment suggest that the true Nonconformist approves of such proceedings. The mystery, to my mind, is their acquiescence. Is Mr. Gross ignorant of the programme published by these clubs ? Let him try Club Life. And will he contend that none of the members of these so-called Radical clubs are Nonconformists ? The " free-drink " statement was made on the authority of a correspondent in the Press (who was present at one of the entertainments). When guests attend in large numbers there must be many free drinks, or else there would be illegal sale.
—I am, Sir, &c., W. RIDLEY. Docking Hall, King's Lynn. '
[We publish our correspondent's answer to the challenge given to him, but we feel bound to say that the line of argu- ment used is not fair. We are certain that the vast majority of Nonconformists object quite as strongly as the vast Majority of Churchmen to what took place at the Camber- well Club, but to condemn them as acquiescent because they did not make a more active protest in the House of Commons is surely most unjust. With a little ingenuity one might frame on similar lines a charge against the " acquiescence" of Churchmen in some regrettable incident. The criticism of Dr. Macnamara's particular action is 'another matter. What we object to is the injustice of the attempt to draw a general indictment.—En. Spectator.]
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