FACTS VERSUS IMAGINATION.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 876, 23 July 1910, Page 10

FACTS VERSUS IMAGINATION.

Sir,—l read, with much amusement, "Theists's" effusion on the subjects or science and secular education, which, according to his arguments and figures —I cannot call them statistics—provo him not only to. possess- a cursory knowledge, but further, if his opinions could bo classed as.,, knowledge, they aTO very lame and' one-sided. Avnat view Sir Robert Stout, Mr. Robert Hogg, Professor M'Kenzio, and Air. John GimimoJl tako of his absurdities would make very interesting reading. However, sir, with your kind permission, I proposo giving him a good, healthy do so of an up-to-date antidote in the form of statistics which a.re not like Haeckcl's prehistoric animals—extant only in. the brain. . It will, no doubt, be news to "Theist" that tho "First International Moral Education Congress" held its first meeting m London a shoit whilo' back, and that tho report thereof is published by Longman's. "Theist" should obtain this. Then,-there is a very large and representative body in England, called tho Moral Instruction League, which comprises the leading educationists of England, and exhaustive researches have been made by specialists appointed by the league. Mr. Harold Johnson, the indefatigablo secretary: of this institution, was'asked to supply a report on tho educational system of France. Having narrated how "according to tho great education laws of 1833 and 1850, which established State primary education in France, moral instruction and religious instruction were intimately associated," he says that "an epochmaking change- was effected when tho law of March 28, 188;!, in its hrst article, declared that primary instruction includes moral and civic instruction, and in' its second article provided that in all primary schools one day a week, in addition to Sunday, should bo set apart to enable such parents as desired their children to receive religious instruction to arrange for this, —but outside the school buildings." Note, the last'fivo words! Has this system 'effected n moral regeneration of tho nation, or substantially improved blio standard of actual conduct, or elevated the'moral tone of the youth; or purified the nation as a whole ? 1 lie children who, ■were.nMo'jytiars. old when this :: "morariai(iue" a th'at v 'ivas. to regenerate, the moral life of the nation was introduced in 1882 aro now men Mid women of thirty-five. They largely constitute tho French nation to-day, and mako '- its laws. Mr. Johnson answers this in" a very fino passage, in pathetic words:— "For mure than a century Franco has' been the initiatrico des peuplns, the 'suffering servant,' of the world, the nation ■ irresistibly borne along on tho torrent of inexorable ideas. Sho has paid, and is still paying, a 'terrible price for .the supremerpurchaso'wlrieli she hopes may yet be tiers.. Thero re much in her present condition that is profoundly disquieting. In fifty yean criminality in France increased three fold, although there was scarcely any increase'ill the population. This eiinrmous increaso in crime was particu larly-.noticeable, among the youug.. Statistics of the Ministry of, Justice, furnished up to 1804, in 'L'Educatiou. ot (i> Suicide des Eufants , ' (1907),' by 'Louis Proal, show no appreciable improve! mont. France has passed, too, from being tho soberest of nations.to being one of the least sober. . By. the'very irony of fate, it would seem, only two years boforo she entered on her moral crusade in the schools, sho passed (in 1880) the disastrous law facilitating tho production and sale of alcohol, and in sixteen years, as Fouillee tells us, th« consumption of alcohol increased threefold. . . Tho'.same ; irony of fate.would seem to Einile' grimly again when, ii: 188",. the moral lessons in the school!; wero extended to include lessons on anti-alcoholism, whilst at.the same timo to maintain the , army,. tho Treasury must perforce felicitate itself upon an increasing revenue .from alcoholic sources! One pities the. teacher, but ho needs not our pity. Ho looks with oonfidenco to the coming generation)). . -. . What lnjght tho teacher not yut, accomplish! If only tho State would > co-operaio with him morel If only it would regard absinthe, aperitifs, and overy kind of distilled spirit as China now regards opium 1 If only it could be induced to exorcise a severe restraint over the unbridled license of the pornographic 1 press, which pours its obscenities into every hamlet in the land I If only it could distinguish botw'ceu liberty and license! If in uo seimu it sanctioned debauchery and vice (').g-, maisons de .tolerance)!.... If only it would provido for the .teacher in all departments of t tho liational lifts the ethical' atmosphere 'without which his noblest 'efforts"'are "stifled! (Vol. 11, pp. 9-11.)". :.:'; .- ":.. The state of crimo in Paris is truly appalling. The Paris courts aio BWdmpect. The daily list, recimtad for the year 1909 within the jurisdiction of the Parquet. do la Seine, is far in excess of that of the preceding year. The courts are not ablo to deal with them, and since January of this .year to May the arrears are not less, than 1200 cases. Tho French prfiss is- clamouring for a reconstruction of the wholo legal system, so that justice may not , bo mocked. The innocent aro detained in prison for weeks before they cap get a chance of clearing themselves. Only tho .other flay M. Lepino himself — tho incomparable Prefect of Police, who watches wct Paris like a father, ' and really loves his great family as ho ii> loved by it —lamented very sorrowfully the rapid decline of public morals, or, rathor, the unparalleled rise of dishonesty, violence, vice, and every hideous phase of social lifo. He had tho coupage, even though an official, to speak very plainly as to the causes of tho growing mischief. I hoiM that "Theist" will not accuso mo of tergiversation in so far as I have written. But how he deals in millions of population and the ratio of Christians, etc! It is so Hacckellian. He did not obtain these figures from any statistician. Perhaps M'Cabe gavo them tp him. "Thoist" is unfortunate in quoting the construction of the .nioafrom a discovered thigh-bone by Professor Owen. Scientists do not object to this;, but what they do object to is the drawiiw n». the imagination , lor

genealogies of animals which had been | submitted to them as hypothetical, and afterwards, through the author and translator, given to the world as thoso of prehistoric animals which had existed. "Thoist" is, as I havo above stated, tou cursory in his reading. Ho contrasts his Honour Mr. Justice O'Connor's expressions in advocating religion's instruction by means of Catholic schools with Sir Robert Stout's presidency of M'Cubu'a meeting. ■ Again, "Thoist" in unfortunate and does not know his man. It is well known throughout Australia that Mr. Justice O'Connor is a conscientious believer in God and tho Divinity of Christ, while Sir Robert Stout's views are not known. "Theist" is, again, wrong when he states that Mr. M'Cabo does not agree with Haeckel, because M'Cabo has swallowed larger differences than tho one quoted. I instance - tho above referred to alleged prehistoric animals. In conclusion, sir, as Mr. M'Cabo has so thoroughly filled up "Thoist" —I hope not to tho same extent that Hacckel has filled up M'Cabo —I would strongly recommend our ardent correspondent to accept nothing which is not based on solid fact and to first road "Lambert's notes on Ingorsoll," then supplement it with "Does Hacckel Solve the Riddles?" by Rev. Professor Tasker, D.D., and complete his course with "The Oldest Riddle and the Newest Answer," by Father Gerard, S.J., who is, a member ofHhe Linuean. Society.—l am, etc., "VEEITAS." Wellington, July 19, 1910.