The Henson Journals

[274]

Friday, April 15th, 1921.

In politics it is not false principles that have done most harm. It is the misconception of principles in themselves sound, prompting their hasty application without regard to the facts of each particular case.

Bryce. ii. 173

Not only in politics is this the case. Certainly in parochial administration the same thing happens. Illustrations are to my hand in my morning's post which includes letters from two parsons immersed in conflict with their people. Both men, presumably, have in mind a principle in itself sound, but, in trying to apply it, neither appears to pay any "regard to the facts of each particular case". A Ritualist curate rebukes a communicant sharply for "draining" the chalice at Holy Communion, & the communicant not unnaturally complains to the Incumbent, who, after much rudeness from the said curate, refers the matter to me! Now I doubt not that the Ass imagines himself to have been making a stand for reverence in receiving the Sacrament, and he assumes that his view of what reverence in reception requires must necessarily be held by every reverent person, whereas the precise opposite is likely to be the case, for he is an ardent "Anglo–Catholic", and the people of the parish are generally ardent "Protestants". Accordingly, he seeks to inculcate reverence by the method of personal insult, for his action could not otherwise be interpreted by any one who was personally unconscious of any irreverence. He seemed to "brawl"!

[275] [symbol]

I motored to Newcastle, and presided at a meeting of the Deaf and Dumb Institution. There was a small attendance, & (which I did not discover until too late) the majority of those present were themselves deaf & dumb! My speech was partly irrelevant, and partly brutal. I had tea at the Railway Station where I learned that the Railway men are not going to strike tonight. I returned to the Castle. There are some signs of discontent in the Triple Alliance. Many resolutions opposed to the Strike are being reported from important railway centres: and the transport workers are not much more enthusiastic. The miners are not generally popular, for they are better paid than most other manual workers, and their insistence on a high rate of wages connects itself with the exorbitant price of coal, of which railwaymen & transport– workers, in common with all other citizens (except the miners who enjoy privileges of their own,) do bitterly complain. If once the members of these Unions would begin to Think for Themselves, & act on Their own convictions, there would be a good hope that this squalid tyranny of the Labour Leaders would break up. At present the men are for the most part hypnotized by this spurious loyalty, which makes them sacrifice their Country to their class, & their class to their leaders.

---