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Speaking in Castlederg on Saturday night, May 1, at the
unfurling of a new Banner for LOL 379, the Immediate Past
Grand Master, the Rev. Martin Smyth said:
Apathy, so-called, should not prevail. We must shake off
our disillusion with politics caused by the greed of our century
and the broken promises of erstwhile leaders.
He urged citizens, irrespective of colour, class or creed
to vote for the candidate, irrespective of Party, who best
represented their wish to remain as citizens of the United
Kingdom and enjoy the prosperity and privileges of such citizenship.
"The real victory for Northern Ireland in this election
will not be the number of seats won, no matter how important
that may be. Rather it will be the number of votes cast for
the Union and the benefits which flow there from," he
said.
"This election has been billed by some as a battle between
Orange and Green. Within the Orange family we do not see it
as such; for the Williamite forces at the Boyne proudly wore
green ribbons to distinguish them from the Jacobites wearing
white markers.
"Indeed those, who criticise us as a Christian organisation
for being involved in politics, often display split personalities.
They regularly seek such support from religious bodies or
as has occurred already in this election received direction
from a powerful religious lobby through Roman Catholic bishops.
"The Orange Institution seeks to uphold the Reformed
principles of liberty enshrined in the Williamite tradition
which has benefitted all in the Commonwealth of Nations and
the United States of America.
"Thus we encourage our members and supporters to exercise
their franchise which our forefathers won for us. To abstain
may cause us to rue the day when we allowed others to be elected
to rule over us. "
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