The Dominion. WEDNESDAY, JULY 8, 1914. THE REAL ISSUE

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2196, 8 July 1914, Page 4

The Dominion. WEDNESDAY, JULY 8, 1914. THE REAL ISSUE

A cniTiCAL st.igo has nov bccii lcjchfc , in ihc BiWc ia-SrLoo!s Refoicndum contiovcis-j, and the whole roi'nMv is fin\iou">ij r waitinjj lo ~00 what Parliament is f;o:ng to du \\i f h tne ]{cfcicndiun Bn'. Tl.o i;cogn'tion ol tbib fact vas no doubu in a lii r ge rncas'Tc rcspnnsililc for the iiniib'jc'llj keen i.i'xrcst \.ith vhich tho PKPibcrs of the Anglican y>no'l followed the section of Hisnor Srnorr & prciidciiticl adarcos which dealt with thi=s tH'ich-dcbritcd problem. The Sjnod is not as a niic a demonstrative licdy, but the s'riking poiuts of ] me Bishop's spccc'i wore p.-.gcrlj v'zsd upon end heartily applauded The idurcsj is a mahlorly statement of the c.ise for the Bible-ip-Schoois, League, and it ficser.es tie earofnl attention oi ovcyone who Jcsirea to h<l l c a thorough gi\isp of tho m.ittors i'l d'souto alrl to form an intelligent judgment as to their merits. V\ hen tho Sy.ioJ met List year On Smorr leak with tho =urjoct nia.nl/ fion' the tneorctica. point of mcv,-, but on tLc prnsent occasion ho mseusses its moio piactieul as{jectia:id leplies to tho principal ocjections whic'i ha\n boon itnollnJ against the pioposals of thf bi'ulc-in-Schooli League. In aiis.ro , - ing the tint the question "iiu'ilii not Ll- si'bmi'tod tt n ••efci Midiiiii, iJr.. S"H()ii iiluitrati's ii's .iiguiiiiiit li\ tlv> sii.ipjsujcn tl-at we I luii nil just anivid in New Zoaj I.IIIJ ft 1 ilie hist tune .11 d Ji.ul to tiiiisidci Ihi osinltlisliiiieuL ot an <iliu\itk>n b\tti'Jii. We wouk l lia\c to iVci.le. be voiiutd out the chaiactei of the cdui.'ttion u> \ju g.veii, ths ichlne iiitMti jf roligio-is >inJ liii iiislimti'in, aiul the nio'jlem (.• j 111 ci onlv be -otLlcd 'iy a vote of the ioiiimun'tv Of loursc th* , thini? could bo dfinc without a \olc if thT" iicrc some pciton or peisou*. superior to the communitj, vithi authority underr^od from tne coil-I

nvinitj, who ihoi'ld device a system of edui.ktiun and milium it without lonsujutior, or cons"in," but this "modern embodiment of ths doctrine of the (In in l right of K'ngb" is not 111,, ly to be tolerated in .1 -dem'lint.c country like New Zealand. Members of P-uliamcut and the coinnnmit> us a whole must guard themselves .ig.nnsi b->ing diverted ftom th. inmn question bj the bide l-siifs v.hich tlit opponent , ; of the lcfereiuh'.ni arc continually bringing to thy front. The question which Parliament has to deckV is not wh.-ther the present rigidly secular s> stem bhould bo modified by the lnchisinn of Bible lessons/ but whether I hi- people of i\ T evv Zoaland, who own and psv for the --ehook ! .snail bi pr.en an opportunity of de-rl.u-ing their minds on this matter by means of a referendum Is the question to bij decided by so.ue cotcue or clique, or by the people them<-clve-! That is the point which Parliiiiiont his to consider. ■ The proccduiv bj referendum will seciue, r.3 the Bishop points out, Uut rhe ;iropo=al of the Bibk-in-SchooU L-ague siia'l not be loealised unl'Ah it lepresents, not in Ihcorv only, but in f-.it, the prevailing muul "We shall not ha-.c to aasi'me, *-.c ihall know, t'nit the majority approve it," otherwise it will not be put into operation. A controversy of tbia rnture can onlv be sntlsfactorily settled by the direct , of the jieoplc, bci;alisp it breaks through the ordinary pol.tLil divisio.it and cannot be decided on party linca. It uuiilc! be most unfortunate if Pav'iament, by refusing to allow the neonle themselves to gi\o judgment on the c'cniands of the two forced those who favour Bible Jes'ons to take a hand in the co'iiipg Parliamontary elections, and, if Ihc Bill is not nasseci this session, this wiil .indoi.btedly happen, with what results no one can tell. It is quite ce'-tain that a grea,t numbei ni electors are determined to place the Biblc-in-Schoo'a •ji'estion before all other issues. This *vould h.v.c a mobt distuibing effect on thu general rolit'cs of the country, especially * at the prrant tjnio, when it is of the greatest importance Urit the e.eetontes should give deer expression to their views on the political questions 10-.v before the Dominion, It is well that incmb"rß should be reminded that ''Par!i<iinen r is not the ccnscicncc of the copniunity," They are net asked to declare for or agiiiiit th<i propoE.il to permit Bible letsons'in State schools ,-iJI they are calkd upon to dj is to decic'a whc.thcr they v'.ll refute the electors themselves the opportunity to settle the matter oy means of a referendum We would commend to the notice tof our readers Bishop Sprott's verv .-ible ac!d:c c s, and more ("-peciilly thuse portions cf it iT whiih he disposes of the objections rii=cd to the people being "Dcrniittcd to settle this quest-on by their O'vn voics '