LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1729, 21 April 1913, Page 8

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

BIBLE-IN-SCHOOLS METHODS. Sir,—ln an official league leaflet, "Methods of Opposition,'' I lie orgaiiif.?r gravely misrepresents certain facts which were also contorted in your issues of November 10 and later dsiies. 1. Tho league leaflet credits Bishop Cleary with accusing league leaders of '"forgery" and "fabricating a document." The "document" is a stali'iiienl. attributed to the late Director or Education in Tasmania (Mr. Neale) that the Catholic "denomination" thero accepts the Bible-in-sehools syMoin "as a happy solution of the religious difficulty." 'I here uere four innocent, alternatives to the "forgery" charge. Why does the league organiser in April withhold my numerous published invitations of January-February lo test this alleged personal libel before an Auckland jury!"

2. Tasmanian information, given as "information," without my gimruntro or formal acceptance, mado it "npnear" that tho author of the "document. 1 was not tho • Direct or of Education. Thus far in November. lie was nllegedlv absent ul. the time; he officialy knew the Catholic objection to the system; he hnd expressed specified views inconsislenf with the "document," which was signed by a see. retary and "appeared" to represent his view only. All this published >;nme Ihirteen times in January-February, was withheld in the league leaflet: officially circulated in April. 3. The league leaflet distinetlv convey;* the impression that I received a cable message on the subject from the prowil Tasmanian Director of Education (Mr, M'Co.v) on December 2. 1!II2, ami i.'ime days later, a letter. Untrue, Tin-'" tyre received on my return home, about (,'lirhlmas Eve. This information, repeatedly published in January-February, wim v/illiheld in tho league leaflet officially circulated in April.

4. The leaflet declares that ])ivi:U,r M'Coy's communications lo me idmrly proved his predecessor the author of the grotesque untruth that the T.V'ir/unl.'.ii Catholic "denomination"' accept* the Bible-in-selicols system "as a h/ipoy solution of tho religious ciflicuUy, In. correct. He credited his preileei'tyi/' y/Hli two identically worded ativ-rUons r,l Catholic acceptance of tho 'IWiMifon tem. The secretary adinilt"dly t-.igiini one of., these, and, in the al/y : W! ul specific information, he presumably ed the other. Was this his P':rvina! vi<-.y/, or was it written, diclaUd, or utjfn-, by a director of known opjm-:in:-; vfow.sj Director M'C'oy did not -::il!y Whv were my plain words initqiioted ut withheld?

5. Further information, k,i;<l I Utminry 4, etc.) was "expected filwtj;" stiai was to be "utilised in u public pinn-iHi.',-. inont" already arranged and unnnnii'Ail, Why was (his withheld in a league l«:s2<:V officially circulated in April? G. On January 3, a league ntifr.ti published in the Auckland "Star" t»/; new specific statements definitely n<Murj the authorship question. In nut (January -t) I thanked the Icapim officii! "for making so much clear." Tho l<:a<!ii<organiser says Bishop Cleary then "mode known" that, from early in December, "ho knew his charge lo be false." This is not so. In January-February I set right the authority question some thirteen times from press and platform. This was withheld by the league in April. 7. Official evidence of undying Catholic hostility to the Tasmanian Bible-in-schools system—and the spcciflc grounds thereof—have been repeatedly placed beSore the league arid the public since early in November, 19112. "Withheld again! Tho leaguo is still officially circulating the notorious untruth that the Tasmanian Catholio "denomination" finds that system "a linppy solution of tho religious difficulty"! The league has officially sanctioned its paid, organiser's deplorable methods. Yet in the same leaflet it makes it. criminal to withhold such facts "even for a single minute"! There are honourable men oa tho league's executive. Will they now d«lay "fora single minute" th<? amends which justice and honour demand ? Copies of this letter have been mailed, registered, to the league's executive and its organising secretary.—l am, etc., ■ HENRY AY. CLEARY, D.D., Bishop of Auckland. April 12.