A chara,-In response to John Hume's call (January 5th) on the Provisional movement to accept the British parliament, it bears repeating that ever since the foundation of Sinn Fein in 1905 it has been its basic thrust to withdraw Irish representation from the British House of Commons and establish an All Ireland parliament to govern our country.
It is logical for a constitutional party like the SDLP - modelled on the lines of John Redmond's parliamentary party - to call on the Provisionals to join it in accepting the claim of the British parliament to rule in Ireland.
In view of the fact that the Provisionals have abandoned the revolutionary road in favour of reform of British rule in Ireland it is to be expected that Mr Hume would seek a natural progressions of their development into the British parliament itself.
However, were the Provos to do so it would be the very antithesis of what Sinn Fein has been based on for over 90 years and they would be compelled, as were the Workers' Party in 1982, to relinquish all claim to that title.
Already they have accepted the 26 County parliament rejected by Sinn Fein since it was created by the British in 1921. Mr Hume merely seeks to copperfasten them within the British system in Ireland and have them become SDLP No 2.
Given John Hume's constitutional position his thesis is entirely logical. Yours, etc.,
President,
Republican Sinn Fein, 223 Parnell Street,
Dublin 1.