THE EDUCATION QUESTION AND THE APPROACHING ELECTIONS.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3223, 28 October 1881, Page 3

THE EDUCATION QUESTION AND THE APPROACHING ELECTIONS.

The Tablet in referring to the approaching election, has the following :—" We have always advised that the education question should be made the crucial test of any candidate for the votes of Catholics, and that candidates should only be supported by Catholics on their giving a distinct and sincere pledge to aid our just claims. In the event of two candidates presenting themselves, both, of whom "were unfavorable to our educational claims, or both of whom had actually opposed those claims in Parliament, ■we hold that Catholics would best respect themselves by abstaining altogether from recording their votes. Into the present elections again the question of the Bible in schools will largely enter, and in any case where a candidate who professes himself a supporter of the introduction of Biblereading into the State schools and who at the same time denies the claims of Catholics to State aid for their schools is opposed by a pure secularist, we should vote for the secularist in preference. Our objection to the Bible in schools is that we have a certain knowledge that, as it has been, so it would again be used as the means of constantly attempting to proselytise Catholic children, in spite of any conscience clause, and, moreover, we hold that the religious question thus introduced amongst the children would be productive of endless mischief. Meantime, we cannot at all understand how any man with a sense of justice can advocate a measure for yielding to the desire of one section of the people in the matter of religious teaching, while he opposes a measure of a similar nature with regard to another section of them—a section, to, still more desirous to have their children religiously instructed. Such a man's sense of justice must be imperfect, and it is clear he is not fit to legislate for the colony. These, then, it appeal's to us, are [the circumstances under which the votes of the Catholics are to be given, and they will best regard their self-respect and true interests by carefully considering them. Let them not be persuaded that anything—the settlement of the lands or any other question— is of equal importance to them with the education question.